Q: Can garlic still be good if left in ground too long?

A: How long is too long depends on the variety of garlic you planted and what growing zone you are in. Typically, in Minnesota, garlic will be ready to harvest between late June and late July. One of the most common methods used to determine when garlic is ready to pull out of the ground is to pay attention to the leaves. When three or four leaves (or about half of the total number of leaves) have turned yellow or brown, this means it is ready.

Garlic can still be good if left in the ground after the ideal harvesting timeframe. However, the longer it is there, the less desirable it will be. First, the protective papery layers that encase the bulb start to break down in the soil. Next, the cloves will begin to separate, and each of t

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