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Garlic is present in almost every kitchen in the world. In the middle lane, as a rule, winter varieties of this crop are grown. So, you can grow large heads of garlic with evenly spaced large cloves. However, summer or spring varieties are better stored, so many gardeners plant them on their plots. Spring garlic is planted in early spring, and the harvest is in mid-August.
For a good preservation of the heads, it is not enough just to plant a crop on time and take care of it, but also to dig out the garlic heads from the ground in a timely manner. And for this, in turn, it is important to know the signs and timing of plant ripening. This article will focus on how when the garlic is harvested in the middle lane.
Why is it important to harvest the crop correctly and on time?
There are several reasons why it is important to harvest on time and correctly:
- If the culture is overripe, then it will re-grow, start giving shoots, as a result of which the scales will collapse, which will negatively affect the keeping quality of the product.
- If you dig up the garlic heads ahead of time, their cloves will be too soft. Although with proper drying, such a crop can be preserved. Some gardeners prefer to harvest the garlic earlier to avoid the possibility of over-ripening.
- If the crop is allowed to overripe, then the integumentary scales will crack and the teeth will be without husks. Such garlic bulbs become unusable by January.
Signs of maturity of garlic
In order not to collect a culture earlier or later than the prescribed time, it is important to know how to recognize the moment of maturation of a culture. There are a number of factors to consider:
- In the middle lane the timing harvesting garlic fall in mid-July. Often, gardeners are guided by the religious holiday of Peter and Paul, which is celebrated on the 12th.
- The weather can also affect the ripening time of the garlic bulbs. For example, in hot summers they are dug out in early August, and in rainy ones - in early July.
- You should not be guided only by mathematical calculations based on the duration of the growing season of a particular variety. It is also important to take into account the external signs of ripening, obvious from the aboveground part of the culture.
- Of course, the bulk the arrows need to be removed, but you can keep 1 control copy. The fact is that when the heads ripen, the wrappers on the inflorescences of the arrows crack, and the arrows themselves straighten.
- If the lower leaves of the culture turn yellow and dry, then this is a sure sign of the maturation of the heads.
- The skins of fully ripe garlic bulbs are drier and thinner. It is easy to separate it from the teeth.
- Ripe garlic cloves are easy to separate from each other.
Tips to Speed Up Garlic Ripening
In the course of seasonal work, it is important not to forget to take care of the garlic. If the green mass begins to fade, then tie it into a knot. In this case, the tops will stop growing and all the nutrients will be stored in the garlic heads.
In early July, you should shake off the soil from the heads of garlic so that they are bare by about a third. This approach will allow the garlic to warm up in the sun. As a result, the teeth will increase in size, and their keeping quality will also increase.
If you have planted a non-shooting variety of garlic, then yellowed tops and a softened neck of the stem will help determine the readiness of the crop for harvest. You can also visually monitor the condition of the heads of garlic. So, from the middle of July, once a week, dig out 1-2 heads.The teeth you dug can be used for cooking.
There are also gardeners who determine the harvest period according to the lunar calendar. So, the date of removal of garlic from the beds is chosen, which is considered the most favorable for storage heads.
In order not to damage the roots, before removing from the soil, the garlic must be dug in. After drying, the garlic can be woven into bundles, which many decorate their homes with. Large heads of garlic last longer, which means it is better to leave them for later. Small heads should be used for cooking in the first place, as they do not store well.
Cleaning technology
If you determine that the crop is ripe, you should start digging it up. However, it is important to follow some rules:
- A garden tool must be used to clean the heads. A pitchfork can help minimize damage to the garlic. This is important, since the damaged heads will quickly rot, due to the development of pathogenic viruses and microorganisms on the sections and scratches.
- The first moisture from the garlic can be removed by drying the heads in the beds under the sun. So, they can lie in the garden for no more than two days. To prevent the crop from getting wet from the night dew, you can cover it with plastic wrap or put it in a barn overnight.
- A well-dried crop has dry leaves. They can be used to weave a garlic wreath or braid. But, if you do not plan to do this, then remove the stems, leaving a small tail equal to 3-4 cm.
- Sort the heads. Remove the diseased, separate the planting material and heads that you will use for cooking. Damaged garlic will not survive until the next harvest, however, it can be refrigerated and used for cooking.
So, if you want to grow a bountiful harvest of garlic, then follow the rules outlined in this article. It is important to plant a crop and harvest on time. It is also necessary to correctly determine the maturation period of the heads and dry them qualitatively. These recommendations will help you master gardening business in the shortest possible time, so listen to them. We also suggest you watch a video on when and how to harvest garlic:
