Harvesting and storing garlic

Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest in late spring or summer, from seven to eight months after they areplanted. The outward signs are the green leaves, which will begin to turn brown, and the flowerstems – if present – which will begin to soften, although staying green. If you are not sure, just pullback the soil around one of your bulbs, if the clove ridges are clearly defined and the bulbs are adecent size, and some of the leaves have died back, then harvest them.

Don’t leave harvesting until the leaves die back completely as with onions, because by this time thebulbs will have started to split. Once the bulbs have split, they are still fine to eat, but won’t store forlong. So eat these ones first.

Some cultivars with curled flower stems, are ready to harvest as the coil in the stem begins tostraighten. Most hardneck cultivars though, should have their flower stems removed before thistime, because growing a flower stem reduces the nutrients going to the bulb so that bulbs aresmaller. But there is also some evidence to show that leaving the flower stem attached until aftercuring will lengthen storage times. So you may need to choose between bulb size and length ofstorage!

Garlic that has been planted in light soils can just be pulled out of the ground. If your soil is heavierand/or you have planted them more deeply, then the best way to get the bulbs out is to insert a forkunder them and carefully lift the whole plant. Shake or brush off any excess dirt. Don’t bang themagainst each other or anything else as this will bruise them and shorten storage life. Some books andarticles suggest drying the bulbs in the sun for a few days before curing. This may be OK in coolcountries and climates, but in Australia our summers get too hot and the bulbs are likely to getsunburnt. The protective skins don’t fully develop until after curing. In dry areas, some growersplace freshly dug bulbs in groups on top of the soil, to dry out and start the curing process. They arearranged so that the green leaves from one clump of bulbs, protect the next clump from the sun.However, even then some garlic bulbs can get sunburnt, and the dramatic rise and fall intemperature from day to night can harm the bulb, reducing storage times. If an appropriate space isavailable they are better cured under cover, where temperatures fluctuate less. Leave plants intact(don’t remove leaves, flower stalks or roots) and hang in bunches or place on racks in a dry airyposition that doesn’t get too hot. An old window screen, resting on sawhorses or something similar,makes a good drying tray. Or hang them from the eaves, as long as they are out of the sun. Leavethem for a minimum of two to three weeks but if you can leave them for two months then they arelikely to store for longer. In more humid areas it is a good idea to cut the roots really short orremove them altogether as they can act as a wick absorbing moisture and carrying it to the bulbthus increasing the chance of fungal diseases. Also, keep an eye on the leaves and if they show anysign of going mouldy, cut them off immediately because this mould will spread to the bulb.

Curing is particularly important if the bulbs are not quite mature, as the bulb continues to absorbmoisture and nutrients from the stem and leaves after harvest. If you haven’t already removed the

flower stem, then harvest and dry hardneck garlics with the flower head and stem still attached.Bulbs with the leaves attached can also be plaited into strings and hung in a dry airy position. Seewww.pennywoodward.com.au/articles for photographs that show you how to do this.

Storing

Once the bulbs are cured the skins will be papery and dry and the bulbs should feel firm and tightlypacked. Check for any diseased, damaged or bruised bulbs and remove them. If the damage is onlyminor then just eat them. This is also a good time to select the bulbs you want to use for replanting.Choose the best and the healthiest, set them aside and store them separately from the bulbs to beconsumed. This way they won’t get eaten by mistake. To allow for replanting,10 to 15 percent of thecrop needs to be retained. The optimum storage temperature for bulbs for replanting is 10°C, withlimits of 5°C and 18°C.

Unless the bulbs are to be plaited or hung in bunches, all the leaves and stems are now cut off about2 cm from the bulb. Leave only 1 cm of the roots. Don’t try to wash off dirt or separate the individualcloves as either of these actions will radically shorten the storage life. Store bulbs in shallowcardboard boxes, in slatted wooden boxes, on trays, in net slings, in stockings, or in plaits – in fact inany way that allows air circulation around each bulb. The room where they are stored must be dry,airy and not too cold or hot. Check bulbs every few weeks and remove any diseased ones. Properlystored, some cultivars will last for twelve months or longer.

The optimum temperature for long storage of commercial crops is 0°C. These bulbs are not suitablefor planting though, as bulbs grown from cloves kept at very low temperatures tend to be rough,

produce side shoots as they mature, or mature too early. For the home grower, storagetemperatures around 10°C are ideal, but consistency of temperature is important too. Don’t keep thebulbs in a position where they get very hot or very cold. Enjoy eating your own home grown garlicand if you run out or can’t grow your own then look for Australian grown garlic. I never eat importedgarlic as all imported garlic is treated with Methyl bromide before being allowed into Australia. Fordetails on locating locally grown garlic go the Australian Garlic Industry Association websitehttp://www.garlicaustralia.asn.au/

Article and photographs copyright Penny Woodward

Photographs:1 Freshly harvested white softneck garlic2 Garlic left in the ground too long so that the bulbs have split.3 Freshly harvested Korean Red garlic4 Garlic hanging to cure in a dry, airy position out of direct sunlight.5 A garlic crop after curing, and trimming to remove roots and leaves.