How long can garlic stay unharvested?
Written by
Michael Sullivan
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.Understanding when to harvest garlic is key to preventing storage and quality issues. If you leave them in the ground too long, the cloves will burst through the protective wrapper. This allows the entry of disease and significantly reduces shelf life. I timed harvesting precisely with leaf signals.
Leaf Condition
- Lower ⅓ of leaves brown and dry
- 5-6 upper leaves remain green
- Middle leaves show yellowing tips
Bulb Development
- Wrappers feel papery when rubbed
- Cloves visible as bulges on stem base
- Firm when gently squeezed
Environmental Factors
- Stop watering 3 weeks before harvest
- Dry weather accelerates maturity
- Cool temperatures delay drying
Harvest trials indicate the time of harvest. Once the lower leaves start to brown, dig up one plant each week to examine how the bulbs have formed, but do not disturb the other plants. I usually start checking at 20 weeks after the spring begins to grow. You don't want to miss that narrow harvest timing.
Emergency protection saves bulbs from surprise rains. When unharvested garlic is threatened with heavy rain close to harvest, I will cover it with breathable row covers. Never leave it on for more than 48 hours. I have tarps ready in critical times.
Extended neglect results in irreparable destruction. Bulbs that are permitted to remain unplanted over winter become infected with fungi. Rodents eat the cloves by spring. I carefully mark the location of my garlic so as not to leave it to die accidentally............ Properly harvested garlic can be stored for about 9 months.
Read the full article: When to Plant Garlic Perfectly
