Garlic Harvest

I was looking at my garlic yesterday and thought it looked like it might be time to harvest it. I thought it was supposed to be in early July, but the signs were there.

A quick check on the internet confirmed my suspicion.

1/3 of plant dying off, two leaves around the bottom dead. I dug down and the bulb was large and cloved.

So I grabbed that pitch fork I had bought at the yard sale and carefully dug up the garlic.

As you may recall, I planted a grocery store organic garlic bulb. I planted the big and small cloves. The big cloves made big bulbs and the small cloves made small cloves. This fall I will only plant the big cloves.

I brushed the dirt off the garlic,  brought it into the house, laid a screen across the table on the backs of two chairs, placed the garlic with the stems and roots on the screen and will let it dry for 3-4 weeks to cure. I accidentally stabbed a bulb with the fork and I cooked that with our vegetables this evening for dinner. It had a pleasant mild garlic flavor, but did not taste like actual garlic. I believe it will get a stronger flavor as it cures.

I am so excited about my first ever garlic harvest! When it is dried I will try my hand at braiding it. Fun!