When to remove spring garlic from the garden for storage?

Garlic planted in spring has advantages over autumn planting in that it does not dry out and has a longer shelf life. But in order for it to fully ripen and have nutrients, it is necessary to observe the terms of its cultivation and, most importantly, to know when to harvest spring garlic.

Signs of cleaning readiness

Harvesting planted in autumn is different from spring planting. Winter forms roots after planting since autumn, and as soon as the earth warms up in spring, it immediately begins to grow. Spring garlic takes time to take root, so spring garlic is harvested much later.Usually the time to harvest summer garlic is in mid-August or early September.

Much depends on the weather in summer, and experienced gardeners also pay attention to precipitation. Favorable conditions for accelerating the growth of spring garlic are considered frequent rains. When the summer is dry, the crop head develops more slowly.

If you dig up summer garlic from the garden before the set harvest time, it will not be possible to store it for a long time. True, many gardeners dig it out a little earlier so that it matures during drying. It is believed that it is better not to ripen than its cloves begin to crumble themselves and begin to re-grow. Such a crop cannot be saved. Opened on its own, without the presence of scales, dries very quickly.

How to know about maturation?

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

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

The tops of the ripening spice should turn almost completely yellow and lay lightly on the ground.
Before digging, consider the root collar: it usually dries out.
Dug out bulbs should be fully formed, and the cloves stand out brightly through the scales and fit snugly together. They are very easy to separate with the help of hands, without any tools.
The bulb is covered with a dense skin about 3 layers. It is easy to remove by hand.
The spice has a characteristic color for the variety: purple, white.

Unfortunately, the spice in the beds does 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 to harvest the garlic.

Don't forget that long rains begin in August, which affect the quality of products, so harvesting spring garlic should be done quickly and in a timely manner.

Harvesting rules

For digging choose a dry sunny day. It is desirable that the soil is not wet.

And in order to collect the spice of a good yield, you should know how and when to dig spring garlic:

If during harvesting, when inspecting the tops, it was noticed that most of it turned yellow, it is recommended to partially remove the earth from the bulbs to make them easier to clean later.
About a week before when to collect, you need to stop watering. The earth should dry well.
It is advisable to clean in the morning or evening hours of the day, choosing a dry day.
For harvesting spring garlic, you can use a pitchfork or a shovel. They dig it in a few centimeters from the head so as not to damage it.
If I plant garlic close to the surface of the earth and it is loose, then you can dig the ground a little, and then pull the heads, grabbing the tops. If it accidentally comes off, which is undesirable, carefully pull the head out of the soil with your hands so as not to accidentally damage it.

Harvested garlic should not be hit against each other, let alone thrown. It is neatly folded on dry ground or in baskets. For quick drying, it is recommended to spread thick paper or burlap on the bed.

After drying a little, it is advisable to immediately clean the bulbs from the ground and upper scales. In this case, the crop should be inspected and sorted. Damaged bulbs are recommended to be stacked separately, as they cannot be stored.After collecting the largest specimens, they are set aside for sowing the next year.

It is advisable not to separate the tops immediately so that the garlic ripens. So it should be stored for about a week. In sunny, dry weather, take it outside, laying it out in rows on burlap. But, so that there are no burns, the garlic is lightly covered with dry leaves or hay. If the weather changes, it is better to remove the garlic under a canopy so that it is well ventilated. After ripening, the stem and leaves are cut off, leaving a tail of about 3-4 cm. The root is partially shortened with scissors or a knife, leaving about 4 mm, it is not completely removed.

Preparing for storage

Well-dried garlic is ready for storage. For these purposes, you need to choose a cool place, the humidity of which should not exceed 80%. If it is too dry, then the garlic will begin to shrivel and wilt, and with high humidity it will sprout, in the worst case it will rot.

Cleaning and storage is easy: it can be put in a drawer not with a thick layer, stored at room temperature, just away from radiators.

If it was not possible to dry the bulbs well, before you collect them for storage, it is recommended to carry out processing so that the keeping quality increases. To do this, you first need to singe the roots on the fire. Then prepare a special composition for which you will need sunflower oil, iodine and water.

It is recommended to boil the oil in a water bath for about 10 minutes, then cool. Take 0.5 liters of boiled water. Pour the cooked oil into it, drop about 10 drops of iodine, mix everything thoroughly. It is recommended to dip each bulb in turn in this composition, then lay them out on thick paper, dry and store.

Methods of storage

There are many ways to extend the storage time of spring planting.

How was it kept in the old days?

Let's take a closer look at how to store garlic, based on the experience of our ancestors:

For storage used boiled vegetable oil. The cloves were carefully torn off or the whole heads were placed in some kind of container. They put it in a dark place. The oil acquired a pleasant taste of spice and garlic flavor, it was seasoned with salads.
Well-dried heads sprinkled with flour. To do this, they took a box, laid out the heads of garlic in rows, and each was sprinkled with flour, covered with a lid on top. The flour absorbed excess moisture well, and the garlic did not spoil until spring.
The ash powder kept the garlic bulbs even longer. It may have been at room temperature.
Table s alt is also an excellent remedy: it perfectly disinfects and absorbs excess moisture.
Our grandmothers used canvas bags for storage. First, a concentrated solution of table s alt was diluted, the bags were dipped into it, then they were dried, and garlic was put in them. It was well protected from excessive moisture and did not rot.

Someone liked to decorate the kitchen with garlic scythes. To do this, its dried leaves were woven into twine, or if there was no time for weaving, garlic was placed in nylon stockings and hung up. But such a crop had to be sorted out often, as the kitchen had high humidity. You can put the spice in boxes or baskets, then there will be free access to air. You can use onion peel for storage, sprinkle onions with it, but it is recommended to save garlic by raising it higher.

Keeps well in dry sawdust. It is placed in a box or box, each layer is sprinkled with sawdust.

Modern storage methods

Over the years, new materials and technologies have appeared, how to store spring garlic:

The bulbs wrapped in cling film are perfectly preserved. It stays fresh and doesn't dry out.
Many people like the use of paraffin. If it is not available, then you can buy candles and melt it. Dip the bulb in them, it will be covered with a protective paraffin film. This garlic keeps well.

Garlic is the most popular spice, the cultivation of which is relevant almost everywhere. Many housewives use it in the preparation of delicious savory dishes and in canning. Every gardener in 2022-2023 is interested in its long-term storage, but for this it is not enough just to create optimal conditions, the main thing is to choose the right time when you need to harvest summer garlic.