We have garlic, beets and radishes; some years, also turnips, sometimes
carrots. None ever seem to reach the full advertised size, but they do
grow. I'm never sure when to say they've done all the growing they're
going to do.

For garlic, I've read to wait until the tops "dry out". I dig them
after the stalks are all lying down, even though there's still some
green showing.

For the beets, etc, I pick them when the bulb has pushed about 1/2-way
up through the surface.

Comments appreciated.


TIA,
George

George wrote:

We have garlic, beets and radishes; some years, also turnips, sometimes
carrots. None ever seem to reach the full advertised size, but they do
grow. I'm never sure when to say they've done all the growing they're
going to do.

For garlic, I've read to wait until the tops "dry out". I dig them
after the stalks are all lying down, even though there's still some
green showing.

For the beets, etc, I pick them when the bulb has pushed about 1/2-way
up through the surface.

Comments appreciated.


That's right for the garlic. Like onions, the tops will yellow and fall
over. That's when I pull them. The colour isn't so much the indicator as
the tops falling over is.

Beets are a funny one. You can pull them at any size and better to pull
them early than late. They get 'woody' if you leave them to long. The
same applies to turnip. Better to have a slightly smaller product that
tastes good.

Carrots can stay in the ground until the snow flies. I've pulled them
through light November snowfalls. I pull them all before the soil freezes.

I'm growing radishes for the first time this year. I plan to pull them
at five to six weeks after I planted them. Again, better a little early
than too late.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.