How can you tell when Garlic is ready to pick? We have green bits sticking out of the top :)
Cheers
Nick
Depends when you planted it, Garlic planted Oct-Nov will be ready Jun-Jul.
The green bits sticking out of mine have all developed brown tips, I mentioned this to a lottie neighbour and she said not to worry, she once visited the farm on the I-o-W where a lot of of our garlic comes from and saw fields of garlic like this and they regarded it as normal.
Quote from: isbister on April 02, 2008, 08:17:23
Depends when you planted it, Garlic planted Oct-Nov will be ready Jun-Jul.
The green bits sticking out of mine have all developed brown tips, I mentioned this to a lottie neighbour and she said not to worry, she once visited the farm on the I-o-W where a lot of of our garlic comes from and saw fields of garlic like this and they regarded it as normal.
This is helpful as my garlic showing is pretty big and going brown.
Yep - mine too. Feel better now.
twinkletoes
i started to grow garlic for the first time this year i planted mine in jan.i have found this site really usefull hope it helps.
http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-growing.html
Do NOT agree with the "waiting till the leaves die off".
See the Garlic Farm's advice.
Phew... My October planted garlic is showing some nice and big leaves but they're starting to go a bit brown at the tips... I was getting a little worried till I read I'm not the only one! :)
I usually harvest my autumn planted ones in May through to July - dependant on the weather. But I like to use them fresh as well as dry them so start digging them up early, the ones I keep for drying usually are ready late June/early July. I agree I have never waited for the leaves to die back though.
By the way they are lovely used green and fresh.
Now is the time that garlic is really going to put some growth so it is feeding time...
Handfull of pelleted chiken manure per square metre once a month for next few months. I also like to give a bit of fish,blood and bone meal with first feed of the season. My garlic is normally ready end of June beginning of July so my last feed is beginning of June...
Quote from: tim on April 02, 2008, 11:41:44
Do NOT agree with the "waiting till the leaves die off".
See the Garlic Farm's advice.
Me neither..if you wait untill all the leaves die off...your bulbs will fall apart and they do not store well.
I lift mine when about half of the leaves are showing the signs that they have "had enough".
That way there is still plenty of leaf layers left to dry into nice and strong papery "skin".
I try to lift mine when about 10% of the stems have fallen over. They've reached the point where they're not going to grow any more, but at the same time they haven't started to deteriorate.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,40591.0.html