Optimal Timing For When to Harvest Garlic & Garlic Scapes

Harvesting garlic is always exciting. Because the cloves grow below the soil, you never know exactly what you have until you pull them up! 

Harvesting your garlic at the perfect time makes all the difference in quality and storage capability. In this guide, you’ll learn to tell if your garlic is ready, when to harvest garlic and scapes, plus three ways to preserve garlic, so you get the most from your garden!

Amazing Garlic Harvest

I was impressed by our great garlic harvest this year! Last fall, I planted leftover seed garlic from the MIgardener seed shop. It yielded 40 pounds of beautiful, large garlic in just 48 square feet of garden!

I know that it can seem daunting, but garlic is actually one of the easiest crops to grow (and fresh garlic will make such a difference in your cooking)! It’s a worthwhile investment that I hope you’ll try.

If you’re ready to take your garlic-growing game to the next level, you are in the right place. Check out this guide on how to grow garlic at home and the best types of garlic for you.

Harvesting Garlic Scapes

There are two main types of garlic: softneck and hardneck. Hardneck varieties are most widely recognized for the long, curly, green flower stalks they produce, which are known as garlic scapes.

It is important to harvest these scapes when they form. If you don’t, they will take energy away from the bulb growth, greatly diminishing your final garlic harvest. Removing the garlic scapes will signal the plant to put its resources into growing large bulbs.

Once you see a flower bud growing on a curly stem, it's time to harvest them. To do that, cut or break off the scapes below the flower.

It is best to harvest garlic scapes early in the morning and water your plants afterward. Garlic scapes are completely edible and have a delicious, mild taste—like garlic mixed with asparagus.

When to Harvest Garlic Bulbs

Typically, I plant garlic in October and wait until the first or second week of July to harvest it. But some years it is ready earlier or later. So, how do I know when garlic is ready to harvest?

Garlic isn’t a crop that needs a specific number of days to grow. You plant it in the fall, it overwinters, goes through a process called vernalization, and multiplies its cloves.

You will know that your garlic is ready to harvest when the leaves start to die back. Check the garlic tops and wait until the leaves are 50% to 75% yellow or brown to harvest.

This is the optimal harvest timing because it allows the heads to develop papers that help hold moisture and protect the bulbs. If you harvest too soon, your garlic won’t have as long a shelf life.

If you harvest too late, the necks will be too soft. Doing so increases the chances of the bulb rotting and makes harvesting more difficult. Don’t wait until the plant is dead and falling over before harvesting!

Simple Harvesting Method

By following these steps, you can harvest your garlic confidently:

1. Pull Up Plants - Simply grasp the stalk near the base and pull up, gently lifting the garlic out of the ground. Pro-Tip: If any stems break off when you try to pull up the garlic, that is a sign that the soil may be too compacted, or you waited too long to harvest. In either case, use a garden fork or trowel to loosen the soil around the bulbs (taking care not to damage them) and remove them from the soil instead of pulling them by the stalk.

2. Clean - Gently brush off dirt clods and excess soil from the bulbs with your hands or a dry cloth, taking care not to damage the papers. Pro-Tip: Don’t scrub the bulbs. The bulbs don’t need to be completely clean. The dirt on the outer skin shouldn’t affect the garlic as long as it is kept dry. Yes, mold spores and bacteria are in the dirt, but as long as you keep it dry, those shouldn’t grow and cause an issue.

3. Inspect - Inspect the bulbs for any signs of damage. Use the damaged bulbs first instead of trying to cure and store them because they will deteriorate quickest. This includes plants whose necks broke while harvesting.

4. Cure - Healthy, undamaged garlic can be cured for long-term storage.

To keep something growing all season long, I plan to succession sow something new in the raised garden beds where I harvested my garlic. You may be surprised to learn that sometimes I plant corn after harvesting my garlic in July!

Properly Curing Garlic & Storing For Long-Term Freshness

It is easy to cure garlic so that it keeps for a long time, and garlic has one of the longest shelf lives of any crop coming out of the garden! If done properly, softnecks will last about 6 months, and hardnecks will last about 9 months.

Curing is key to keeping garlic fresh and preventing rot and spoilage. Here are the simple steps to properly cure garlic:

1. Prepare - Spread the garlic out in a single layer in a warm, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. This could be on a deck outside, on a wire rack, a tray, or something similar. If you are short on space, you can also tie them by the stalks in loose bundles before hanging them to dry.

2. Dry - Allow the bulbs to dry for at least 2 weeks, maybe more. The roots and tops need to be completely dry before you move on from this step.

3. Trim the Roots - Using micro-tip snips or sharp scissors, trim off the roots close to the base of the head, leaving just some stubble up to ½ inch long. (If you don’t trim the roots, they will absorb moisture from the air during storage in an effort to sprout and shorten the garlic’s shelf life.)

4. Trim the Neck - Using your sharp scissors again, trim the neck of each garlic 2 to 4 inches away from the head. Don’t trim the neck off close to the head, as this allows moisture to get into the cloves and shortens the shelf life. This works for both hardneck and softneck garlic. Pro-Tip: Softneck garlic can be braided and hung instead of trimmed. Braiding is simply a more decorative way to store it.

5. Place in Container - I recommend using a wicker basket to store your garlic in! This allows great air flow all around the heads of garlic. A wicker basket of garlic sits on a shelf in our pantry all winter. You can also store them in paper shopping bags or hang them. Pro-Tip: The worst and most common way I see people store garlic is in a plastic shopping bag. Don’t do it! You’re guaranteed to get rot, mold, and mildew problems. It will shorten the shelf life of your garlic to about a month.

6. Store - Keep your cured garlic in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place without light exposure.

Three Ways to Preserve Garlic

If you are looking for ways to use the garlic from your garden, watch the video above to learn three great ways to preserve your garlic harvest: fermented garlic, garlic salt, and garlic powder.

Now, it's time to enjoy the aroma and flavor, whether you use it to create tasty new dishes like handmade pasta and garlic scape pesto or spice up familiar favorites with homemade garlic salt.