Hang Garlic in the Shade to Dry

Q. I recently harvested my garlic crop, wrapped it in burlap, and hung it up to dry.  How long should I let it dry in the Vegas heat? Last year I let it go for over a month and the bulbs got mushy.

Freshly harvested garlic.

A. If the bulbs got mushy then it was harvested too early or the bulbs stayed too wet. In our climate, don’t wrap garlic in burlap but dry it in the shade instead. I never had problems drying garlic. I leave the tops attached, bunch them together and hang them in the shade.

Chesnok Red garlic hanging in the shade to finish drying.

            To me, this seems a bit early to harvest garlic. My garlic was harvested in late May or June when the tops had dried back about 1/3 in the field. It is hard to tell without seeing them, but the bulbs should be fully developed when harvesting. Browning of the tops is a way to know if they are starting to mature or not. If you let the tops all turn brown then the “paper” wrapping around the bulbs will get damaged.

Polish White garlic growing in North Las Vegas.

            Garlic is planted in the Fall and harvested in early to mid-summer after the bulbs have formed. Shake the soil from the plants when you harvest, don’t wash them. I grew about 25 varieties of garlic and they all did well here. This is a good climate for garlic. So, keep an eye on the plants and harvest them when they are fully formed on their own and dry them in the shade.