Picking Onions and Garlic

[Mr Scruff]

Anyone know when I should pick my onions and garlic? Seems to be conflicting information - whether to wait until the stems go brown, to check the size by washing some of the mud away, waiting til the stems are a certain thickness...

Any definitive answers? The onions especially are getting quite large, and beginning to grow out of the soil.

[allegro]

Wait until the stems go brown and papery then pull up and leave to dry for a few days somewhere dry and sunny ( you can leave them on the soil if you know its not going to rain ).

Cut of the roots to just below the bulb. Make a loop of string and hang on a hook, feed the papery stems through, round and back through. Repeat. Hey presto French looking string of onions!

Alternatively you can encourage the stems over with your boot and leave for a few weeks then pull. only really necessary if a wet summer if in the offing.

[stifler]

Can't help with garlic, but, in my experience, onion stalks tend to fall over when they are ready. Leave them for a week, then dig them, leave the stalks on and plait them together. They will keep all winter if they are kept cool and dry.

[NathanJones]

I thought it was sow on the shortest day and reap on the longest.

[Mr Scruff]

Thanks very much all, onions seem to be huge but tops are still very much green and straight so will keep on with them.

Same rules for the garlic then?

[karona]

The Garlic's ready when the outer leaves of the stem start to go brown, there's no point leaving them in longer. Stringing them up to dry looks pretty, but a box in a dry place is just as good. The Onions will continue to fatten up for a bit longer yet, provided they get plenty water. I'm already digging up the biggest as an when SWMBO needs them.