The correct timing when it is better to remove winter garlic from the garden for storage
There are several signs when to harvest winter garlic. The timing largely depends on weather conditions and on the characteristics of caring for a vegetable crop. Most often, harvesting begins in mid-July, but no later than the first days of August. You should not keep a ripe vegetable for a long time in the beds, as all the useful properties and taste are lost.
When to harvest a spicy vegetable
There is no specific time and date for harvesting winter garlic. You need to plant winter garlic in autumn, most often in late September, early October. Their teeth are much larger than those of spring garlic.
The best days to harvest winter garlic also depend on the variety you choose. It will be possible to dig out garlic with an early ripening period after 85 days from the moment of germination. Late-ripening varieties are dug out a little later, after 100 days. Even if the variety is unknown, it can be determined by its appearance that the vegetable is ripening.
Tip: before harvesting, find out how ripe it is. How do you know when you can start cleaning? There are signs of ripening of winter garlic. It was at this time that the harvesting of winter garlic is considered the most favorable and successful.
- The main sign of maturity is yellowing of the upper leaves of the tops and drying of the lower leaves. At the same time, the leaves fall down.
- Gardeners advise not to remove all arrows from each bush. It is by the remaining arrows that you can determine the maturity of the vegetable. Dug out when the remaining arrows become elastic, and the inflorescences begin to crack.
- You can understand that it's time to start harvesting by looking at the head of garlic. It becomes dense, the teeth are easily separated from each other.
- When the vegetable is finally ripe, the husk is easily separated from the slices.
- Ripeness can be determined by cracking the soil in the beds where the vegetable grows.
Some gardeners who have planted winter garlic prefer to remove the arrows from each root. It is noticed that this technique accelerates the ripening process and increases the yield. But not all varieties of winter garlic do well after removing the arrows.
The quality of the crop and the duration of storage will depend on the degree of maturity. Before harvesting, you need to taste 2-3 heads by touch, examine the condition of the husk and examine the taste. Garlic is well stored, the cloves of which are covered with three layers of husk.
If you overexpose a ripe crop in the ground, then the heads will root even more, thicken. Anyone who harvests ahead of time will notice that the slices are loose, soft, without aroma and juicy taste. The harvested vegetable will not last long.
When to dig out winter garlic, timing and tips
If the care was correct, the weather was pleasing with warm days and moderate rains, then the harvesting time falls on the second half of summer (20 July). If the weather was hot and without rain, then the cleaning time is slightly shifted. It is recommended to harvest the garlic planted in autumn until August 2.
So, if three layers of dense scales have formed on the cloves, the leaves turn yellow and dry, you can start digging. There are guidelines on how to properly dig up vegetables.
- Before removing the garlic from the garden, the arrows are removed a few days before the procedure.
- Then each onion is slightly dug in and pulled out by hand. Do not pluck a vegetable without the aid of a shovel or pitchfork. The rhizomes are very powerful and you can simply pick off the tops. It is necessary to dig out carefully, deepening the shovel, you must avoid damaging the head, otherwise it will not be subject to storage.
- From each head, you need to shake off excess soil and distribute the entire crop on a flat surface to dry. You can dry it in a shelter, but it is better to leave the first days to dry in the wind and sun. It will take about two weeks for the vegetables to dry completely.
- Then leaves and tops are cut from each head, leaving a stump of about 10 mm. The roots are cut, you need to leave about 4 mm. You can weave braids from the tops and tie them up in a shed for further storage.
- When harvesting, it is recommended to sort the heads. For storage, you need to choose large, healthy bulbs. Small garlic is less well stored, so it should be chosen for cooking first. Damaged and diseased heads are also selected. At the same stage, the seed is separated for the next year.
- The harvest of winter garlic is put in containers with holes so that air can freely flow in from all sides. The harvested crop is well stored in wicker baskets.
There is no difficulty in how to harvest a ripe crop. The procedure must be carried out in dry, warm weather. If the bulbs are wet, the drying time of the vegetables will increase and the storage time may be reduced.
There are rules for storing crops. You can store the harvested crop at room temperature, but it is better in a basement or cellar with good ventilation. At the same time, the air humidity should not be higher than 80%, otherwise the vegetables will rot and sprout. The crop does not tolerate high temperatures, it is better to keep it cool (air temperature 3-4 degrees). Store in a dark place.
It is better to dig up garlic a few days earlier than being late. Ripening is possible even if you leave the dug out bulbs in the garden under the sun. All the nutrients that are stored in the tops will get into the garlic head for several more days. “Because of the torrential rains, the crops were harvested earlier and left to ripen in the barn, hanging by the tops. The heads ended up being dense and stored for a long time. "
When to harvest based on moon phases
Planting the garlic on time affects its quality, and the correct harvest date affects the storage of the harvested crop. Some vegetable growers prefer to focus not only on external signs, but also on certain lunar phases. From the reviews: “We have been planting garlic in recent years only by the phases of the moon. The harvest is good, we also dig it according to the lucky days in the calendar. The vegetable is stored for a long time.
Garlic according to the lunar calendar in 2018 is advised to collect in the following terms.
- In July, it should be harvested on the following successful days: from 5 to 7, from 18 to 21, 23-24.
- It is better to harvest garlic in August in such favorable terms: from 1-4, from 11-13, from 15-17, from 29-30 of the month.
Before you dig up a spicy vegetable, you need to perform a number of actions.
- Loosen the soil around each bulb 25 days before harvesting. The best days for these works on the lunar calendar in July will be the 3rd, 4th, 8th, 30th and 31st.
- Tying the arrows is considered a useful procedure.Good days in July are the 19th and 20th. After that, all the forces and nutrients from the soil will be directed to the development of the bulb. The growth of the foliage stops and it stops growing.
- A month before the expected harvest, arrows break off, leaving a couple of pieces. The next steps include reducing watering to prevent head rot. In July 2018, the 1st, 2nd, 10th are considered the best days for the procedure.
After harvesting the garlic, they begin to prepare the beds for a new planting. All the necessary fertilizers are introduced into the soil and dug up. Tomatoes and root crops are considered good predecessors.
