How Early Can I Harvest My Garlic?

mike1970

15 years ago

Hi. I'd really like to get the garlic dug up and drying out before that part of my garden gets invaded by the melons and squash that I just seeded yesterday. My garlic seemed to get a slow start this year due to the cold spring we had in Wisconsin, but now it's growing like crazy. I'd hate to spoil it by digging it up to soon, but it would be a real pain to try to dig it up with squash vines weaved around it. So when will it be ready to get harvested? Thanks.

Mike

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

makalu_gw
15 years ago
If your 5B in Wisconsin is similar to mine in New York, you've got at least a month or so to go before they'll be ready to be harvested. Usually, you'd wait until there are only 4 green leaves left on the garlic and then harvest and you'd like the soil around the garlic to be reasonably dry to make it easier and cleaner to get them out - probably not the best scenario for rapidly growing and thirsty melon plants so you'll have a bit of a balancing act there.

If you just seeded the melons & squash yesterday and didn't go the transplant route, you're probably not in too bad shape due to germination time and slow initial growth due to some shading effect from the garlic but you'll need to be careful when you harvest not to disturb the melon roots too much.
mike1970
Original Author
15 years ago
makalu,

Thanks for the info. This is the first year I've grown garlic and, although I've read the standard growing guides, it's nice to get info from experienced growers. My season in Wisconsin tends to get pushed back since I'm right next to Lake Michigan which keeps us cooler in the spring and warmer in fall (after the water warms up), so I'll probably be harvesting a little later than you. I haven't seen anything that looks like scapes yet.

The squash and melons I planted are actually a bit to the north of my garlic patch, so there shouldn't be a problem with disturbing the roots. But I know how fast they can vine once they get going and they'll probably grow around some of the garlic and so I'll have to be careful around them when I'm digging it up.

Thanks again.

Mike
Related Discussions
Early garlics & some creoles harvested
Q
Comments (4)
I have harvested Early Italian Purple and German Red. Sicillian and California Late appear to be the next to go. Still have a week or more on the 5 varieties left.
...See More
Can I harvest garlic early?
Q
Comments (5)
Yes, you can harvest early. The bulbs may not have reached full size, and they man not keep as long as usual. However, they should grow just as well when you replant them. Catherine
...See More
Early Garlic Harvest
Q
Comments (8)
Karlieb, with three years experience you know something about the "new" weather patterns. That being said, you might want to pay attention to your published (average of alot of years) last spring frost date, apply a little "kentucky windage" to it perhaps. Having beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Get frosted ain't fun. After all, the "hot weather" crops don't care when they go in, you'll still get a crop-assuming you have access to water. Another key is soil temperature, buy a cheap thermometer and bury it halfway. We've had 80-90 days in marcb yet the soil was in the mid thirties. No seeds would germinate in that except the "cold weather" crops like spinach, lettuce, radish and they would only be thinking about it. I once read "A garden is a work in progress." With the new weather patterns that takes on a whole 'nother meaning. :-) Ev
...See More
Plant Garlic Early, Harvest Garlic Green?
Q
Comments (35)
Chris. Do you want to plant ASAP after the Garlic is pulled? If so most Brassicas like Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage do well transplanted in late July or early August, and as Redsun said bush beans would also work well. July would be a little early for spinach, lettuce, or radishes but just wait until late in August before planting those and be ready to provide shade if it is still much over 80. Jim -in my Zone 6a I usually harvest garlic between June 10 -20 most years depending on type. Shallots are closer to July 4th for me.
...See More
bloosquall
15 years ago
if you planted an artichoke or silver skin you won't have any scapes to deal with. If it's a hardneck plan on waiting approx 4-5 weeks after the scapes appear, weather pending of course.
lilacs_of_may
15 years ago
That sounds about right. My hardnecks are just now developing scapes, and last year I harvested during the July 4th holiday.
mike1970
Original Author
15 years ago
FYI, I purchased the Seed Savers garlic sampler pack with 6 types of hardneck, 3 of softneck, and one elephant garlic. I don't have the exact types in front of me right now. Some are at least 3-4 feet tall with abundant leaves. But May was much cooler than usual, and we had a frost on Memorial Day, so I assumed that slowed down the growth somewhat. I'm hoping I'll get some scapes in the next week or two, since I'm dying to try some stir-fried.

Mike
bloosquall
15 years ago
Mike, I believe Your plants are just starting to fill out or form the bulb right now. I dug up a couple plants that were not doing well a few days ago to find that nothing was happening yet. It sounds to me you have some big healthy plants...congrats
bloosquall
15 years ago
Yep, I pulled up a couple German Red that were on the small side to see what was happening. it was very interesting seeing the tiny cloves forming that would have later form the mature bulb...all was not lost, I ate the small cloves. it was very good. I now know that a couple weeks after the scape starts coming up the bulb starts forming.