It’s time to begin harvesting the heavy-hitters of the vegetable garden. Garlic, onions and potatoes will last throughout the coming winter and into next spring with proper curing and storage. They each need a slightly different curing strategy but none are difficult.
Garlic is ready to harvest when there are five green leaves remaining on the plant. Carefully dig down several inches away from the stem and lift the bulbs from the soil by gently pulling the stem upward. Rub the dirt from the roots and get the bulbs out of the sun immediately. Don’t allow the sun to hit them for even 10 minutes as the shock of sudden sunlight and heat can cook the flesh inside the cloves turning it yellow and unsuitable for storage.
Keep garlic stems and roots intact for two to four weeks while curing the garlic in a place with good circulation and out of direct sun. A barn, shed or garage is good, as is a covered patio. After the curing period, cut the roots off and cut the stems about ½ inch above the head. Discard soft, damaged or diseased heads. Store the good ones in a cool, dry place with good air circulation.
Onions are ready to harvest a couple days after their tops fall over. If most but not all the tops have fallen, bend the rest over and harvest them in a day or two. Pull the onions from the ground and with stems intact, lay them out in the wind and sun for a couple days to cure. Next, cut the stems off and spread them out on a table under cover in an outdoor airy place. They can stay there until just before the first heavy frost when they should be brought indoors. Store them over winter in a cool, dry place.
Potatoes are ready to harvest when their tops die down. Likely that hasn’t happened yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t harvest some of them for earlier use. Carefully dig down, with your hands if possible, several inches from the stem and feel for the largest potatoes. Gently tug to release them, leaving the smaller ones in place to continue growing. Make sure to re-cover the still-growing potatoes with soil or mulch so that the sun doesn’t hit them.
When all the tops have died down late in the season, pull the stems to release the potatoes from the soil, or if the soil is heavy, carefully dig down and lift the potatoes out. Digging should be done much further from the stem than you would imagine. A few spade-sliced potatoes will show you how far out to dig. Lay the potatoes out in a cool, airy place out of the sun for a couple days. After that, rub soil from them with a dry rag and keep them in a cool, dark place for long term storage
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