I had a lousy garlic year. Well, the garlic scapes were great, but my bulbs are puny. I suspect it's because we had such a mild winter. Even though I planted in late October, the bulbs sprouted and stayed green throughout the winter, stealing energy away from the bulbs. Very disappointing, indeed.
It's a little early for me to be harvesting my garlic, but the bottom leaves were drying and they weren't going to plump up any more. Leaving them in the ground would just have caused the bulbs to split open. They're small, but they're tasty and they won't go to waste.
With the heat spreading across the U.S., we should all be checking on our garlic plants. If they are still growing, make sure they get plenty of water. If it's time to harvest, here are some tips on digging and storing garlic. If your bulbs are skimpy, like mine, this is also a good time to place your garlic planting order, for fall.
- Harvesting, Drying & Storing Garlic
- Growing Garlic
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
Me too:) I harvested my garlic yesterday (early for Michigan). Not a great crop. I grew Inchelium Red, Silver Rose, Musik, Northern White & German Porcelain. The Musik and Northern White did the best. Not great but OK. The German Porcelain & Silver Rose did poorly. Inchelium Red was in the middle. I planted 34 of each. It’s kind of like the Chicago Cubs… maybe next year.
That’s quite a variety. It must be great, in good years. Do softneck garlics do well in Michigan?
I love Inchelium Red, but it doesn’t do well in my area. I usually grow German White (I believe it’s the same as Northern White) and Georgia Fire. They both pack a punch and a little goes a long, long way. Since the hardnecks don’t store as well, I freeze some of mine.