Grow Your Own Magazine

I have pulled up two garlic and it looks like a small onion is this what it should look like? they have been in overwinter the leaves are yellowing they are quite strong in smell.

You should be able to see the indents of the individual cloves, if it has not got any and as you have said looks like an onion it has not split, all is not lost just put them to one side and replant them again in the autumn

They should look like the garlic bulbs you see in the supermarket - as Paul says, you should be able to see the outline of the cloves through the skin.

It is still early for garlic, I would leave it alone for at least another month.

Its too early - although you can use them now as green garlic, just chop and use as a spring onion. They swell to 'proper' garlic size in the very last few weeks, so don't worry - be patient (and happy!), it will be a few weeks yet.

LCG

this may help also:
When to Harvest Garlic
Deciding when to harvest your garlic crop is not an exact science. In the USA and much of Northern Europe garlic is usually harvested in the summer months. Garlic harvesting begins in July and picking can continue all the way through August.
The best guide to when to harvest your garlic is to look at the leaves. The base of the leaves will form the layers wrapped around the garlic head once picked.

As summer progresses, these leaves will gradually brown and die off. If you harvest too early, the garlic will not be ready. If you leave it too late and too many leaves have died off then there will be insufficient protection left for your garlic and it will not store well.

Different locations, different varieties of garlic and different weather conditions will need different harvesting dates. As a rule of thumb you should consider harvesting when about half of the leaves are green and the other half turning brown and dying off.

Don't immediately pull up all of your garlic at this point! First gently pick out one or two plants and make sure that the heads have reached a decent size. If they are still small and tightly wrapped in too many layers then they probably need to be left a little longer. If there are too few layers and the bulbs are beginning to split then you have probably left it too long and need to get the garlic picked as quickly as possible.

One your garlic harvest has been picked, don't leave it laying on the ground. Too much sun can "burn" the garlic and cause its taste to deteriorate. Instead get it inside quickly, brush off the soil (don't wash it!) and leave hanging in a dry place for a couple of weeks.

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Suzie

I have left them in thanks for your advice

Try your garlic in July Jackie. They should be fine by then. Patience is a virtue !

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Have harvested my autumn sown garlic as it had stopped growing. It was covered in rust and the leaves had started to die down. it has dried nicely and is a decent size. The spring sown is still very green, has some rust but is still full of growing.

Ian

What a lot of great info - thanks piskieinboots! I read that you need to wait for the first 7 leaves to go brown but this is my first year with garlic so not sure how good that advice is!
LCG - I think I will try some green garlic for my dinner tonight!Garlic is my favourite vegetable and I am becoming so impatient waiting for July!

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My garden blog
http://michelles-garden.blogspot.com/
Updated 20th August 2008