root vegetables: when to pick?

Question

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

cloud dreamer · Accepted Answer

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.

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Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

root vegetables: when to pick?

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