Garlic ready?

[Dave2072]

Hi all

Is this garlic nearly ready to come out? When will I know?
I sowed it around November December I believe.
Thanks!

[Greenleaves]

I would say at least another 5/6 weeks, once the leaves start to yellow. Now is the time the cloves will be swelling

[Lumpy]

I was told that it should be lifted on Midsummer e.g the summer solstice around the 21st June.

I leave mine until the bulbs feel big enough - I shove my hands in and have a fertle around but have found that the end of June-ish is right for me.

However, it might depend upon your location and variety rather than my haphazard way of doing things.

[Scarlet]

Where abouts are you Dave? I sow in October and usually lift the last few days in June. The leaves start to turn yellow. They look too green at the moment.

[Dave2072]

I'm just outside of London in Ashford (Surrey).

Will leave till yellow, thanks all!

[Florence Fennel]

Glad you've decided to leave them Dave - as GL says, now is the time the bulbs are swelling. I wait until mid-June when the leaves have all yellowed

[dilettante]

Keep them watered as the bulbs are swelling. I had to lift all mine - they'd been ruined by allium leaf miner - and the bulbs are only slightly wider than my thumb.

[Kirk]

No leave it/them until July.
The leaves on the outside will die back just about all the time but it is not the same as the garlic being ready to harvest.

[Snoop Puss]

Out of interest, do you guys not get scapes on your autumn sown garlic? I can only get one variety here, no idea what's called, it's just described as "ajo morado" (purple garlic). It produces scapes, which I whip off, wait three weeks and then harvest.

I know some varieties don't produce scapes, which must make deciding when to harvest more difficult to determine.

[Tripmeup]

As everyone says, mine usually come out end June...

[Scoot]

What is the best thing to feed garlic? A tomato feed or what?

[Lumpy]

I have just started to feed mine with general purpose liquid feed.

I have never done this before but my poor garlic was dug up just before we moved mid November and shoved into the only pots I had available - old washing up bowls.

They have been totally crammed in together ever since.

So, not having much hope of decent bulbs I have started to feed.

[bario1]

I've given mine a couple of feeds of comfrey tea already.

[cptncrackoff]

I'd leave it for a good while too!

Here's mine,

You have much more foliage!
Mine has been in since when it bulbed up last year, I left a couple of complete bulbs in the ground from last year's harvest and when they started to mature spaced them out!
Mine are bulbing now nicely, gave them a feed of chicken manure pellets..
Another few weeks for me too!