It’s time to harvest your garlic!
PUNGENT, juicy, fresh homegrown garlic is heavenly in comparison to generic, dry shop-bought cloves, so I hope you’re growing your own this summer. While onions die back completely before lifting in autumn, garlic is harvested while top growth is still relatively green; lift once it’s died back by a half to two thirds.
Harvest it too late and the cloves re-grow, denting storage life. The two types – hardnecks and softnecks – give different yields; hardnecks give fewer, bigger cloves, whereas softneck cloves are smaller and more numerous. Those of you in milder locations may have already lifted your garlic, but for those who don’t, gently slide a fork alongside each plant and ease the bulb out of the earth. Trim off the roots, lay in slatted trays in a dry, airy spot and check for rots. Come autumn, those destined for storage can be plaited. Softnecks store far better than hardnecks, so eat up the latter first.
“Hardnecks and softnecks give different yields”