Friday, June 24, 2011

Early garlic is being harvested now

Most of our garlic won't be ready to harvest until June 30 through July 10th, but our earliest garlic varieties "Tzan" and "Shantung Purple" were harvested on June 21st. These are Asiatic garlics that mature earlier than the others.
It's so good to finally smell the unique earthy combination of garlic and dirt again!

How can you tell when to harvest your garlic?
Harvest- Dig up when half of the leaves are brown, usually June 25- July 10. Shade immediately. Hang or put on ventilated shelves for 3 weeks to “cure” with stems on. They must have good air circulation and shade.
How To Store- Clip off the stems after they are cured. Store at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. Cool basements and garages can work well for storage. The bulbs need air circulation, but storing in paper bags can keep them from drying out too much. Hardnecks generally store up to 5 months. Softnecks up to 9 months.