When to harvest winter-planted garlic in the Urals in 2019

Garlic planted in the Urals before winter is prized for its early harvest. Its shoots will provide harvests for two or more months ahead, compared to those planted in the spring. It's important to know how and when to properly harvest it in 2019 and how to store it throughout the winter season.

Planting dates

If you want to not only get a healthy and abundant garlic harvest, but also preserve it until next season, it's important to plant it correctly and dig it up in time. The Ural climate is no joke, so many people often prefer spring varieties of garlic, but there are also those who plant its winter varieties and do not regret it at all.

You need to plant garlic 20 days before the first serious frost.

This period falls on the second half of October.

Experienced gardeners usually use the first snow as a guide. As soon as it falls and melts, garlic should be planted promptly; only then will it have time to take root and be protected from frost.

If you rush and plant garlic before the due date, the first shoots will appear in the spring with the first thaw and will be “killed” by frost.

Moreover, the shelf life of this garden crop will be significantly reduced. According to the lunar calendar for October 2019, winter garlic is recommended to be planted on October 11th or 15th.

The most favorable period in the Urals in 2019 harvest garlic, planted in winter, will be July, or more precisely, just three dates. They are presented in the table:

There are two popular varieties that are recommended for growing in the Urals: Alkor (94 days) and Novosibirsk (85 days to full maturity).

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Harvesting Recommendations

The most important point is to identify the characteristic signs of root crop maturity.

The full ripening of winter garlic is determined by a number of factors:

1. Peel. To do this, remove the soil from the bulb and examine it closely. If the peel is firm, dense, and easily peels away from the bulb, the garlic is ready to be dug up.
2. Feathers. They are characterized by withering, flaccidity, and the neck of the pseudostem becomes soft to the touch.
3. The inflorescences will crack, and the main head should become firmer.

Let's look at the main stages of garlic harvesting:

1. 20-30 days before the expected harvest, watering of the crop should be completely reduced to zero; this will prevent the premature appearance of fungus and rotting of the bulbs.
2. During this same period, you need to get rid of the arrows, but not all of them, you should leave 2-3 strong ones, no more.
3. It's recommended to tie off the yellowing leaves in a knot. This ensures that vitamins and essential micronutrients are transferred to the fruit rather than being lost to the leaves.
4. Two weeks before harvesting, the amniotic soil should be thoroughly loosened and removed, clearing a space 1.5-2 cm in diameter from the head itself.
5. For cleaning, choose sunny weather without precipitation.
6. If any fruits are found to be damaged or blemished, they should be set aside and consumed first.
7. It is recommended to harvest this crop using a pitchfork; do not pull out the fruits by hand, as this can damage them.

Storage rules

Before storing winter garlic, the rhizomes should be cut off and the stems shortened, leaving a tail no longer than 5 cm. The harvest should be sorted: small, medium, and large bulbs should not be stored together, as fruits of different sizes have different shelf lives.

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Storage is possible in several ways:

• in the form of braided pigtails;
• in a glass container (separated into slices);
• with added salt;
• in boxes;
• in nets, nylon.

In general, storing garlic does not present any problems; the main thing is to sort it out frequently, removing any heads that have rotted.

In the Urals, garlic planted in the winter of 2019 is renowned for its early and robust harvest. By the time it reaches full maturity, its roots will have developed a strong resistance to insect pests and diseases, and the harvest can be completed within 100-120 days. It will then be fully ready for storage and consumption.