Mother Earth Living – September-October 2019

Sept/Oct 2019 39

GARDEN HERBS

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MAINTENANCE & HARVESTING

Mulch your garlic plants through

winter, but stop once spring arrives.

Moisture is essential, and a constant

supply ensures that you get a premium

yield of big garlic heads. Water early in

the day, or use a drip irrigation system

to help maintain consistency. When

garlic scapes appear in early summer,

cut or snap them off to allow the garlic

plant to focus on forming bulbs. The

scapes are beautiful, but shouldn’t be

allowed to bloom. Snap them off just as

they’re developing flower buds.

When the tops begin to fade in

midsummer, your garlic is ready to

harvest. Dig plants while some green

leaves remain on the plant. While you

may be tempted to pull garlic from the

soil, experienced growers dig garlic

just as the bottom ⅓ of the leaves start

to fade, rather than when the plant is

completely dried out. Leaving plants

in the soil too long is a common error;

the problem is largely cosmetic, but

waiting too long ruins your chances for

pure white, unblemished skins.

If the weather has been exceptionally

dry, water the bed deeply a day before

digging to help plump up the garlic.

The bulbs have lush root systems when

first dug out of the ground — this is

natural. Don’t trim the tops or roots

until the plants have been curing and

drying for a month. Don’t rinse the

bulbs after pulling — let them dry in

open shade until evening, then bring

them indoors to a warm, dry spot and

allow them to cure for a couple of

months. Take great care not to damage

the bulbs, as it’ll cause them to decay.

Cut the hard stems to half their length

for the first month of drying, and then

cut them shorter if you wish.

Matt Mattus is a third generation gardener

of his family property in Massachusetts. He is

also the author of the popular gardening blog,

Growing with Plants. This is excerpted from his

book, Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening

(Cool Springs Press).