Knowing when to harvest your garlic can sometimes be a confusing process. After all, garlic sits below the ground. One may feel the only clues they really have are the leaves. This is true to a point, in reality however, everything from the leaves, the stems, the soil and the bulbs themselves can all offer clues that help determine when to harvest ones garlic.
The Leaves Of the Garlic Plant
A garlic plants leaves really are the first clue to recognizing garlic has matured. Not all of the leaves mind you, the lower leaves!
Look closely at the leaves lowest to the ground. The very bottom set of leaves will often start to yellow and turn brown around the time your garlic is ready. This could also mean that your garlic needs a little water or is simply shedding; as such it’s not the only sign you should look for, it’s a clue!
Width of the Stalks
The size of the garlic stalk is a direct correlation to the size of the garlic below the ground. Simply stated as ones garlic matures the stalk also grows in thickness and width. 
While looking at the lower leaves consider the size of the stalks. Are the stalks thin or have they started to widen up? As the stalks start to reach 1/2 inch to an inch around the bulbs below the ground should have expanded at least two to three times that size. Small thin stalks indicate the bulbs may not be ready.
The Soil Around the Garlic
Depending on how deeply the garlic was buried one can often see the dirt start to mound up around the base of the garlic stalk. This naturally occurs as the bulbs starts to expand below the ground. While looking at your leaves and the size of your stalks look at the soil! Is there mounding or cracking around the stalk? If the other two steps are present, and there is no dirt movement, continue with the next step anyway.
The Actual Garlic Bulbs
One may wonder how the actual garlic cloves can help you determine if they’re ready as they sit below the dirt. However, if one is seeing all three of the above clues, or at least two of the three clues above the ground they should check below ground and look at a sample of the garlic itself. The trick is to do this in a way that will enable the garlic to continue to grow if it is not yet ready.
Gently remove the dirt from around the stalk being careful not to injure the garlic or harm any of the roots. It’s important to leave the roots whole. Remove enough soil to enable the bulbs and the formation of the individual garlic cloves to show.
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- Garlic that still has a small head and very little cloves is not ready; recover the bulbs and they will continue to grow! Check back in another week or so!
- Garlic that is large and well formed is ready!
- Gently remove the garlic roots and all from the soil. Remove any large soil clumps however, do not wash them! It’s time to cure your prize.
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