How do I know when to harvest garlic?
Harvest garlic when roughly half of the leaves (scapes) have turned brown and dried — this corresponds to the bulb having formed its full complement of papery wrapper layers.
Garlic leaves are the diagnostic. Each leaf corresponds to a layer of papery skin around the bulb. When leaves are green, the corresponding skin layer is still forming. When leaves turn brown and dry, that layer is complete. Harvesting too early — when most leaves are still green — means the bulbs won't have fully formed skins and won't cure well for storage. Harvesting too late — when all or nearly all leaves are brown — means the outer skins have deteriorated, the bulb may have split its wrapper, and storage life will be shorter.
The timing that works reliably for most softneck and hardneck garlic varieties is when the bottom 3–4 leaves have browned but the top 4–6 are still green. In practical terms, this often falls around early summer — roughly 4–6 weeks after your last frost date in most climates, though garlic planted in fall and overwintered will mature on a schedule driven more by accumulated spring warmth than by your frost date.
Dig a test bulb first. Use a garden fork rather than pulling by the stalk — garlic stalks can break, leaving the bulb in the ground. Insert the fork 6 inches to the side of the plant and lever gently. Brush off the dirt and examine: are the cloves fully formed and the bulb round and firm? Are there at least 3–4 intact papery wrapper layers? If yes, the rest are ready. If the bulb looks small or the cloves haven't separated from each other clearly, give it another week.
After harvest, cure garlic in a single layer in a dry, ventilated location out of direct sun for 3–4 weeks before trimming and storing. Good curing is what determines long storage life — garlic rushed to the pantry without curing is more likely to go soft or moldy within a few months.
- AphidSoft, clustered insects on new growth causing curled leaves and sticky honeydew.
- Brown Marmorated Stink BugSunken, corky dimples on fruit and pods caused by a mottled brown shield bug feeding through the skin.
- Cabbage LooperRagged holes in brassica leaves made by a pale green caterpillar that loops its body as it moves.
- Cabbage MaggotBrassica transplants wilting and dying as white maggots tunnel through roots at or below the soil line.
- Imported CabbagewormRagged holes in brassica leaves with pale green caterpillars and green frass nearby.
- When should I harvest my onions?Harvest onions when about half the tops have fallen over naturally — don't bend them down by hand, and give the rest 1–2 more weeks before pulling.
- How do I store winter squash so it lasts through winter?Cure winter squash at 80–85°F for 10–14 days to harden the skin, then store at 50–60°F in a cool, dry location — not the refrigerator.
- How do I know when a watermelon is ripe?Check the ground spot (it should be creamy yellow, not white), the tendril nearest the fruit (dry and brown means ripe), and the sound when you thump it (a hollow, low thud rather than a high-pitched ping).