Harvesting Garlic

Garlic has low water needs and actually suffers if kept too wet. Water sparingly after planting, then rely on winter and spring rainfall to keep roots moist. In dry springs, water every two to three weeks, but stop watering entirely by late May or early June as bulbs begin to mature—excess moisture at this stage encourages rot and reduces storage life. Feed once in March with a balanced granular fertiliser or a nitrogen-rich feed such as blood, fish and bone, scattering a light handful per square metre along the rows. This spring feed supports strong leaf growth, which in turn builds bigger bulbs. Avoid feeding after April, as late nitrogen encourages soft, leafy growth rather than firm, well-wrapped bulbs. Garlic is fully hardy across temperate Europe (zone 3a–9b) and needs no winter protection. In fact, autumn-planted cloves benefit from cold weather, which triggers proper bulb formation. Keep the bed weed-free, especially in spring when young garlic competes poorly with weeds. Hand-weed carefully or hoe shallowly to avoid damaging the shallow roots. The main pests are onion white rot, a soil-borne fungal disease causing yellowing leaves and fluffy white mould on the bulb base, and leek rust, which shows as orange pustules on leaves. Both thrive in damp conditions, so good drainage and crop rotation (avoid planting alliums in the same spot for at least four years) are your best defences. Garlic is otherwise trouble-free. After harvest, cure bulbs in the sun for two weeks, then store in a cool, dry place—properly dried garlic keeps for six months or more.