When to pull garlic?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

OK guys, so how do I tell when the garlic is ready?  I pulled one up for a look-see and it was still uber-tiny though it smells nice.  Growing it round my roses in nice, fertile soil.  Any advice?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

[aquilegia]

When the tops start to flop over and go brown.

I dug my early stuff a few weeks back and the late stuff last week.

I'd have thought NOW!

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Wowsers Aqui, that was a quick reply.  Thanks!

[tim]

And mine may be ready in 2-3 weeks?

[dingerbell]

Down here in deepest darkest Somerset, we do many things according to old wive's tales. On garlic the local philosophy is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day. It worked for me ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

I have pulled all mine up, mainly because I couldn't bear to look at all the rust! Did it last week and have a great crop. :D

[wivvles]

Down here in deepest darkest Somerset, we do many things according to old wive's tales. On garlic the local philosophy is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day. It worked for me ;D

I'll try that next year - I wasn't too far off it this year, without realising!  Comes from not being a local...

[Debs]

I pulled my shallots at the weekend and they are

drying off nicely. How long should they be left to dry?

and how long can they be stored.

Apologies, this is my first successful shallot year!!

Debs ;D

[tim]

A couple of days in this weather?

Till next Spring - if you don't eat them!!

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Thanks everyone! Dingerbell - that old wive's tale or whatever sounds worth a try.  I will try to remember that one!

[bumble]

I pulled one of my garlic this week as the leaves were turning brown, the bulb was fairly big but it was not in segments (just one big bulb) did I pull it early?

[aquilegia]

Bumble - no. It means the plant didn't get long enough cold weather in the winter to make it split. Loads of mine have gone like that. They are lovely slow roasted whole!

[Debs]

That sounds good Aqui - whole roast garlic  :P

Here's hoping mine don't separate into cloves!! ;D

Debs

[tim]

But you still do it if they do!!

[Debs]

I most certainly do Tim! roasted garlic is one of my most

favourite things, especially mixed into creamy mash :P :P

The thought of having one HUGE roast garlic is sheer

heaven ;D

[Mubgrub]

It means the plant didn't get long enough cold weather in the winter to make it split.

How long is long enough?  Mine were planted late sept last year, I thought that would be long enough, can you plant them much earlier than that?  Perhaps the winter was a mild one, didn't feel like it though when I was planting my raspberries in the cold! ;D

[tim]

Ours went in 3 Feb & had at least 3 severe frosts. Early pots went in 10 Mar & were twice frosted.
Can't ask for more??

This is one of the runts of the litter, which we've been using 'wet' - just testing. Hope the others will be much bigger.

[Roy Bham UK]

I went up the Lottie today and noticed one of my Elephant garlic's had a seed head, is this bad news? my nieghbour lottie told me to snap it off so I did :o Should I have? ???

[philcooper]

Roy,

Yes

On lifting on the longest day, that would appear to shorten the time some varieties need to transfer the "contents" of the leaves to the bulbs. When nature provides such a good indicator (the tops going brown and going over), why stick to the calendar when the weather (apart form the daylength) doesn't?

Phil

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Tim - your photo looks almost identical to the one I pulled up earlier this week.  Yes, a runt I suppose. Ah well, there are several others in that location, I hope they grow a bit bigger yet.  :)  I shall be watching for the leaves to go over!