Watch for the curl and then the uncurl. That’s what Master Gardener Ed Buyarski recommends while harvesting garlic this summer. He provided a primer during the latest edition of Gardentalk that airs Thursdays on KTOO’s Morning Edition.
The scape, or the bulbous top of the garlic stem, will curl up as the garlic plant’s lower leaves start turning yellow and dry out. When the scape straightens out and point up, then the garlic plant is ready for harvest.
Place the bulbs in a warm dry place to dry out.
Don’t wait too long to harvest garlic or the skin will begin to rot as it sits in the damp soil.
Garlic plants that show signs of mold or mildew on the bulb skin or the stem at ground level should be harvested as soon as possible and kept separate from the rest of your harvest. Remove any mold or mildew and wash your hands afterward. Use the cloves from those garlic plants as soon as possible.
