I planted garlic with purple wrapper colouring last year. The harvested garlic isn’t purple. Does it change colour as it dries
or what’s going on here? I know comparatively July 9th is
early to harvest but they were ready. I don’t know why my
garlic ended up maturing so quickly this year.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners with your questions.
Depending on the variety you are growing, there can be a six-to-eight-week span between the time the earliest garlics are ready and when the latest-maturing garlics are ready. Smaller plants often mature earlier than larger plants. Your harvest period is also determined by the current weather and soil conditions, so even if you grew the same cultivar of garlic this season, it may not mature at the same rate as last season because of the hot weather we have been having. Also, depending on temperature, the shade of purple may be vivid or pale. The change in colour can also be caused by the reactive components activated during the drying process. I’m attaching a link to an article on growing purple striped garlic that might be of interest to you.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/garlic/purple-stripe-garlic-plants.htm