The correct timing for harvesting garlic in 2018
The harvest of garlic in 2018 depends on what kind of this crop is grown. It is winter and spring.
Also, the period of harvesting depends on the climatic conditions of the area. Correctly defined terms will help ensure long-term storage of the product.
Terms of harvesting winter garlic
This species is characterized by a high yield, but it is stored worse than the spring one.
The bulb consists of 4-6 large, juicy cloves. It is planted in autumn. Harvesting in 2018 will take place at the end of July. You can navigate by the date of the first shoots. From this moment, about a hundred days should pass. In central Russia, garlic is usually harvested in late July and early August.
The maturity of a winter type of vegetable can be determined by the following criteria:
- The lower leaves dry, and the upper ones begin to turn yellow.
- On the arrows, the shells of the bulbs burst and the seeds are visible. You can get rid of such arrows in advance, leaving a couple of pieces. This will allow the largest cloves of garlic to develop.
- You can dig up the ground around a couple of garlic heads and examine them carefully. If the scales are dryish, have a purple tint, this indicates the maturity of the vegetable. If you can easily separate the prongs, then the garlic is already overripe. In this case, it must be immediately dug up.
Terms of harvesting spring garlic
This species is characterized by a long shelf life.
The head usually consists of 10-12 small teeth. It is planted in early spring. Harvesting in 2018 will take place at the end of August and the beginning of September. In the Urals and in the northern regions, garlic is harvested until the end of September. But only if the weather was cool during ripening. In the Moscow region, the climatic conditions are different, and the harvest period is slightly shifted. Garlic is harvested in the last third of August and in the first third of September.
The summer type of culture is characterized by the following signs of maturation:
- The stems and leaves turn yellow, the bushes lie down.
- Drying of the root collar is noticeable.
- You can examine the head of garlic as with a winter view. The signs of her maturity are similar.
Garlic harvesting rules
Consider the rules that must be followed when harvesting.
- Better to wait for dry weather.
- You can dig up a vegetable both in the morning and in the evening.
- Terms should be short - about a week.
- The bulbs must be dug up with a shovel and pulled to the surface while pulling on the tops. You can also use a pitchfork.
- It is not recommended to prune all leaves at once.
- Care should be taken to damage the roots as little as possible.
To speed up the process, you can use a special harvester. It extracts the garlic along with the stem and also removes the soil from it.
Storing garlic
After digging up the vegetable, remove the soil from the bulbs.
Care must be taken not to damage the heads as well as the roots. No need to bang your heads against each other. In dry, sunny weather, you can leave the vegetable to dry right in the garden.Then it must be transferred to a dry and well ventilated area. If the weather is cloudy and there is high humidity, you should not leave the garlic outside. Drying is recommended for two or three weeks. At this stage, you can remove the leaves. In the process of drying the heads of garlic, thanks to them, they will have time to get additional nutrients. The vegetable should not be washed as this can cause it to rot.
When storing a vegetable, you should adhere to certain rules.
- Temperature. The air can be either warm or cool. For a winter species, the optimum temperature is about 2-4 degrees Celsius.
- Humidity. Should be between 60 and 80%. With low humidity, the cloves will lose their juiciness, and increased humidity can provoke disease.
- Ventilation. The premises must be well ventilated. Otherwise, there is a risk of diseases and loss of elasticity of the vegetable.
There are many ways to store garlic. Let's consider them in more detail.
- Banks. It is necessary to pre-sterilize the container. Fold the garlic there and cover with a nylon lid.
- In a jar of salt. To do this, put a layer of salt in the jar, then a layer of garlic heads, again salt, and so on. The thickness of the last layer of salt should be about 2 cm. Some people prefer to use flour instead of salt.
- You can dip the heads of garlic in liquid paraffin and then store. Such a shell will retain moisture better.
- You can also treat the vegetable with a solution prepared according to the following recipe. It will take 20 gr. iodine and 1 liter. vegetable oil. It is necessary to dissolve iodine in oil, and then treat with a solution of the head of garlic. Then they need to be dried and put in plywood boxes. Leave for a while in a warm, cool place.
- The product will keep well in the refrigerator. To do this, you should clean its teeth. Then put them in a glass jar and pour vegetable oil there. This oil can be added to salads as it becomes very aromatic.
- You can store garlic in linen bags. If the air humidity is low, it is recommended to mix the garlic with the onion peel. If the humidity is high, the bags with the garlic in them should be treated with a high concentration of salt solution. This will not only get rid of excess moisture, but also protect the crop from diseases and pests.
- They also make braids or wreaths of garlic heads and hang them from the ceiling.
Everyone can choose a method at their own discretion and provide long-term storage of this useful product.
Conclusion
In order to harvest a good harvest of garlic, certain rules must be followed. Today, there are various ways of drying and storing vegetables, which allows you to choose the most convenient option for yourself.