harvesting garlic

[sarea_okelani]

My cousin and I are growing garlic for the first time. The other day she asked me, "So have you stopped giving your garlic water yet?" And I said no, because the leaves hadn't turned brown yet. (I'd read somewhere that you're supposed to stop giving water to your garlic about a week before you plan to harvest them.) And she was like, "But they

Comments

[david_anderson]

You are right. She is right if she wants to harvest them earlier.

I harvest when there are still 3 greenish leaves and the others have turned brown.

[sarea_okelani]

OK thank you. I guess in that case we're both right, because she does want to pull them early and free up that space/plot.

Looks from the other comments that many people don't water their garlic at all. O.o I don't know how it grows then! But I'm just going to stick w/ the info I've been reading, where garlic is supposed to be watered and then you stop watering a week before harvest.

[david_anderson]

I bet if you check where they live, it is someplace that gets regular rain in the spring and summer. I live in the northwest, which is known for it's rain, but we have a dry summer.

[sarea_okelani]

Me too! :-) I live in Seattle. It's been a pretty... unusual summer so far.

[jenstclair]

I don't water, especially my garlic, so I can't comment on that (except to ask--why water garlic, of all things?! Is it in a pot?), however, I plant in the fall or really early spring, and let it grow until it starts to turn brown and/or fall over in late July/August, depending on the weather.

That's it. I don't touch it otherwise.

[sarea_okelani]

Wow, you don't water and all your stuff grows anyway? Amazing. Everything I've read about garlic says that it does need to be watered -- and that you only stop watering a week before harvesting. But obviously if you don't need to water your garlic and it comes out fine, then fantastic!

[david_anderson]

According to your user info, you live in Ohio, which gets most of it's rain in the spring through fall. When you live in a dry summer area, you have to water, including your garlic.

[jenstclair]

But if you water every day, the roots on your plants will not grow deeply, they will be shallow and then you will *have* to water because they will shrivel up and die otherwise. It's kind of a Catch-22.

Even in drought years, I don't water, and I don't ever have any issues. But I do mulch! Which is the key.

[sarea_okelani]

Good luck on your last garlic! I've read that garlic should keep away most bugs as well as critters. It's so useful *and* delicious!

[momomom]

I've read (no personal experience) that waiting until they are all brown may cause the bulbs to separate and thereby not store as long. I'd be interested in what you experience.

ooh, I get to post my garlic pic!

[big_girl]

Re: ooh, I get to post my garlic pic!

[sarea_okelani]

Awesome! You're not the first person to say that you don't water your garlic -- I'm impressed. Most things I've read on garlic growing says that you do have to water them (not religiously or anything), and you only stop watering the week before you want to harvest. Good on your garlic for being so low maintenance!

[salacious0crumb]

This was my first year growing garlic, too!

I planted them last November and just left them alone (we're in New Orleans so they got plenty of water without our help) and I picked them about a month ago when the lawn service guys decided that they were weeds and weed whacked them, lol.

The tops were just starting to wilt on their own and the bulbs were pretty big when I dug them up.

As far as your friend, I'd imagine that the tops would turn brown if you stopped watering them!

[sarea_okelani]

Right, I'm sure my garlic would turn brown if I stopped watering them too ... but I didn't think I'd *have* to do that. In theory (from what I've read), the leaves should die off even if you do water them regularly, because that's the life cycle. Just wanted to confirm it. :-)

LOL that they thought they were weeds. Well at least you got your harvest!