Now is the time we start getting the age-old question, "When do I harvest my garlic?"
You planted in the fall, patiently waited and watched, watered and fertilized and the anticipation is getting to you. Right? I'm here to tell you, don't start yanking them out just yet.
Garlic will typically tell you when it is ready to be pulled. Here in zone 6b we expect to harvest in mid-July, but we may be a little earlier because of the mild winter. We actually have pulled 2 varieties already, Inchelium (softneck) and one variety of Vietnamese. The others look like they will be ready soon. We will keep a close eye on them, like my little children!
How can we tell? One of the easiest ways is that, as garlic is close to being ready, the leaves start to die back, starting from the bottom of the plant to the top. Once about half of the leaves have died back, the garlic should be ready.
We also do test pulls. We are looking for well-formed bulbs, with no cracking or splitting. You can cut also cut a cross section of the bulb and see if the cloves are pulling away from the main stem. That is a good indication that it is ready.
If you are growing hardneck and have pulled you scapes off of the plant, you can expect your harvest to be about 3-4 weeks after that.
If it is a softneck variety, they will typically flop over (like they have given up!) similar to an onion and that usually signals that they are ready.
Lastly, it is some intuition and paying attention to your plants and the weather. When in doubt, ask! There are many great garlic growers and communities that will share the wisdom and help you along. We have all made the mistakes along the way and learn more with every harvest!
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