When to remove garlic from the garden - winter (winter) and summer (spring)

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Published: 07/14/2020

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Spring varieties of garlic are perfectly stored until spring. But only if a number of conditions are met, one of which is the complete ripening of the vegetable heads. Therefore, it is important to know when to plant and remove summer garlic from the beds, and how to determine the degree of its ripening.

1 Signs of head maturation
2 Timing of garlic harvesting in different regions of Russia
3 Cleaning features: what to pay attention to
4 Preparation for storage

When to Harvest Winter Garlic

If you are growing this vegetable, you should definitely know when to harvest winter garlic in order to avoid losses during harvesting and subsequent storage.

Garlic planted in the fall reaches full maturity after 100 days from germination.

In most regions of the country, harvesting of winter garlic occurs at the end of July - beginning of August. The time may shift to an earlier or later time depending on the growing region and prevailing weather conditions. Some gardeners, when deciding when to harvest winter garlic, strictly adhere to the lunar calendar.

How to tell if garlic is ripe

You can determine whether garlic is ripe or not yet by the following signs:

in plants with cut arrows, the lower leaves should dry out and the upper ones should turn yellow;
the shells of the air bulbs on the shoots should burst and garlic seeds, called bulbs, should emerge from the cracks;
The scales of the garlic heads should be strong, dry and have a purple tint.

Now we know all the signs indicating the ripening of this vegetable, including how to determine the ripeness of garlic that has arrows with bulbs.

To grow larger cloves of garlic, it is recommended to break off the arrows of the plant in advance, directing nutrients to the formation of the crop. Experienced vegetable growers leave 2-3 plants with arrows in the garden in order to determine the ripeness of garlic and to collect planting material.

When a garlic bulb effortlessly breaks into individual cloves, it indicates that the vegetable is overripe and needs to be removed urgently.

Timing for harvesting winter garlic depending on the region

People who have grown garlic for at least one season have probably realized how important it is to harvest garlic in a timely manner so that it does not happen earlier or later than the optimal time.

Cloves that are not fully ripe will be soft to the touch, and those that are overripe will begin to fall apart while the garlic is on the vine. Both cloves are poorly stored in winter.

If you do not remove the garlic at the optimal time, then after it is moistened by precipitation, it may again begin to grow new roots and begin to grow. Because of these potential problems, great care must be taken as the crop approaches harvest.

Many gardeners want to know when to harvest garlic in the Moscow region, in central Russia, in the Urals, Siberia and other regions of the country.

As for the regions of the middle zone, winter varieties of garlic usually ripen there in mid-July. But unexpected adjustments can be made by the weather, shifting the cleaning deadline in one direction or another by a week.
In the northern regions of the country, it takes longer for the crop to ripen and this usually happens at the turn of July and August.

The harvesting time of winter garlic is also affected by the variety. Early varieties can ripen 1-2 weeks earlier than late ripening ones.

If the summer is too dry and hot, then ripening will occur later. A series of rains and abundant watering throughout the growing season, on the contrary, greatly affect the growth of fruits and harvesting may occur earlier.

Some summer residents advise starting harvesting winter garlic as early as June. You should not listen to such advice. In this option, harvesting will be premature, the vegetable will not fully ripen and the garlic will begin to germinate again during storage. Having spent nutrients on germination, the garlic bulbs will begin to dry out and deteriorate.

Judging by folk superstitions, garlic dug up according to the lunar calendar can be stored for 40 days longer than usual.

In cases where the harvested garlic is supposed to be used for planting next year, the lunar calendar will also come in handy. Next year's harvest will depend on the correct harvest time.

How does the weather affect the cleaning time?

In Siberia, the climatic conditions are characterized by frost-resistant winters and short, hot summers. Too hot weather can cause the soil to begin to crack and harvesting will have to be done earlier than usual.

Attention!

If the weather is too rainy, fungus may develop in the bulb. In this case, it is better to postpone digging up the bulbs until favorable weather arrives, otherwise the bulb may rot. However, if the garlic is already ripe and the rains continue, then after digging the garlic should be thoroughly dried.

When to harvest spring garlic. How to determine what is ripe

Now let’s figure out when to harvest spring garlic grown in a summer cottage or garden plot. On average in Russia, summer garlic begins to ripen after August 15 and up to September inclusive. It is at this time that you should carefully look at the garlic plantings and look for signs indicating its ripening.

Even experienced summer residents who use the lunar calendar to determine the timing of garlic harvest will agree that even before digging up the bulbs, it is necessary to identify the stage of maturity of the vegetable. If this is neglected, the heads will begin to ripen after harvesting for storage.

Here are some signs that indicate that spring garlic is already ripe:

general slowdown in plant vegetative growth;
yellowing and lodging of leaves and stems;
drying of the root collar;
the head is fully formed with pronounced teeth;
The outer layer of the bulb should be sufficiently dense and dry.

You don’t have to wait long for the leaves of spring garlic to completely turn yellow, otherwise you may lose the entire harvest. Overripe garlic, like unripe vegetables, is not suitable for long-term storage.

Timing for harvesting spring garlic depending on the region

The dates when to harvest summer garlic in different regions of the country are different and depend on the following factors:

Time to plant garlic. In each region, climatic conditions have some differences and this determines the timing of planting and harvesting. Knowing that the growing season of spring garlic is on average 100 days, you can calculate the approximate harvesting time.
Climate of the region. In each region, spring does not arrive at the same time. While the morning frosts last, garlic cannot be planted. Planting is carried out when stable positive temperatures are established.
Weather features in this season. Summer weather leaves its mark on the harvesting period of spring garlic. If the weather is dry and hot all summer, the garlic ripens faster. And in cool summers with plenty of precipitation, ripening is delayed, and harvesting dates are pushed back to a later time.

Attention! Spring garlic intended for storage should not be allowed to freeze.

The time for harvesting spring garlic usually occurs 2-3 weeks after the winter crop is harvested. They also focus on yellowing of leaves. But it would be a mistake if you wait until all the leaves turn yellow. Those leaves in the center should remain green, and the lower leaves should be yellow and dried out at the time of harvesting.

In central Russia, garlic is planted at the end of April or beginning of May. It turns out that cloves planted in late April will be ready for harvesting by August 10, and May garlic is harvested in the second half of August.
In the Leningrad region and Belarus, the harvesting time for spring garlic falls from August 24 to September 6.
In the Urals and Siberia, the harvesting time comes a little later, but in any case it must be completed before the end of September.
In the southern regions of the country and in Ukraine, garlic usually ripens at the beginning of August.

Signs that cleaning is ready

Spring varieties of garlic are harvested later than winter varieties, approximately in the second half of August-September. Winter garlic has time to take root in the fall. Spring planted in the spring is somewhat behind in gaining fullness.

How dry the summer season was also plays a role: garlic heads gain weight and juiciness faster if there were no long dry periods, rains or watering were regular.

You can tell if spring garlic is ready for harvest by the following signs:

garlic tops dry out, turn yellow and lie on the beds;
if there are arrows left on the bushes, they straighten out of the rings, and the boxes with bulbs, cracking, open;
The garlic head dug up for testing is well formed, covered with 2-3 layers of skin;
the scales on the head are hard and dry, and the cloves are easily separated when pressed by hand.

A vegetable dug up ahead of schedule can be dried a little - at this time it will ripen a little more. But it won't last long. The heads that have “overstayed” in the ground need to be disposed of even faster: having opened on their own, the small cloves sprout and wither.

Harvesting winter and spring garlic according to the lunar calendar 2022

Timing for harvesting winter garlic according to the lunar calendar

Winter garlic is harvested in July-August. To ensure that it lays well, the heads are dug up in dry and clear weather so that the garlic dries well. Favorable days for cleaning it: July 19-20, 21-22, 23-25; 2-4, 7-8, 15-16, 17-19, 28-29 August

When to harvest spring garlic according to the lunar calendar

In the last month of summer 2022, favorable days for digging up traditional varieties of this vegetable, as well as Egyptian garlic and Chinese garlic, are as follows:

August 2-4, 7-8, 15-16, 17-19, 28-29.

In more northern regions, spring garlic often ripens and harvests in September. It is important to remove the vegetable before frost and prolonged rains. According to the lunar calendar, favorable days for digging up this vegetable (garlic will be stored well) are the following:

September 3-4, 5-6, 11-13, 14-15, 23-25.

Undesirable days for harvesting spring garlic are 9-10, 26, 27 in September.

How do you know about ripening?

Before digging or pulling a crop out of the ground, you will need to constantly monitor it.

There are several signs by which we know when to dig up spring garlic:

The tops of the ripening spice should turn almost completely yellow and lie slightly on the ground.
Before digging, you need to examine the root collar: it usually dries out.
The dug up bulbs should be fully formed, and the cloves should stand out clearly through the scales and fit tightly to each other. They are very easy to separate using your hands, without any tools.
The bulb is covered with a thick skin of about 3 layers. It is easy to remove by hand.
The spice has a characteristic color for the variety: purple, white.

Unfortunately, the spices in the beds do not ripen at the same time. The time changes every year, so you need to be observant, try to determine by the signs that it is ripe, and the time has come when to harvest the garlic.

We must not forget that in August, long rains begin, which affect the quality of the product, so harvesting spring garlic must occur quickly and in a timely manner.

How to properly harvest garlic and prepare for storage. Dependency on weather conditions

Armed with knowledge about the proper harvesting of winter and spring garlic and having determined its maturity, you need to start digging the vegetable from the garden. Before harvesting, you need to plan in what month and what date to harvest, carry out preparatory work, and only then start digging up the bulbs.

Preparatory work includes the following:

Stop watering the crop 30 days before the expected harvest. This is necessary so that the garlic heads ripen well and cannot become susceptible to disease.
Do not allow flower shoots to grow as they take away many of the nutrients needed for the bulb crop to mature. The arrows are removed either immediately after they appear or before harvesting. To obtain seeds for sowing next year, some of the arrows can be left on the plants.
Tie the garlic leaves into a knot. At the same time, the flow of nutrients into the leaves slows down, more nutrition goes towards the formation and maturation of the bulb.

Recommendations for harvesting

In order to correctly perform all the steps when harvesting garlic, you need to follow our recommendations.

Weather:

For cleaning, you need to choose a warm and clear day. If there is a gentle wind blowing on the day of cleaning, that’s also good. Under these conditions, the bulbs will dry quickly and will be well stored in the winter.
If it’s time to harvest, and rain is forecast for a long period of time, you will have to harvest the garlic in bad weather. In rainy summers, it will take several additional days to dry the garlic heads to optimal humidity. This is necessary to prevent the bulbs from rotting during storage.

Here are the cleaning rules to follow:

Digging up the garlic heads is done very carefully with shovels or pitchforks, avoiding damage to them.
Garlic should not be thrown to avoid dents and damage to the shell. It should be carefully spread on dry soil in one layer. Important! To ensure that the harvested crop is well stored, do not throw away the dug up plants, but carefully lay them out on the garden bed.
Bulbs with damaged outer shells should be stored separately from the rest of the crop. They cannot be stored for a long time and must be consumed within a short time.
Immediately after digging up the garlic heads, they need to be dried. If cleaning is carried out in normal weather, then 3 days will be enough for drying.
During the day, it is better to dry the garlic outside, in direct sunlight. And at night, the harvest is brought indoors or covered in order to protect it from precipitation and dew.
The stems, leaves and roots of dried garlic are cut off. The stems are cut off, leaving a petiole 1-2 cm long, and when cutting the roots, try not to damage the bottom. Failure to follow these recommendations can lead to damage to the bulbs by fungal and bacterial infections during storage.
Then the fruits are sorted. Small and large onions are stacked separately. Small cloves will need to be consumed first, as they store less well. From well-made heads, planting material is selected for next year.

Folk signs.

Since ancient times in Rus', spring garlic harvesting began after the Feast of Peter and Paul, which falls on July 12. Our ancestors knew that if you dig up garlic ahead of time, its cloves will be too soft.

How to quickly dry and prepare crops for storage

To store garlic for the winter, it is necessary to properly prepare it. After digging, you can leave it for several days to dry or quickly dry it and put it away.

To store at home, the heads are not washed; they are dried naturally for 2-3 weeks or auxiliary methods are used that speed up the process. To dry the garlic in a natural way, the garlic is woven into braids, tying nylon threads to the remains of the arrows. Some gardeners prefer to make bundles, hanging them individually by the arrows.

After digging, primary processing is carried out: the heads are cleared of soil, the arrows and root hairs are cut off, leaving about 2-5 centimeters on each side.

Street drying. Involves hanging outdoors, subject to diffuse sunlight. The culture is dried during the day and removed at night so that moisture does not accumulate on it.
Home drying. This is drying in a dark, ventilated room. Drying usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.
Electric dryer. This is drying garlic cloves or slices in an oven or electric dryer. This method is suitable for those who store the cloves in prepared, dried form. The heads are completely cleaned and cut randomly, while the thickness of the slices should be approximately the same for uniform heat treatment. The time depends on the power of the oven or electric dryer. It is more convenient to dry the slices for periods of 10-15 minutes to achieve complete drying.

Information! Dried garlic retains the elements of its composition and its beneficial properties.

Garlic storage

Growing a good harvest of garlic is a big deal. But no less important is its preservation until the next harvest. To do this, you need to know how to properly store garlic.

Garlic bulbs are well stored in dry, ventilated areas where the relative humidity does not exceed 80%. Larger bulbs have a longer shelf life. That’s why it’s necessary to sort the crop before storing it.

Over the long period of garlic cultivation, many different storage methods have been developed and used. The most popular are the following:

In a glass jar

Some vegetable growers store garlic bulbs in glass jars. Before placing them in glass containers, the garlic heads are lightly burned with matches. The jar of garlic is closed with a lid and placed in a dry, dark room.

This way you can store the crop for more than 1 year.

In paraffin

Proponents of this storage method claim that it is very effective. For these purposes, a paraffin mixture is prepared as follows:

pour 3 liters of water into the pan;
put the pan on the fire and bring the water to a boil;
Place 2-3 pieces of paraffin in a bowl, which we place in a container with boiling water;
after 20 minutes the paraffin will melt;
dip all the heads of garlic one by one into the melted paraffin for 5 seconds each;
The paraffin-treated heads are stored.

In the ground

This method is not very common, however, it also has its adherents. To do this, the collected heads are placed in a plastic bag, sprinkled with dry soil. The filled bags are buried in the ground so that the top of the bag is at a depth of 30 cm. Before throwing earth on the bag, it is insulated with sawdust.

This way the garlic is stored until May next year.

Storing in braids

As usual, garlic bulbs are braided on a rope or wire. Braided garlic is stored hanging in dry rooms or even in the kitchen.

In vegetable nets

This method is well suited for those who grow garlic in large quantities. Craftsmen also use women's nylon tights instead of nets.

Nets and tights can also be hung in a dry and dark room, or they can simply be laid out on shelves and tables.

Storage in boxes and baskets

Any boxes will do, as long as they have perforations on the sides to ensure air circulation. Better air circulation occurs when stored in baskets.

When writing this article, the goal was to help you figure out when to remove garlic from the garden (winter and spring). In order not to miss the cleaning deadline, you need to be observant. It should be remembered that timely harvesting is a guarantee of long-term preservation of the crop.

It is impossible to name the exact date for harvesting garlic, especially since it changes every year. And it shifts in one direction or another due to the variety, weather conditions and region of cultivation. By applying the recommendations from this article in practice, you will be able to harvest the grown crop in a timely manner and without loss and properly store it.

Olga Springer Gardener with 30 years of experience. The land plot is located in the area of Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region, south of Western Siberia). Area of interest: growing various garden crops. Working principle: ...

How to store

However, it is not enough to know when to remove summer garlic from the garden for storage in order to eat juicy garlic cloves throughout the year; it is important to know how to preserve it:

The room must be ventilated. Humid air will cause the bulbs to rot quickly.
The temperature regime is allowed in a fairly wide range: from +2 degrees to +20 degrees, however, a lot depends on the storage method. Thus, you can store the harvest in a ventilated cellar, vegetable pit, and even in an apartment.

The onions need to be placed in such a way that each head receives its own portion of air:

Arrange in one or two rows;
Hang on the walls in the form of bunches or braids;
In ventilated containers: mesh or fabric bags, wooden boxes made of boards, wicker baskets;
In solid wooden or cardboard boxes, sprinkling each layer with salt;
For short-term storage for 2-3 months, you can use glass jars: the neck must remain open. The bottom of the onion should be lightly burned with an open fire. You can fill tightly packed heads in a glass container with vegetable oil, although this will not increase the shelf life. For longer storage in glass, each layer of onions can be sprinkled with salt (jars are stored at +3-+5 degrees);
In cling film: each head is wrapped in film so that the bottom remains open. The wrapped garlic is placed in a cardboard container and covered with sawdust;
In paraffin: Dip each head in paraffin, let it drain and put everything in a dry place with a cool temperature;
If you have a place with zero humidity and a cool temperature, the heads can be stored there.
If the harvest is not particularly large and no one wants to deal specifically with storage, you can store it at home and in a plastic bag. The only condition for such storage is that the bag must be ventilated once a week.

Differences from cleaning times in other regions

In Siberia, garlic is harvested later than in other regions. This is due to short summers and long, cold winters. Therefore, it is very important to plant the plant as early as possible to develop the root system.

The timing of digging spring garlic in Siberia usually varies between the second half of August and the beginning of September. But winter varieties begin to be dug up at the end of July and beginning of August. You can accurately determine the time only by external signs.