Autumn planted garlic question - bulb growth

[cazp]

I planted my garlic at the end of November. The plants are looking tall and healthy with nice thick stems, going slightly yellow on the leaves in places.

I had a dig around one or two of them yesterday and the bulbs are small and not much thicker than the stem. I thought I would be harvesting in June once the leaves start dying - should I expect much more bulb growth until then?


(the varieties are Chesnok, Solent, and Iberian Wight)

[Gemmalaveen]

I overwintered my garlic the year before last and I think I only harvested it in early July - the variety was Solent Wight. If I remember correctly most of the bulb swelling happened towards the end.

I think the heavy rain in April may have also slowed things down a little - my garlic looked quite poorly by the end of April but it has come back to life now.

[zazen999]

We are about a month behind with everything. Leave them be until the tops die back then harvest.

[rustylady]

Found this on the web

The easiest way to know when to harvest garlic is simply to look at the leaves. When the leaves are 1/3 brown, you will need to start testing the bulbs to see if they are the proper size. This is easy to do. Simply loosen the dirt above one or two garlic bulbs and get an idea of their size while still keeping them in the ground. If they look large enough, then you’re ready to make your garden garlic harvest. If they are still too small, then your garlic will need to grow a bit more.

You don’t want to wait too long though. Once the leaves get to be 1/2 – 2/3 brown, you should harvest the garlic regardless of size. Putting off harvesting garlic until after the leaves are completely brown will only result in a inedible bulb.

Your garden garlic harvest will normally happen some time in July or August, if you are in a climate that is ideal for garlic growth.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Mine are still green, a bit wind burned; and knee high to a hobbit. Think that different varieties are ready to harvest at different points from June all the way through to August. I do believe that the earliest type is termed wet garlic, and is best used as it is harvested as it doesn't keep. I think mine are still growing, I don't know if the bulbs have actually split. Knowing me, I've probably got a whole load of leaf and a diddly little bulb.

[Florence Fennel]

Mine are starting to go brown, but as Zaz says, the growth is about a month behind so although I usually harvest in June, I'll be feeding them until July to see if I can swell the bulbs.