The Garlic Is Harvested

Gardening, garlic, Garlic Harvest, Reflections,

Each year after the garlic is harvested I let out a big “WOO HOO!” and my husband and I each sigh in relief because it is such a laborious task. This year, however, the harvest went so quickly and easily that I thought it hardly worth a mention.

For the sake of keeping a record of it I decided to write about it anyway.

250 Garlic Bulbs Harvested July 10, 2020

We harvested the crop on Friday, July 10. It was hot and humid in the morning when I got started, but I thought it would be good to get it out of the ground before the rain and storms, that were predicted for later that day, arrived. I began digging the bulbs up like we normally do but quickly discovered that the soil was moist enough that I was able to pull the bulbs out without breaking the stems. This saved much time and energy. After 40 minutes or so I had about 1/3rd of the crop harvested but my body was telling me I needed to get out of the sun.

We decided to go home for a break and lunch. Then, despite the fact that it was raining, my husband returned to the farm that afternoon to finish the harvest. While we ended up getting a decent rain that day we did not get any of the storms that surrounding area experienced. After my husband harvested the rest of the garlic he bundled and hung the bulbs that I had pulled earlier. Later that evening I bundled the rest of the bulbs that he had pulled. We ended up with around 400 bulbs total (our smallest crop ever) and plan on saving at least 150 bulbs for seed to plant in the fall.

The garlic is now hanging upstairs in the barn where it will cure for at least three weeks before being cleaned.

NOTE: For anyone thinking about growing garlic, in the U.S. now is the time of year to start looking for seed garlic. I have never seen seed garlic it sold in stores or garden centers but an internet search should produce many options. In northern parts (colder climates) fall is the time of year for planting garlic (about 6 weeks before the ground freezes). Then it should sprout up in the spring around the time the daffodils and other bulbs start sprouting.

Thanks for reading. 🙂

12 thoughts on “The Garlic Is Harvested”

  3. Good for you Ruth! I know that July 10th storm for us, was the third day of torrential rain and storms in a row. Good thing you didn’t get that and were able to finish up the harvest – a job well done!

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    1. Thanks Linda. It is good to have that done. We didn’t get the rains on Thursday either. We do still have a moisture deficit (even today we just had light rain). But things are growing good.

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    1. Garlic is pretty easy to grow a long as you plant it and harvest it at the right time’s of year. I have had many people tell me their garlic never developed only to find out that they planted in the spring. One of the things I like best about growing it is that deer and rabbits don’t eat it. LOL!

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    1. Thanks Anne. I have found that writing things like this comes in handy when I want to remember when we did something or how things went. I should probably even write more of the humdrum just for that reason. 🙂

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