DON'T PULL!
Harvesting garlic isn't exactly a walk in the park. Imagine this: you bend down, channel your inner agricultural acrobat, and grasp a fully mature garlic plant by its stalk. Now, brace yourself for the thrilling crescendo—a sharp, resounding snap that echoes through your garden. But here's the catch: The garlic stem snaps and leaves the precious garlic bulb still hidden away beneath the soil. Instead, you’ll need to coax that garlic bulb up from the depths with the gentle finesse of a botanist performing a delicate dance. Tugging on its fragile neck with a touch of hope and a lot of patience is never a good idea, unless your soil is like that of sand in a kid's sand box.
Trying to pull garlic from the ground with brute force is a recipe for disaster. Instead, employ the seasoned farmer's secret weapon: a garden fork or broadfork. Insert your chosen tool into the soil at a strategic distance from the garlic bulb, and leverage it gently. This technique provides the perfect symphony of soil and steel, ensuring your garlic bulbs emerge unscathed and ready for their culinary debut.
In the realm of vegetable extraction, the retrieval of Allium sativum (garlic) presents a unique biomechanical challenge. The enthusiastic farmer, imbued with the optimism inherent in a bountiful harvest, may be tempted to execute a simple "bend and yank" maneuver. Alas, this often results in a decidedly unsatisfying snapping sound, a testament to the tensile strength of the stalk and the stoic defiance of the subterranean bulb. Only in conditions of exceptional edaphic looseness (loose soil) exceeding eight to ten inches, can one hope to unearth the elusive garlic bulb via the tender ministrations of its alimentary appendage (stalk). Let this serve as a cautionary tale to the overzealous harvester: respect the subterranean solidarity of the garlic and employ the proper implements of extraction, lest your harvest be punctuated by the symphony of snapping stalks.
What Tools Work Best for Harvesting Garlic?
The wind whispers secrets through the tall hardneck garlic plants, a symphony of rustling leaves. Beneath the watchful gaze of the farmhouse windows, a drama unfolds – it is late July in USDA Hardiness Zone 4 and 5, and the bottom three leaves of the garlic plant have turned yellow and are drooping to the soil beneath. It is time for the grand harvest of our hardneck garlic. It is time to harvest gather this fragrant bounty in a sturdy basket, woven from willow whispers and sun-kissed dreams.
Forget those wimpy trowels! When it comes to garlic harvest time, you've gotta unleash your inner caveman (or cavewoman). Sure, fingers and fingernails can work for a few rogue cloves, but for a real production, you need to up your garlic-harvesting game. A garden fork or a broadfork? They are the Swiss army knife of the garlic patch.
Let's delve into the fascinating realm of agricultural hand tools.
From a strictly geometric standpoint, the garden fork exhibits a remarkable resemblance to its table-dwelling cousin. Both utilize a multi-pronged design for efficient material manipulation. However, the garden fork takes this concept to a whole new level, scaling up the tines to colossal proportions. This adaptation allows the garden fork to penetrate the dense layers of the Earth, a feat far beyond the capabilities of its daintier dinnertime counterpart. It's like a bioengineering marvel – the perfect tool for a world where plants fight back (with roots)!
The broadfork is like a pitchfork that went to the gym. This bad boy straddles the line between farm tool and medieval torture device. Imagine triumphantly wielding a broadfork, its sturdy tines gently coaxing a six or seven garlic plants from the earth like a garlic genie granting your wishes. Of course, if you're feeling particularly ambitious (and have a sizable farm), you could just skip straight to the tractor and undercutter. Just be prepared for some serious stares from the neighborhood and the possibility of unearthing more than just garlic (like a bewildered badger!).
Patience is the garlic farmer's honest weapon. No yanking like a hungry ogre, for garlic rewards gentle hands and curious hearts. This is a harvest symphony, not a barbarian raid. Each unearthed bulb is a testament to the silent pact between seed and soil, farmer and sun. Feel the earth beneath your boots, the sun on your face, and the symphony of harvest in your ears. Unearth the garlic bounty, a gift from the land, a testament to our own resilience. And when the aroma fills your kitchen, remember – beneath your feet, a treasure waits, whispering tales of sun and soil, waiting to become the soul of your next culinary masterpiece.
Unearthing your bounty of hardneck garlic cloves requires the right tools for the job! Here's your arsenal:
Broad Fork: The broadfork, a marvel of agricultural engineering most commonly encountered in its natural habitat, the shed, occupies a curious niche between manual labor and questionable life choices. This stalwart tool, fashioned from repurposed bicycle handlebars and a coat rack's estranged cousin, boasts a complex operational theorem.
Hand trowel: This trusty friend is perfect for small harvests or carefully maneuvering around established plants. It's lightweight and fantastic for delicate digging, but can tire your arms for larger patches.
Garden fork: This multi-purpose champ loosens compacted soil with ease, saving your back from strenuous work on bigger harvests. Be mindful though, its tines can accidentally pierce precious bulbs, so wield it with care!
Potato fork: Designed for pronged perfection, this fork gently lifts bulbs with minimal soil disruption. It's a happy medium between the trowel and the garden fork, but isn't as widely available as the other options.
Undercutter: You'll likely need a 30 HP tractor with a 3-point hitch to make this tool work.
Fingers and Hands. Not your toes. Sifting through the soil for garlic with your fingers? It's all fun and games until you unearth a rogue clove the size of a golf ball and realize you've been playing a spicy game of hand solitaire. (Pros: Zen and intimate, good for small harvests. Cons: Time-consuming, and hurt fingers.)
Using a Broad Fork to Harvest Hardneck Garlic.
Much like a geologist on a bender, the broadfork disrupts the very foundations of the earth, unearthing long-buried secrets (mostly rogue gardening gloves and last year's rogue zucchini). The resulting soil aeration can only be described, in layman's terms, as "extremely delightful for earthworms with a penchant for interpretive dance."
The broadfork, a fearsome beast in the world of root vegetables, is a far cry from your average garden fork. Invented not by a botanist but by a fellow who craved a gentler touch on the soil (and his back!), it boasts a row of sturdy tines mounted on a crossbar. Unlike a shovel, which severs precious bulbs, the broadfork acts with the grace of a conductor. Inserted deep beneath the garlic patch, a powerful heave on its dual handles leverages the entire root zone, gently lifting a bounty of pearly white bulbs nestled in loose, aerated soil. It's a primal act, a testament to human ingenuity, and the most satisfying way to unearth a season's worth of fragrant garlic glory.
Operation Allium Apocalypse: A Broadforked Guide to Garlic Liberation
Step 1: Locate the Garlic Brigade (a.k.a. Your Broadfork)
This magnificent tool resembles a medieval torture device designed by a particularly peckish blacksmith. Two sturdy handles jut out like a walrus' tusks, while a row of gleaming steel tines glisten with the promise of imminent soil interrogation.
Step 2: Don Your Official Soil-Surgeon Gear
Safety first, comrades! Sturdy footwear is key to preventing rogue rogue garlic bulbs from becoming surprise foot missiles. Gardening gloves are optional, but highly recommended if you plan on channeling your inner Wolverine during this operation.
Step 3: Engage in the Sacred Broadfork Ballet
Approach the garlic patch with the reverence a knight approaches a dragon's lair. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a healthy distance from the garlic. Imagine the tines forming a line parallel to the first row of garlic soldiers.
Step 4: The Great Garlic-Guiding Gudgeon
With the grace of a flamingo and the strength of an ox, plunge the broadfork tines deep into the soil, just shy of your precious garlic battalion. 6-8 Inches away from the bulbs underground. Plunge straight down, not at an angle. This is the gudgeon, the gentle nudge that prepares the earth for the glorious extraction.
Step 5: The Levator Garlicus
Now comes the moment of truth. Grasp the broadfork handles firmly, picturing yourself as a conductor about to unleash a symphony of soil movement. With a mighty heave worthy of a Viking berserker, lift the broadfork, leveraging the entire root zone.
Step 6: The Garlic Geode
Behold! Witness the fruits of your labor! A magnificent earth clod, riddled with pearly white garlic bulbs, rises from the battlefield like a newly unearthed geode. Gently shake the loose soil away, revealing your bounty in all its fragrant glory.
Step 7: Repeat and Rejoice!
Continue your broadfork ballet across the garlic patch, liberating each bulb from its earthen slumber. Remember, with each heave, you're not just harvesting garlic, you're conducting a soil-stirring serenade, a dance of deliciousness soon to grace your kitchen.
Using a Garden Fork to Harvest Hardneck Garlic.
Grab a trusty garden fork (think trowel meets trident) and gently tickle the soil around your garlic guardians. These papery warriors won't resist a bit of playful prodding, revealing their pearly treasure trove within. As the sun dips low, casting long shadows across your garlic patch, it's time to unearth the rewards of your summer's work. Hardneck garlic, with its elegant necked scape, awaits, and your trusty garden fork becomes your harvest companion.
Grip the handle firmly, and with a smooth, steady motion, plunge the fork into the soil several inches away from the garlic stem. Imagine aiming for a point between the stem and the edge of the bulb, aiming perpendicular to the stalk. Feel the earth give way as the tines loosen the surrounding soil, gently coaxing the bulb closer to the surface. Avoid pushing the fork into the soil at an angle, as this could puncture the precious cloves. Instead, wiggle the fork slightly forward and backward, loosening the soil's grip without damaging the bulb. With a final, gentle upward pull, lift the garlic, celebrating the gleaming white treasure your efforts have unearthed. Repeat this dance of fork and soil, feeling the rhythm of the harvest settle into your muscles. Soon, your basket will brim with these earthy jewels, ready to grace your winter meals with their pungent magic. Remember, treat each bulb with the respect it deserves, for each one is a testament to your dedication and the earth's generosity.
To harvest hardneck garlic without a dance of disappointment, follow this rhythm:
Step 1: The Approach. Locate the stiff, leafy stalk of your garlic. Trace its line down to the ground, envisioning the bulb nestled beneath. Remember, you're not aiming for a direct bullseye, but rather a gentle sidestep.
Step 2: The Plunge. Hold your fork like a knight's lance, but with kindness instead of conquest in your heart. Thrust it into the soil perpendicular to the stem, six to eight inches away from the stalk. Let the fork's tines glide down, not pierce.
Step 3: The Lift. Imagine tickling the earth with your fork, coaxing the bulb closer. Gently wiggle the handle back and forth, feeling the soil loosen around the treasure. Then, with a steady pull, lift the fork and bulb together, like a proud parent introducing their child to the sun.
Step 4: The Release. Brush away the clinging earth, revealing the pearly white hardneck garlic bulb, a reward for your careful dance. Repeat the waltz for each bulb, savoring the earthy fragrance and the satisfaction of a harvest well-earned.
But how do we know WHEN to harvest our hardneck garlic bulbs? Keep your eyes peeled for the telltale signs of garlic glory: browning leaves waving at the bottom of the stalks. That's your cue to unleash the plundering! Again, patience is key. No yanking like a grumpy goblin on a sugar crash – let the bulbs ease out gracefully. Harvesting hardneck garlic is a dance, not a duel. A gentle touch, a watchful eye, and a healthy dose of anticipation – that's the secret recipe for unearthing the most glorious garlic bounty your kitchen has ever seen.
Garlic Gold: Digging Deep with a Rustic Fork
The sun hangs low, casting long shadows across the rows of rustling green. Crisp autumn air nips at your cheeks, a welcome contrast to the heat of the midday sun. It's harvest time, and in this symphony of golden leaves and earthy scents, one note rings particularly potent: garlic. There's something undeniably evocative about garlic harvest. It's a scene straight out of an American Gothic painting, hands weathered by sun and soil, wielding a trusty garden fork like a knight's lance. This isn't mechanized, sterile agriculture; it's a primal dance between human and earth, a celebration of hard work and the bounty it brings.
And what a bounty garlic is! Each bulb, nestled snugly in the cool soil, is a treasure chest of pungent flavor, promising garlic-infused feasts and cozy winter evenings. But before these cloves grace your kitchen counter, there's the joy of the dig. The fork, that humble tool of cultivation, becomes your instrument of harvest. You plunge it into the earth, feeling the satisfying resistance give way as you gently pry up a bulb. Each unearthed treasure comes coated in the rich, crimson soil, a testament to its journey from seed to succulent clove.
There's a rhythm to this rustic ballet. Fork thrust, wiggle, lift, brush. The earthy clods fall away, revealing the pearly white bulbs, each one a testament to your care and the sun's alchemy. The air fills with the heady aroma of fresh garlic, an earthy perfume that lingers on your skin and clothes, a badge of honor from the harvest field.
As you gather your bounty, a sense of satisfaction washes over you. You've coaxed these little globes of flavor from the ground, nurtured them through sun and rain, and now they're yours to enjoy. They represent not just food, but the satisfaction of a job well done, the connection to the land, and the promise of delicious meals to come. So, this harvest season, embrace the American Gothic spirit. Grab your fork, head to your garden, and unearth the garlic gold that awaits. With each glistening bulb, you'll taste the earth's bounty, the sun's warmth, and the satisfaction of a harvest well-earned.
Remember:
Wear gloves to protect your hands from the rough edges of the garlic bulbs and the damp soil.
Choose a dry day for harvesting to avoid mold and rot on the bulbs.
Gently brush off the excess soil, but don't wash the bulbs unless you plan to use them right away.
Store your garlic in a cool, dry place where it will keep for several months.
Undercutting Garlic with a Bed Lifter.
Undercutting Garlic with a Bed Lifter, Under Cutter connected to a Three-Point Hitch: Pros and Cons
Garlic harvest time can be a back-breaking affair. Bending all day to pry those pungent bulbs from the earth can leave even the most seasoned farmer feeling like a wilted sprout. Thankfully, the world of agricultural innovation has brought us the undercutter, a handy attachment that promises to revolutionize garlic harvesting. But before you hitch your wagon (or should I say, tractor) to this newfangled contraption, let's delve into the dirt of using an undercutter connected to a three-point tractor hitch for garlic harvesting.
What is an undercutter?
Picture a sturdy metal square, sharpened on the bottom edge, hitched to your trusty tractor's three-point hitch. As you chug through the field, this little square dives under the garlic rows, gently soil around the roots and loosening the soil around the bulbs. This not only makes hand-harvesting easier but also reduces the risk of bruising or damaging the precious cloves.
Pros of undercutting garlic:
Reduced labor: Ditch the backaches! Undercutting takes the grunt work out of garlic harvest, saving you time, energy, and potential chiropractic bills.
Gentle harvest: No more wrestling bulbs from the soil. Undercutting minimizes damage to the bulbs, though the garlic stalk may get damaged from the underside of the tractor.
Faster turnaround: Harvest your garlic field in a fraction of the time with the help of an undercutter, freeing you up for other tasks or simply allowing you to enjoy a well-deserved nap in the sun (garlic breath not included).
Scalability: Undercutters are ideal for larger garlic operations, allowing you to efficiently harvest more acres without breaking a sweat.
Cons of undercutting garlic:
Initial investment: Undercutters come with a price tag, and depending on the size and complexity of the attachment, the cost can be significant for smaller farms.
Learning curve: Operating an undercutter requires some practice to ensure proper depth and avoid accidentally slicing into the bulbs. Mistakes can be costly!
Soil conditions: Undercutters work best in loose, well-drained soil. Heavy clay or rocky soil might not be suitable for this method.
Potential root damage: While generally gentle, undercutting can still damage some garlic roots, potentially bending and wrecking the garlic stem near the bulb.
Tom and Mary’s Garlic Harvest: A Comedy of Errors (a short story)
It’s a crisp, late July morning on Tom and Mary’s farm in rural Montana. The couple, now empty nesters, had recently retired with dreams of a quiet life and a little extra cash to cover their skyrocketing property taxes. Their solution? Grow garlic. “It’s a no-brainer,” Tom said, rubbing his thinning hair. “Garlic’s a crop that doesn’t complain about the weather.”
But farming isn’t as easy as it looks. Sure, garlic grows in the ground, but the ground has ideas of its own, and Tom and Mary were about to find out just how stubborn it could be.
“Alright, Mary, I think we’re ready. I’ve got the 1957 International S120 truck all fired up!” Tom announced, wiping sweat off his brow. He was beaming, confident in his 60-year-old workhorse. The truck, however, had other plans.
The sound of the engine sputtered, coughed, and then… died. “You sure that thing’s got enough power to pull up garlic?” Mary asked, eyeing the truck suspiciously. Tom, undeterred, grinned. “We’ve got a side plow attachment for a reason, right?”
They backed the truck into the garlic patch, excitement building. Tom revved the engine, and Mary nervously stood back, gripping a shovel like a knight holding a sword. As Tom engaged the plow, the truck lurched forward and… well, it didn’t exactly unearth garlic. Instead, it tore a neat row of tomatoes, tossed a few potatoes in the air, and got itself stuck in a particularly muddy spot. Tom groaned. Mary raised an eyebrow. “I guess we’ll try something else.”
Tom and Mary, ever the inventive duo, tried everything short of a jackhammer to wrestle those garlic bulbs from the earth. They enlisted the shovel—surely this trusty dirt-scooper could handle the job, right? Wrong. It was like trying to scoop mashed potatoes with a butter knife. Next came the pitchfork, which was more successful at launching garlic across the yard than extracting it. Mary even tried using a kitchen spatula, as if that might somehow turn the garlic into a gourmet delicacy. They attempted a weird hybrid tool concoction made from a broomstick, some duct tape, and a rake—call it the "Garlic Extractor 2000." Spoiler alert: it was an epic failure, but at least the yard was clean. Desperate, Tom even considered asking the neighbor’s golden retreiver to dig it up with its claws. By this point, they were practically willing to try pulling the garlic out with their teeth if it meant getting some harvest for dinner.
Next came the potato digger. “This should work!” Tom said, as if he were wielding an ancient artifact of farming magic. The two of them stared at it for a moment. It was a claw-shaped tool with what could only be described as ‘high hopes.’
“Alright, we’ll just dig it gently around the bulb, then lift,” Tom instructed, crouching down with the tool. “DON’T PULL!” he yelled as Mary, who had never been so eager to get her hands dirty, yanked on a garlic stalk like she was trying to start an old lawnmower. The garlic stalk snapped, leaving the bulb firmly planted beneath a layer of soil.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Mary said, brushing dirt from her hands. “Maybe we need something a little less... enthusiastic.”
Enter the undercutter. Tom had read all about it, this tool that supposedly slices the soil beneath garlic bulbs without disturbing the whole crop. But the undercutter, much like the truck and potato digger, was going to need more horsepower than their charming 1957 truck could offer.
“We’ll need a tractor for this,” Tom muttered, eyeing the fields. “I mean, a really big tractor. Like, one with enough torque to pull a small house.”
Mary squinted at the horizon. “We don’t have a tractor, Tom.”
“Fine,” he said with a determined nod, “Let’s just use the broadfork.”
They found the broadfork leaning against the barn, looking like it had just been returned from a medieval jousting competition. “This is our moment,” Tom said, holding the broadfork up like it was an Olympic event.
With the grace of a baby giraffe, Mary plunged the tines into the earth. “This is it,” she said, a twinkle in her eye. But as she tried to lift the fork, her arms trembled like spaghetti noodles. Tom leaped into action. “Let me help, Mary! Together!” He grunted as he joined her, both of them pulling with all their might. The earth moved, the garlic clung to the soil like it was on a personal mission to stay hidden, and then, finally—a bulb! Mary gasped. “We did it!”
They stood there in awe, covered in dirt, but with a single garlic bulb in hand. It was a moment of triumph—and also a moment of realization that harvesting garlic was a lot harder than they thought.
Tom wiped his brow. “Well, Mary, it wasn’t pretty, but we did it. I think the broadfork’s our best bet.” Mary, still holding the garlic like it was a newborn, looked up at Tom. “It’s like we’re farmers, Tom. I can’t believe it.” And so, they did what all seasoned farmers do after a tough harvest: they took a nap.
Later that day, Tom was walking the garden with Mary, and he smiled to himself. “At least we’re making progress. Garlic for the property taxes... and maybe in 10 years, we’ll get a tractor.” Mary raised an eyebrow, a playful grin on her face. “A tractor? Oh no, Tom. I have my eyes on something much more valuable.”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?” “A garlic press.” Tom’s face fell. “Not another tool…”
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GroEat Farm, LLC is a small, sustainable family farm located in Bozeman, Montana. We’re located in the beautiful Hyalite foothills, below the Gallatin Mountain Range. The hardneck varieties that grow at our farm (Ophioscorodon) flourish here, due to the combination of the cold winters, temperate summers, moist spring, and the dynamic alluvial soils, washed down from the Gallatin Range (comprised of Archean metamorphics, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, and Eocene volcanics). Not only are the GroEat Hardneck garlic healthy and beautiful, the flavor’s are robust and delicate.
