Harvesting Garlic from Your Georgia Garden

Harvesting Garlic

If you planted your garlic in the fall it is probably about harvest time for you.  Here are 5 easy steps for aHarvesting Garlic from Your Georgia Garden successful harvest:

Harvesting Garlic from Your Georgia Garden
Carefully dig out the garlic bulbs!

Step #1 Harvest at the right time.  Look for the garlic tops to start turning yellow.  When they start to fall over it is time to harvest.  Don’t wait until the tops are totally dry.

Step #2  Discontinue watering a week or so before harvesting to give the garlic bulbs a chance to dry out.

Step #3 Don’t pull the bulbs out by the tops (leaves) but gently dig them out using a garden fork.  Be very careful not to puncture the bulbs.

Harvesting Garlic from Your Georgia Garden
After the garlic has dried cut off the roots and leaves.

Step #4 Brush off the soil and let them air dry in a shady, dry spot for a couple of

weeks.  Many gardeners use the leaves  to hang the garlic up to dry.  Stay away from humidity.  Hard to do in a Georgia summer, I know.

Step #5  Once the bulbs are dry remove the leaves and trim off any roots.  Brush off any dirt, keeping the wrappers in tact.

Bonus Step  Start planning those delicious garlic dinner dishes!

For more information on growing, harvesting, and storing garlic see UGA’s Garlic Production for the Gardener.  Your UGA Extension agent also has answers to all of your vegetable gardening questions.

Happy Harvesting!

 

Becky Griffin
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