What should you pay attention to during the garlic harvest period? Don't overlook these points
The garlic harvest is carried out in two stages, harvesting the garlic scapes and the garlic bulbs. It is highly seasonal, and the harvest period is concentrated. The harvest period not only affects the yield and quality, but also relates to the length of the garlic's fresh-keeping period and the quality of the seed garlic. Therefore, a reasonable harvest plays an important role in improving garlic yield and quality as well as increasing storability. So what should you pay attention to during the garlic harvest period? Let's find out together.
1. Harvest at the right time
Harvesting garlic scapes too early will reduce the yield, and the scapes remaining in the false stem will continue to grow and consume nutrients, which is not conducive to the bulbing of the garlic bulbs; harvesting too late will increase the fiber in the scapes and result in poorer quality, and at this time the scapes are difficult to pull out. To pull them out, the false stem must be cut open, which will affect the garlic bulb yield. The best harvest time should be flexibly determined according to the cultivation purpose and variety characteristics. Generally, garlic scapes are harvested when they are about 7 cm above the leaf sheath opening of the last leaf and the upper part has not yet curved. The same applies to harvesting garlic bulbs: when the outer layers of leaf sheaths lose water and become thin, they will fall off by themselves after harvest, while the inner 3-4 layers of leaf sheaths are thicker and tightly wrap the garlic bulb, giving the garlic bulb better quality; if harvested too late, all the leaf sheaths become thin and dry, and the bulbs are prone to splitting and the cloves scattering during harvest.
2. Management before harvesting the scapes
Watering should stop 3-4 days before harvesting the scapes, so as to prevent the garlic scapes from being too crisp and easily broken during harvest, which would be detrimental to yield and quality. After harvesting the scapes, the plant enters the bulb expansion stage, but because the functions of the roots, stems and leaves decline and their absorption capacity is weak, it is not advisable to apply fertilizer after harvesting the scapes, so as to avoid excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves and cause the garlic bulbs to mature late. As the temperature rises, irrigation should be carried out in time after harvesting the scapes, preferably with small amounts of water and frequent irrigation. Be sure not to flood-irrigate; just keep the soil moist to promote garlic bulb expansion. Watering should stop one week before harvesting the garlic bulbs, so as to avoid excessively wet soil causing the garlic skin to rot.
3. Harvesting time
Harvesting the scapes should be done on a sunny day, when transpiration is high, the water content in the plant is reduced, and the texture is soft and elastic, making it easier to pull the scapes and less likely to break them. The harvesting time for garlic bulbs is likewise best on a sunny day, so that the harvested garlic bulbs have intact outer skins and dry faster when sun-dried, reducing mold and rot during storage.
4. Post-harvest handling
After the garlic bulbs are harvested, the roots and tendrils should be trimmed in time. If the roots are not cut, the stem disc will not dry sufficiently after sun-drying and will easily become moldy during storage. There is also particularity to cutting the roots: early-maturing varieties with short leaf sheaths are mostly tied in bundles for storage, and when cutting the roots, the tops should also be cut, leaving leaf sheaths 10-15 cm long; varieties with long leaf sheaths are mostly braided for storage, and only the roots are cut without cutting the tops. When trimming, turn the garlic bulbs downward; when sun-drying, turn them so they dry evenly, and at the same time pay attention to weather changes to avoid rain. Generally, after 3-5 days of sun-drying, they can be stored.
The above is an introduction to the points to note during the garlic harvest period. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.