Garlic Maturity for Harvesting.
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● Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest 4-5 months after they are planted.
● The outward signs are the green leaves, which will begin to turn brown.
● Check if ready by pulling back the soil around one of your bulbs, if the clove ridges are clearly defined and the bulbs are a decent size, and some of the leaves have died back, then harvest them.
● Do not delay harvesting until the leaves die back completely as with onions, because by this time the bulbs will have started to split. Once the bulbs have split, they are still fine to eat, but may not store for long. These should be used first.
● For Garlic that has been planted in light soils harvest by just pulling out of the ground
● If the soil is heavier and/or planted deeply, use a fork to carefully lift the whole plant. Shake or brush off any excess dirt. Do not bang them against each other or anything else as this will bruise them and shorten storage life.
● After harvest garlic is cured. The curing process gives the bulbs an opportunity
to thoroughly dry and adjust to conditions outside of the vegetable garden.
● Curing is important if the bulbs are not quite mature, as the bulb continues to absorb moisture and nutrients from the stem and leaves after harvest.
● In dry areas, some growers place freshly dug bulbs in groups on top of the soil, to dry out and start the curing process in the open sun. However, this is not recommended as some garlic bulbs can get sunburnt, and the dramatic rise and fall in temperature from day to night can harm the bulb, reducing storage times.
● It is better to cure undercover, where temperatures fluctuate less. Leave plants intact (do not remove leaves, flower stalks or roots) and hang in bunches or place on racks in a dry airy position that doesn’t get too hot.
● Leave them for a minimum of 2-3 weeks but if you can leave them for longer (say 2 months) they are likely to store for longer.
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