Thursday 2 July 2015

Garlic Harvest - Fall Planted

Posted By: imamsahara 09:21:00 Leave a Reply

Growing garlic for nine months after planting is a bit like, well...you know what. Go ahead and laugh or sigh, we all know that growing garlic isn't like having a baby. But the process - planting, caring, wondering, and anticipation sound vaguely familiar.

Ready for Harvest

Our garlic was ready for harvest right on schedule for central Denver, late June. It was planted last October. Garlic growing in the foothills or at higher elevation may need a few more weeks. Let the plant tell you when it is ready - when 4 or 5 upper leaves are green, or when 60% of the leaves are still green. Some people harvest when the bottom half of the plant is mostly brown and the upper is mostly green (what I do). Plants start browning from the bottom up and from the tips inward. After growing garlic a few seasons, you'll know your plants and when it's time. It is better to error on too soon, rather than too late. If the plants are completely brown or have been in the ground too long the bulb starts to separate (you'll see individual cloves) and it won't cure well or last as long.

Some varieties like softneck silverskins are weak-necked so can fall over prior to harvest and they will look pretty brown, that's okay. The message is to know your garlic and how each variety grows. Often this information is written in the catalog description or plant tag if purchased from the garden center.

Remove scapes two weeks prior to harvest

If you're growing hardneck garlic and forgot to remove the scapes two weeks prior to harvest you can still cut them off and use them in stir fries or in pesto. No need to let them dry on the harvested plant. Scapes are cut so the plant can focus larger growth on the bulb. Harvest garlic plants when they are dry - stop watering 4-5 days prior to harvest. The exception is hardneck porcelain varieties, cut off watering 2-3 days prior.

Use a garden trowel or fork to lift the bulb carefully from the ground. Check out my Denver Post TV garlic video to see harvest in action.

After harvest, get the plants out of the sun and into a basement or area where there's good air circulation. No need to wash or scrub them clean, use your hand to brush off any dirt (lightly). Let the whole plant dry on newspaper or hang in bundles of 6 to 10. This will cure the bulbs and form the papery outer shell, just like onions. In about 4-6 weeks cut off the brown dry leaves close to the top of the bulb. Cut the roots off too. Now it's okay to fully clean them with a soft brush (no water). Store them in mesh bags in an area with humidity around 50%, a wine cellar is ideal if you have one. Softneck types can store well up to nine or more months if well cured. Hardnecks usually last three to five months, so use them first. Bulbs that become soft or mushy are past their prime.

If you're wondering if can use fresh garlic right away in recipes or raw, heck yea! Just use the whole bulb within a few days (store in a glass bowl, never refrigerate garlic). Freshly harvested garlic is pretty mild tasting, it develops more kick and heat as it cures and ages.