READER’S QUESTION

HOW do I know when my garlic is ready to harvest?

Roger Sillitoe, Wolverhampton. IT DEPENDS on what variety of garlic you are growing and how long it has been in the ground.

If it’s an early variety such as Purple Wight and you planted the cloves last autumn, it may be ready from late June.

Later varieties such as Solent Late might not be ready until the end of the summer. Generally, garlic bulbs are ready to harvest when the stems turn yellow and start to bend over. You can then loosen them from the soil using a fork and leave them to dry in the sun.