When you need to dig out garlic planted in the winter in the Moscow region in 2018

Garlic is one of the necessary seasonings, which not only improves the taste of dishes, but also serves as an excellent antiseptic in the period of exacerbation of autumn-winter colds. In order for garlic to be preserved throughout the entire shelf life, it is necessary to correctly collect and harvest it.

When harvested prematurely, the heads of garlic can be split into cloves, which will shorten the shelf life. Its early harvesting also negatively affects the safety of garlic, in which case garlic can rot due to immaturity.

Harvesting of garlic planted in winter

The best time for harvesting garlic is considered the period when the sun does not shine on the leaves of the plant. It can be early morning or evening hours. It is better to get heads out of the ground with a fork, this will help keep garlic from damage. In order to avoid unnecessary injuries for the plant, it is recommended not to tear off the hairy roots and in no case to tear the fruits out by hand.

For best preservation of the head, it is advisable to dry thoroughly. You can do this right in the garden where the garlic grew. In dry, warm weather, the crop will dry out in a maximum of ten days. If it rains, you will have to send the garlic to a darkened, dry room, where it should dry for at least twenty days.

After the crop is dried, you need to trim the tops. Experts advise leaving fairly long cuttings so that garlic is convenient to store and use.

How much does winter garlic ripen?

Slices of garlic are planted in the autumn. During the winter, garlic grows, and shoots appear in the spring. In the southern regions of Russia, winter garlic fully ripens by May, in the Moscow region due to other climatic conditions a little later. On average, the readiness of garlic for harvesting occurs one hundred and ten days after emergence. In this case, the period may decrease in sunny and dry weather and increase if spring and summer are rainy.

A few recommendations for preparing plants for collection:

• three to four weeks before digging up the beds with garlic, it is necessary to stop feeding fertilizers and water;
• seed arrows should begin to break off about a month before harvesting, this will help shape the heads;
• so that the slices retained the maximum of beneficial properties, it is necessary to tie the leaves of the plant, so they will take less water and food will go to the head.

How to understand that garlic is ready for harvest?

This vegetable crop, like others, has its own signs of ripening. To get a quality crop, you need to dig up the crop after the garlic has fully ripened, and this will happen when:

• the plant stops releasing new leaves;
• leaves closer to the ground begin to dry;
• arrows cease to twist and straighten;
• the root part of the plant acquires a purple hue;
• the film covering the head is drying and cracking;
• the stem from the root to the first leaves becomes dry.

Subject to these rules, a garlic crop will delight any gardener.

The rules for digging garlic

In the Moscow Region, winter garlic usually ripens by the end of July. It is at this time that it is best to dig it out. You need to stock up on a tool, for example, a pitchfork, or a special spatula that will not damage the root part and plant heads.

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If the weather is rainy by the time of harvesting, it is better to prepare a dry, darkened place where the garlic will dry. In sunny weather, the crop can be left on the ground. These harvesting rules are equally suitable for summer and winter garlic.

Lunar calendar recommendations for garlic harvest dates

The correct garlic harvest time has a significant impact on its shelf life. Therefore, many rely on the lunar calendar, indicating the days of collection. In 2018, the most suitable days are:

• from the fifth to the seventh of July;
• the fifteenth of July;
• July sixteen;
• July nineteenth;
• July 20th;
• twenty-third of July;
• twenty-fourth of July;
• from the first to the third of August;
• August 11th;
• twelfth of August;
• the fifteenth of August;
• August sixteen;
• twenty-ninth of august;
• thirtieth of august.

Experts say that the lunar calendar indicates recommended dates, each gardener can choose for harvesting a day that he considers optimal.

What is the best way to store garlic?

There are many ways to store garlic throughout the winter season. There are both unconventional methods, such as placing in dry sand, and proven, traditional methods.

Glass jars

One of the easiest storage methods is to place the heads of ripe garlic in glass jars. Clean, dry containers are filled with dried, trimmed heads. The can remains open and is placed at room temperature in any convenient place.

Paraffin wax

Artificial wax is the most reliable way to maintain maximum benefit in garlic wedges. Preparation for storage will take some time, but the result will justify all the time costs. In a water bath you need to melt the paraffin in such an amount that the liquid substance covers the head completely. It is not necessary to bring the mixture to a boil, after dissolving all the solid particles, you need to take the head by the stem, immerse it in a liquid mixture for one second and put it to dry. The procedure is repeated the required number of times, after the paraffin has hardened, the garlic must be removed in a suitable place.

Storage in the ground

This method is suitable for residents of private homes or those who have year-round access to land. To preserve the crop, you need to wrap each head with foil and immerse in a hole about forty centimeters deep. After sprinkle with earth, without trampling.

Salt storage

Another favorite and reliable way to preserve the crop is to put the heads in salt. It is more correct to fill a glass container with salt a few centimeters, place the heads and fill them with another layer of substance. Repeat the procedure until the vessel is full. After the container is removed in a cool, dry place.

So that the earth does not stand idle

After harvesting from the beds of ripened garlic, you can use them again. The crops that can be planted depend on the region and the weather conditions in it. For the Moscow region, cucumbers with a minimum ripening time will be an ideal solution. If the weather does not please with an abundance of sunny days, then you can sow radishes, which will have time to ripen before the end of the season.

Conclusion

Garlic is not the most capricious crop, but still, to get a good harvest, you must follow the rules of planting, care and harvesting. Experienced gardeners are advised to plant different varieties in order to accurately get the crop.Another recommendation of specialists is that it is better to plant varieties of approximately the same size closer to each other, this will increase the yield. Observance of storage rules will also contribute to the safety of garlic. In order for the heads to remain edible for a long time, it is better to first eat small-sized fruits, large ones are stored longer.

Experiments, love and care will help even an inexperienced gardener to grow the perfect garlic.