When to harvest garlic in the Moscow region: collection dates

Harvesting time for garlic

Harvest time depends on factors such as planting method, climate and weather conditions. Of course, the period from the beginning of the growing season to the full ripening of the bulbs is approximately the same, however, it must be borne in mind that spring comes earlier in the southern regions, and garlic ripens faster there than in the northern regions.

To a large extent, weather conditions affect the harvest. In a moderately rainy summer, garlic bulbs accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients by the middle or end of July. But if the weather was damp all the time, garlic should be dug up 1-2 weeks earlier and dried at home. For example, the summer of 2022 turned out to be quite changeable, so it is difficult to say exactly when it is better to dig up garlic. In this case, the condition of the bulbs will be the determining criterion.

The determining factor in harvesting is the method of planting the crop.

There are two types of garlic:

• winter or winter – it is planted in the soil in the fall, and dug out in the spring of next year, it is distinguished by large bulbs, erect stems and high yields;
• spring (summer) – planted in the spring, and they dig it out in the summer of the same year, it is not as large as winter, but can be stored for a long time.

Since these species differ in the length of the growing season, they have to harvest at different times.

Winter garlic

In a temperate climate, winter garlic begins to ripen by mid-July, and it is traditionally dug up in the last week of the same month – one week is given to the bulbs for ripening. However, in central Our Country, as well as the Moscow region, the harvest period may be delayed for another week, since the summer weather in 2022 was not very stable.

Spring garlic

Spring garlic is dug out a little later: in late August – early September. Ideally, it should be harvested about two weeks after the winter, but here it all depends on the climate and weather conditions. In northern climates, bulb harvesting can last until the end of September. In the middle lane, harvesting is usually carried out at the end of August. But since the summer of 2022 was often cold and rainy, it is possible that the harvest will last until September 10, 2022.

signs of maturation

Experienced gardeners determine the maturity of winter garlic in appearance. The main sign of bulb ripening is the yellowing of the lower leaves.

By the leaves, one can judge maturity only towards the end of July, since at other times this sign may indicate a lack of moisture in the soil or some kind of disease.

Therefore, there is a surer way to determine the degree of maturity of the bulbs. From mid-June, arrows begin to appear on winter garlic. As a rule, they are broken out as they grow, so that the plant can direct all its forces to the formation of heads. But if you leave a few pieces, then you can use them to navigate regarding the timing of ripening. When the arrows straighten up, harden a little, and the seed box at the end of the arrow cracks and exposes the seeds, this is a sign that it is time to dig the bulbs.

The shooter does not release spring garlic, and the degree of its ripening is determined in a different way. The first sign of maturity of spring varieties is the drying and lodging of leaves. At this time, you can dig one head or just rake the ground and inspect the bulb. The following signs will indicate maturity:

• the dense head is covered with scales in no less than three layers;
• the scales themselves are dense and very durable;
• the teeth are easily separated from each other;
• the thin film on the teeth can be easily removed.

For the preservation of garlic heads, it is very important to determine their maturity in a timely manner and dig them out before the time when the scales crack and the teeth are exposed. If it so happened that it was not possible to harvest the crop on time, then such teeth should be put into processing as soon as possible, since they are not stored for long. And, of course, it is not recommended to use them as planting material.

Cleaning and storage

You need to harvest garlic in dry sunny weather, and you should prepare for this process in advance. A month before digging the heads, you need to stop watering, and a week you need to rake the ground around the bulbs a little – this procedure will speed up their ripening.

The digging process itself is as follows:

• first, the bulbs are dug up with a garden fork or a shovel along with the leaves (it is impossible to pull out and pick out the bulbs, as the teeth will be damaged);
• then the heads, especially the roots, are freed from the ground – this is done by hand, since shaking or knocking the ground against a shovel leads to damage to the teeth and their premature decay;
• dug out bulbs are laid in rows on a bed to dry for 4-6 days, depending on the air temperature.

Dry leaves and arrows, if any, are not removed immediately, but only when the bulbs are completely dry – this will help the garlic heads ripen faster and improve their quality.

As for the ripening of the bulbs in the garden, there are two opposing opinions. Some gardeners believe that drying the crop right in the garden increases the resistance of heads to disease, decay, and also accelerates ripening. Others, on the contrary, are of the opinion that the crop should be harvested from the garden immediately and dried under a canopy. There are several reasons for this. First, at high temperatures, the teeth can get sunburned. And secondly, it may suddenly rain, which is not uncommon for the summer of 2022, and then it will take a long time to dry the heads.

In a dry, well-ventilated room, the crop is dried for 10-14 days. After this time, the heads can be prepared for long-term storage. First you need to cut the roots, and then sort the large and small bulbs. This procedure is quite important, since large heads are stored longer and better – they are left to winter, and small ones can be immediately processed or used for food in the first place.

There are several ways to store garlic:

• weaving braids (knitting) – for this simple procedure, the stems from the heads are not cut off, but are woven into dried reeds, or other material suitable for this;
• cardboard boxes, boxes – for storage in such containers, the stems are cut to 5–10 cm, and the heads themselves are stacked in a layer of no more than 15 cm, while it is desirable to shift the layers with parchment;
• wicker baskets are the most successful way, as it provides good ventilation.
• The storage period of winter varieties is not as long as that of spring varieties, so it is better to store them in the cold at a temperature of 3–4 ° C (in a refrigerator or cellar). Summer varieties can be stored at 15–20°C until the next harvest. For them, the main thing is that the room was dry. Closer to spring, garlic heads should be inspected periodically, since it is very important not to miss the moment when the teeth begin to sprout – such heads should be stored separately.

If arrows were left in the garden to determine the ripeness of winter varieties, then they should not be thrown away – this is a very high-quality seed.

Seed boxes should be laid out on paper and wait until they dry and begin to crumble. Then you should collect the seeds in a cloth bag and save until the next planting – these small bulbs germinate better than ordinary teeth taken from the head.

Video “Garlic grown in the suburbs”

In this video, you will find out when garlic is harvested in the Moscow region, and what kind of harvest you can get.