Planting and Harvesting Onions and Garlic

October. Following the lead from my neighbours they start planting garlic and onions in late October.

The soil in well prepared by weeding, and digging over the soil with a good deal of local compost taken from the goat shed. Make a deep trough and space out the onions (root end down). I purchase my onion bulbs from the farm shop in Lefkada. Prepare the soil the same for the garlic. I bought garlic bulbs but was told by my neighbour to save and use the previous years bulbs, Split the bulb into cloves and plant them in the same way as onions.

May. Its time to harvest onions and garlic...or so i thought. In the UK I would harvest onions once the leaves started to turn papery and then store them in a dry, cool, dark place to "cure" for 2-3 weeks. 

But today my garden was visited by the guru of Greek gardening, our village version of Alan Titchmarsh. As she inspected my crops I was so nervous; I felt I was being judged at the Chelsea Flower Show.

I had an official telling off.... not to harvest any more onions but to leave them in the ground in the hot Greek climate. I am to tie up the garlic and not to water them anymore as they will continue to enlarge as they dry out.

After a short demonstration and with the inspection over, she left with a cheery "Ya" (I am in awe of her gardening knowledge and energy; another blog, another day.

So my experiment is to compare the few onions now curing in my apotheke and the ones still in the ground.

3 weeks later.
The garlic is now dry. Loosen the soil around the bulb carefully with a trowel so not to damage it and pull the leaves gently.


Remove any soil from the bulbs just by rubbing gently. Keep on the roots and the leaves.
Plait three bulbs together (more suitable for giving as a small gift to others than the huge braided plaits. Store in a dry airy space out of direct sunlight. We hung ours in a stone apotheke.

2 months later.

My Greek neighbour harvested her onions which have been left in the ground to dry/cure.
First she took off any flaking outside papery skin and leaves. Leaving the roots on. She will then plait those that have long stalks and hang them in a cool dark place (apotheke/store).

Some onions had grown double/split; popular with red onions. These are vulnerable to moisture getting between them and rotting. These onions are perfectly edible and not to be wasted.. so peel and chop them and place them in doubled bags in the freezer. All ready for cooking.