Many beginner growers wonder when to dig out garlic. How can I know that the crop has ripened? And there is the problem of preparing the heads for storage and transportation. There are several proven ways to find out all these nuances, the easiest is to ask experienced summer residents for advice.
It is quite difficult to determine when to dig out winter garlic, since all gardeners plant their seedlings at different times and in different climatic conditions. You need to choose dry sunny days for cleaning, and carry out the collection itself in the evening or late morning. In order not to lose part of the crop, a maximum of one week is allotted. The plant is harvested on 105-125 days after planting, usually these dates fall in late August - early September. In dry weather, the heads of garlic are dug up with a shovel, and then placed directly on the beds for 3-5 days. Naturally, this method is only suitable for sunny days, otherwise the crop may rot. Different types of garlic ripen in different ways, but all of them should be covered on the beds with the help of the lower leaves to reduce the penetration of bright light on the bulbs. The tops of the plant are not immediately peeled off, they give all nutritious juices to move from the trunk to young cloves. Arrows and all foliage are removed after the final drying of garlic.
How to accelerate ripening
If the weather is already starting to deteriorate, and the crop has not yet ripened, it can be rushed artificially. Experienced gardeners carefully rake the soil from young bulbs or even remove them from the soil. The main thing is not to damage the delicate root system, otherwise the plant may rot. When you have to dig up garlic with a shovel, you just need to gently pry off a lump of earth, and after slashing, shred it from the bulbs.
If varieties of vegetables are planted with arrows, then 1 week before harvesting, all arrows must be removed. They are tied in loose sheaves, after which they are left to dry and ripen. Air bulbs have four characteristic sizes, according to which they are combined into groups: 4, 5, 6 and 6-8 mm.
Extra dried garlic
If the bulbs are not kept a couple of days in the sun, they can be affected by various putrefactive bacteria, molds, ticks and nematodes. The question arises: "When to dig out garlic, if it is rainy weather?" It is impossible to leave the bulbs in the ground “until better times,” you just have to use special dryers for easy dehydration. You need to be prepared that at a temperature of +25 ° C you will have to withstand garlic for at least 8-9 days, in the last days you need more heat, about +40 ° C.
After complete drying, the bulbs are carefully cleaned of stems, leaves, remaining soil and roots. You need to try not to damage the covering flakes on the garlic, but the false stem is cut at a height of 1-2 cm from the top of the head. The distance depends on the purpose of the plant. 2 cm is left for the seeds, and 1 cm is enough for marketable species. Dried roots are cut very short, leaving a maximum of 3 mm. Next, the bulbs must be sorted by size and quality.
There is a trick that allows you to understand when to dig out garlic in this area, planted in a specific area and conditions. You need to leave 1-2 arrows. After the ripening of the bulbs, usually the twisted stems are aligned, and this is the moment of harvesting that is considered the most correct. If you over-hold the garlic in the ground, the heads will be loose or even break when digging out of the ground.