Growing garlic is easy, but many people wonder when to harvest and how to store garlic. I share my tips in this article.
As any garlic lover knows, fresh garlic just tastes better. And the good news is that with some simple harvesting and storage tips, you can enjoy farm-fresh garlic for months after pulling it from your garden. Growing and storing your own garlic isn’t difficult – just follow these steps for garlic harvesting success!
Know the Right Time to Harvest Garlic
Garlic can be tricky to harvest because unlike many vegetables, you can’t judge ripeness by looking at it. The timing depends on the variety you planted:
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Hardneck garlic is generally ready to harvest when about 40% of the leaves have turned brown.
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For softneck garlic, aim to harvest when the bottom 3 or 4 leaves are yellowing or browning.
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Early season varieties mature first, sometimes as early as spring. Late-season varieties are harvested in summer.
No matter the variety, avoid harvesting too early. Immature garlic won’t store well. But also don’t wait too long or the cloves can start separating underground. Monitor your plants and dig up test bulbs to check their progress.
Prepare the Garlic Beds for Harvest
About 2-3 weeks before your projected harvest date, help your garlic bulbs cure in the ground by taking these steps:
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Stop watering the plants Let the soil dry out – rain is hard to control but do your best!
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Once about half the leaves yellow, knock over the greens to limit further nutrient uptake.
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Allow the remaining leaves to dry and yellow completely.
Digging Up the Bulbs
When harvest time arrives, be careful digging up the bulbs:
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Use a garden fork, not your hands! Mature bulbs have a long root system and won’t pull out easily.
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Gently loosen the soil and lift out each bulb, taking care not to slice them with your tool.
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Remove any remaining dirt by hand – don’t wash the bulbs yet!
Curing Garlic After Harvesting
Curing garlic well is crucial for proper storage. Follow these curing steps:
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Leave the stalks and roots intact.
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Bundle 8-10 stems and hang to dry bulb-side down in a cool, dark spot for 2-3 weeks.
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Or lay bulbs in a single layer on a screen, avoiding sunlight.
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Once completely dry, cut off the tops and roots and gently brush off the outer skin.
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Don’t expose the individual cloves or get them wet during curing!
Storing Garlic for Maximum Freshness
Follow these garlic storage tips:
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Keep at 32-40°F in a dark spot with airflow. A mesh bag works well.
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Softneck varieties store up to 8 months. Hardnecks last 3-4 months on average.
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Check regularly and remove any bulbs that get soft spots or start sprouting.
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Save your largest, healthiest bulbs to plant for next year’s crop!
With the right harvesting techniques and storage conditions, you can enjoy fresh garlic for up to 8 months after pulling it from your garden.
Common Garlic Harvesting Mistakes to Avoid
It’s easy to make mistakes when harvesting garlic for the first time. Watch out for these common errors:
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Pulling bulbs too early – immature garlic won’t cure or store well.
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Waiting too long to harvest – cloves can separate underground.
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Digging up bulbs roughly – slicing bulbs leads to decay issues.
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Exposing bulbs to sunlight – direct light ruins garlic’s storage ability.
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Insufficient drying time – garlic needs 2-3 weeks to cure properly.
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Storing at too high temps – heat causes bulbs to sprout and go bad quickly.
Avoiding these missteps will lead to perfectly cured garlic that lasts in storage!
How Long Does Freshly Harvested Garlic Last?
The shelf life of freshly harvested garlic depends on the variety and storage method:
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Properly cured softneck garlic keeps for about 8 months in a cool, dark spot.
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Cured hardneck varieties are more perishable, lasting 3-4 months on average.
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Refrigerating garlic extends its shelf life slightly compared to room temp storage.
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Whole bulbs last longer than peeled individual cloves. Cloves only stay fresh for about a week.
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Freezing garlic is an option, but it changes the texture once thawed.
No matter what, homegrown garlic stays fresher much longer than store-bought!
Tips for Preparing Your Garlic Beds for Next Year
After harvesting your garlic, prepare the beds for next year’s crop:
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Mix in 1-2 inches of compost to replenish nutrients. Garlic is a heavy feeder.
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Consider planting a cover crop like clover or rye if you won’t be planting garlic again right away. This will suppress weeds.
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Rotate garlic to a different bed than last year’s. This prevents disease buildup in the soil.
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If garlic plants showed signs of disease or pests, solarize the soil with clear plastic for 6 weeks before replanting.
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Weed the area thoroughly since garlic seedlings don’t compete well.
With some TLC for your garlic beds now, you’ll be on your way to an even bigger harvest next season!
Storing Specific Types of Garlic
The best storage methods depend on which of the two main garlic varieties you grow:
Softneck garlic – Stores for about 8 months
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Hang braided bundles or place in mesh bags
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Keep at 32-40°F in a dark spot with airflow
Hardneck garlic – Stores for 3-4 months
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Ideal at just above freezing temps
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Requires very low humidity
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Store in single layers in a cold garage or basement
Knowing the ideal conditions for your variety will maximize its post-harvest life!
Enjoying Your Garlic Harvest
Aside from eating it fresh, here are some tasty ways to use up abundant harvested garlic:
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Roast whole bulbs drizzled with olive oil until tender and spread on bread.
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Pickle raw cloves in vinegar to use in Bloody Mary cocktails or salad dressings.
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Infuse olive oil with smashed garlic cloves to create delicious aioli and garlic bread.
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Make batches of refrigerator garlic butter to spread on steaks or add flavor to pasta.
Preparing Garlic for Storage
After the garlic has cured for two weeks, it’s ready to store. If you are growing a softneck variety, you can braid the necks and hang for decorative charm. Softneck garlic generally stores longer than hardneck, but hardneck varieties (like my favorite variety) are hardier for cold winters.
For both types, trim roots to 1/2 an inch long.
To store hardneck varieties, clip off the stems just above the neck. I then store the garlic bulbs in hanging wire baskets or mesh produce bags. Air circulation is essential.
When to Harvest Garlic
For crops that grow underground, it can be hard to know when to harvest them. Luckily, garlic gives us a clue. When the bottom 3-4 leaves of the plant have died, it’s ready to be harvested. In my USDA hardiness zone 6b garden, my harvest window is anywhere between late May to early July.
Not sure when to plant garlic? My fall planting guide can help!
The ideal time to harvest is 3-5 days after a rain. That’s because the drier the bulb is, the better it will cure and the longer it will store.
Lift the bulbs gently with a digging fork to prevent damage.
When I harvest my garlic, I make garlic powder from last year’s leftover garlic.
Check out my short guide, The Permaculture Inspired Vegetable Garden, if you want to grow tasty food while working with nature.
Harvesting and curing GARLIC for LONG-TERM storage
How do you harvest garlic?
Then follow these 3 simple steps to harvest your entire bed of garlic: 1. Stop watering. When harvesting garlic, it is best to dig in drier soils. Not only does this reduce moisture levels around the bulb, allowing your garlic an opportunity to cure faster, it cuts down on chances of fungal growth. 2. Dig your garlic with care.
How long should you wait to harvest garlic?
3.**Scapes and Leaves:** – For hardneck garlic, wait three to four weeks after removing the scapes (the curly flower stalks). – The ideal time to harvest is when three or four leaves have died, but
Can you store garlic bulbs too soon?
Don’t harvest bulbs too soon if you plan to store them; small, undeveloped heads do not store well. Conversely, don’t leave bulbs in the ground too long or the cloves will begin to separate and burst from their skins; over-mature garlic heads will be vulnerable to decay and won’t be storable.
How do you know if Garlic is ready to harvest?
When they uncurl and stand up straight, the garlic is ready to harvest. Getting your garlic out of the ground at the right time is imperative if you want high-quality bulbs that will store well. Over-mature bulbs will start to split open. Normally, we would never lay the bulbs in the greenhouse to dry, but last year was exceptionally wet.