Kitchen Garden Forum

Read that the Solstice, the best time to harvest most garlic.

As that is only week away wonder what your thoughts are?

I grew two bulbs of each of a number of varieties this year by way of experiment.
One was 'Topinky' that was planted last October, It was dug the other day as it had significant rust and some bulbs were showing signs of possible rot at top of bulb.

Three other varieties still in ground

mine don't look ready yet, and I'm still watering them too. Plan to stop in the next week or so.

I don't take any notice of calendar ideas like that I just harvest them when the rust has finished destroying the foliage!

I will be harvesting mine when they are ready , I've never been one to go out at midnight and pull garlic when I'm naked that would be against council rules as well as upsetting most of our town

Geoff wrote:I don't take any notice of calendar ideas like that I just harvest them when the rust has finished destroying the foliage!

I of course only harvest mine on the date of a full moon, at midnight, stark naked except when its raining so that my chances of suffering rust are reduced
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Believe that if you wish

EDIT
Dammit, I wrote this before I had seen robo's reply, talk about diminished minds think alike

I'll ignore the last two replies!

Our garlic Provence Wight certainly looks ready to harvest, so I must give it a try. Strangely, no sign of rust on any of them so far (we have had it in the past).

Bloody hell pa snip if it's raining you might get rusty ,spray your self with wd40 two days prior to dancing

I dug up two bulbs of elephant garlic before departing on holiday and both of their bulbs had rotted. I'll save the potential disappointment regarding the remainder for later! I don't take any notice of these old country sayings. I just do stuff when either the weather is right or I've got the time and energy !

Mine are ready I'm sure, (rust free which surprises), but disappointed with the size, but maybe jet lag getting that French Garlic over from China knackered them! Note to self: be more organised & order early so get IOW good stuff not time travellers!

I've lifted some of mine as they looked ready and will be doing the rest this week. I think the dry spell has ripened them faster than usual.

I won't be stripping off, wouldn't want to upset the neighbours

I started my garlic off by pre-germinating it in moist vermiculite in a sealed polyethylene bag filled th air and sealed placed in my airing cupboard in an Endeavour to induce a root show before planting out. This I achieved and I am about to harvest and pulled a sample tonight and the variety is French Rose' bought in a local deli-shop so not strict seed and the one pulled is a fraction short of 3" diameter and that is the best I have grown for several years and I have around 50 to pull. Decidedly a happy bunny!

Amazing, don't think I have ever grown any that big. Were they Autumn or Spring planted? Hope they were Spring busting the cold myth again!

Hi,

Pulled mine up at the weekend. Around 20 ok and out drying. But had rust. Half of the crop had been impacted by the deadly onion rot which The lotty has been suffering with for a few years and knew it would be a risk to try again - but worth it as we love fresh garlic. I think it was introduced from a garlic I bought from a market in France to try.

I have also a load growing in a bucket - I put the remaining whole ones I had in it to see what I would end up with. I'm assuming I'll have lots or small round bulbs rather than split, which with be great for roasting.

Pawty

Getting worried so checked out what rust looks like and please to say mine are ok.

How do I know when they are ready to harvest?