Harvesting Garlic

[rmonge00]

Hey everyone,

I have been wondering when I should harvest my garlic... Some of the outer leaves are dying, but the bulbs are still tiny when I dig them up. Is there any chance they could still be good if I wait longer. We have been having hot weather for a month.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[lesa]

As long as some of the leaves are still green- and there is no danger of them rotting, you could leave them in a little longer. If there is a possibility that they would end up sitting in water- you might better get them up...

 

[vfem]

I'm wondering when you planted them and how long they've been in? If you planted in the spring in a hotter area they're in a slump and won't really grow much right now. Garlic likes cool weather to thrive and grow, chances are it may be mid fall before they're done. I do believe they need 110+ days of cool weather to actually develop. I would just leave yours, sounds like they still need a couple more months. They do sounds still alive though

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

if you started from bulblis instead of the cloves this could also mean you need to leave them in the ground for another year or two till they are full sized.

 

[rmonge00]

Should I weed them out? If so, should I dig out the roots of the weeds or just rip out the plants as to not disturb the garlic? I planted teh garlic last fall as cloves, but they are definetely not looking ready, so I will leave them..

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

weeds shouldn't be growing in with the garlic so you'll need to get those out so the garlic doesn't have competition. leaving the garlic to grow another year shouldn't hurt them.

 

[so lucky]

I know you have discussed this many times, but I can't find my exact issue: (And please take pity on this poor woman with the sore eyeballs, as the thread is looong!) I planted garlic cloves this spring, and I thought they just withered away over the summer. Now I see that they are coming up, one "stem" each, since we have been getting rain. Guess I need to leave them, but how long? over winter? will they produce more leaves and then die back? will they just keep producing more corms or rot away? Is it ok if they are left in the ground for---say---two years?

 

[lesa]

I would pull one and see if the size is at all useful... If they are still tiny- leave them in and see what happens in the spring. There is a chance they might rot in the ground, but if they really aren't big enough to eat...The season was so strange this year, I am not sure there are any real answers. It will be a season of experimenting for sure! Hope you get a few cloves, at least!