
Harvesting
When is Garlic ready to harvest? Two ways to tell- Firstly the leaves will begin to turn brown
- Secondly, scrape away the soil, the ribs in the bulb should be defined and the bulb should feel large.
- In loose soil the garlic can be easily pulled out, if it does not pull out easily, use a garden fork to lift it.
- Be careful not to bruise or damage the bulb.
- Gently remove some of the soil, being careful not to damage the skin.

Curing
- Garlic should be immediately hung up in a shaded position with good airflow. Tie the tops of the stems together in bunches of 5 or 6. Then hang them in a shaded cool dry place. Bunches of 5 or 6 allow for better air flow.
- They hang for around 4 -8 weeks and then they are ready to store.
- Generally the skin should be papery and dry and all of the foliage should be brown. The roots should also be dry.
Cleaning
- For hardback types – Brush the soil off the roots and snip them off with secateurs, leaving just very short roots.
- Cut the stems off at around 1 inch (2 – 3 cm) above the bulb.
- Any damaged bulbs should be set aside fro early use.
- The soft neck varieties also have the roots and stems cut off and they can be stored the same way, or have the stems left on and you can braid them.