If you planted garlic last fall, these last few weeks before harvest is an important time to make sure you get the best garlic possible. It is when the bulbs fill out to their maximum potential. Ignoring your plants now will reduce your harvest and the quality of your garlic bulbs.
One thing that is easy to let slide is weeding. New summer weeds are making quick growth competing with garlic plants for moisture. Heavy weed growth also lessens air circulation at the soil surface, making a damp environment allowing mold to enter the bulbs.
Soil moisture requirements decrease during the final month before harvest, which usually takes place during July in Michigan.
The ideal conditions at the surface of the topsoil would be somewhat moist with more moisture in the root zone. You can do a quick check by carefully moving some topsoil away from the plant without disturbing the roots while inspecting the soil conditions. This will also give you an idea on how far along the bulbs are.
This time of year, garlic plants send up a false flower stalk called a ”scape,” which is composed of many miniature garlic bulbs, called bulbils. If the scape is left to grow, energy that would normally go into growing larger garlic bulbs would be directed instead toward growing the scape with its bulbils.
Scapes first grow into a circular shape; cut them off at that stage while they are still tender. They are a delicious, much sought-after delicacy. If the scapes are not cut off, the garlic bulb size can be reduced by nearly a third.
Continue to keep an eye on your garlic for the next few weeks. The bulbs will continue to swell in size. Garlic will be approaching harvest when the bottom leaves begin to brown at the tips. Do not wait until all the tops have died. I made the mistake of following that advice and ended up with overmature, unattractive garlic bulbs which fell apart into single cloves.
Dig your bulbs when forty percent of the leaves have turned yellow or brown. It is better to harvest a little bit early rather than late.
Harvest by pulling by hand after loosening the soil with a garden fork. Never wash or rinse your harvested garlic.
After digging, move the entire plant to a spot with good air circulation and protection from direct sun and rain to cure for a few weeks or until the neck shrinks and dries hard. The outer wrapper skin should then be thoroughly dry. Any soil left on the bulbs may be rubbed off along with a layer of wrapper to give a clean garlic bulb.
Then cut the tops and roots off of the bulb. We grow hardneck garlic and always leave a stub at least a half inch long attached to the bulb. This helps to maintain a seal at the top of the bulb during storage.
Your garlic bulbs may last six to eight months or even longer, prolonging the flavors of your summer garden.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Bob’s Garden Journal: Take care of your garlic before harvesting
Reporting by Bob Dluzen, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bob Dluzen, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
