This vegetable crop is very popular among gardeners. This is not surprising, because garlic is not only an excellent seasoning for most dishes, but also has a lot of useful properties. In addition, caring for a fragrant culture is not difficult, so it grows in almost every suburban area.
However, many beginner gardeners do not know when to dig garlic. As a rule, winter garlic is grown in summer cottages. He is unpretentious and does not need special care. Usually it is planted in the fall and harvested next summer in order to use it for winter harvesting.
When to dig winter garlic, based on the region of plant growth
If a vegetable crop was planted in a warm climate, then it will ripen much faster. Accordingly, it will be possible to collect it a little earlier. If the region is characterized by late spring, then the day when you need to dig garlic can be postponed a little. It all depends on the specific locality and the climatic features of the area. There are also certain harvesting traditions. For example, in Ukraine, it is customary to dig up this vegetable crop on July 12 - on Peter's Day.
When digging garlic depends on the weather. In rainy summers, harvesting is carried out ahead of schedule, since increased humidity can cause the crop to rot. Arid weather, on the contrary, leads to the fact that garlic develops more slowly.
How to determine when to dig winter garlic?
To determine whether a vegetable crop is ready for harvest, just look at the appearance of the plant. If its foliage is dry and already starting to turn yellow, this indicates that the garlic has stopped growing, so you can safely start digging it out.
Leaves lying lifelessly on the ground indicate that the culture is already overripe. Such a crop is difficult to store, the bulbs of the plant will burst and dry out.
Also, to determine when you need to dig garlic, you should pay attention to its inflorescences. That is why gardeners often do not remove several flower-bearing arrows of the plant. If the inflorescences began to open, then this is the main sign that the time has come to harvest.
It will be useful for gardeners to find out when to dig spring garlic. Usually it is harvested a month after the winter variety has matured. At the same time, the state of inflorescences and foliage is also taken into account.
Garlic Harvest Features
To do everything right, it is important not only to determine when to dig the garlic, but also to prepare for this event. So that the harvested crop does not rot and is stored for a long time, it is necessary to stop watering the plants about 1 month before the start of the harvest. Also, some experienced gardeners shovel the soil from the bulbs. This procedure is carried out several weeks before when digging garlic.
Harvesting is recommended in dry weather. To do this, use pitchforks or ordinary shovels, with the help of which plants are easily picked together with foliage and stems. After that, all the excess is removed, and the heads of garlic are sent to dry. This is best done outdoors by laying out the bulbs in a sunny place. If the weather is cloudy, then it is recommended to dry the crop in a well-ventilated area. Plant roots are removed when the garlic has dried.
How to prepare for storage
Having decided when to dig winter garlic and collecting it, it remains to save it in the best possible way. To do this, get rid of all damaged heads of the culture. If the garlic was dried for a rather long time, then some onions could begin to sprout. You also need to get rid of them, otherwise the whole crop will suffer.
Do not rush. It is better to carefully examine from every side each head of garlic. If there is at least one rotting bulb in a batch, it can infect the entire harvested culture and will have to be thrown away. Therefore, it is better to double-check everything.
How to store?
There are two options. Some gardeners prefer to store garlic without removing from it dense scales covering the cloves. Others, on the contrary, prefer to immediately remove everything superfluous from a vegetable crop. Both methods are equally good, but they have their own characteristics.
Features of the storage of garlic in peeled form
In this case, the plant heads need to be placed for 2-3 months in vegetable oil (corn or sunflower). It is best to put the garlic in a glass container and add a little salt to the marinade. After this, the dishes are tightly closed with a lid and sent to a refrigerator or cellar.
The oil in which the garlic was stored can be used as a dressing for vegetable salads.
Features of storage of raw heads
In this case, the vegetable crop will retain its freshness longer. Garlic is usually preserved unpeeled in several ways:
- In hermetically sealed containers. In this case, remove all air from the dishes. Between the heads of garlic, any dry substance (sawdust, wood ash, salt or sand) that is able to absorb the moisture that forms is necessarily laid.
- Knitwear. This ancient method has been widely used in villages for hundreds of years. In this case, from the garlic it is necessary to tie peculiar pigtails and store it in a cool and dry place in limbo. In this case, the humidity in the room should not exceed 60%. Otherwise, the garlic will begin to germinate.
- In the bags. For this, dry components must also be prepared to absorb excess moisture. Bags should be made of natural material (cotton or linen).
- In jars of flour. This method will also allow you to well preserve the vegetable crop. First, garlic is poured into the jar, after which it is covered with a layer of flour. The dishes are closed and put away in a dark place.
Also, some gardeners who know how and when to dig garlic, pour the culture with molten wax or paraffin. Other gardeners with a crop do not stand on ceremony and simply stack the plants in boxes and put them in a cool, dry place.
Shelf life of garlic rarely exceeds 3-4 months. However, some manufacturers claim that it is their variety that does not deteriorate over a longer period. It should be borne in mind that if garlic can be stored for up to 8 months, then most likely it was processed with cobalt. This substance is considered harmless to human health. However, after such processing in vegetables no useful substances remain. Accordingly, there is no point in growing such a culture. Vitamin-free garlic can be purchased at the store any time of the year.
When storing the fruits of this plant, it is not recommended to use chemicals. They will also lead to the loss of all beneficial properties.
Features of the harvest in 2017
In order to determine when to dig garlic in July, just turn to the lunar calendar. For example, last summer it was recommended to stop watering on the 1st, 2nd or 10th of the day (in July). After that, it was enough to bandage the feathers, thereby increasing the yield of the crop. Usually this procedure is carried out on the 20th of the same month.
For 2018, dates will vary, but the general principle of growing garlic and collecting it is clear. Starting from the first days of July, all preparatory work is carried out.
Knowing all the features of harvesting, you can eat healthy garlic for several months after the end of summer. Also, during this period, the housewives make preparations for the winter, in many recipes this vegetable crop occupies far from the last place.