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When the forests wake up from their slumber in spring, it's time for the wild garlic harvest. Once the snow has cleared, there are veritable carpets of the popular kitchen herb, whose characteristic garlic aroma is often used for herb butter and pesto. The annual Allium ursinum harvest season attracts numerous families and herbalists to the woods, who busily harvest the plant's leaves. The when and how of collecting are crucial for success.
harvest time
When is harvest time?
As far as the harvest time is concerned, it starts quite early in the south-western regions of Germany, around the beginning of March. The milder the winter, the earlier the plants appear and allow for an early harvest. The further north you live, the later it starts, usually mid to late March, and therefore you have to wait longer before you can enjoy wild garlic. Harvesting is possible for around six to eight weeks while the white buds are still emerging. Although you can collect the leaves yourself during the flowering period, these change in texture as follows.
- become fibrous
- not so handsome anymore
- Flavor is significantly reduced
Wild garlic can be found near streams
Theoretically, you can pick the wild garlic until May, but the intensity of the aroma decreases extremely as the flowering progresses. Therefore, when harvesting plants, pay attention to when the plants are still in bud or not yet blooming to get the most flavor potential. Of course, this is easy to implement when growing in the garden, since you have full control over the plants and their growth period. So you should hurry through March to harvest your portion of wild garlic before others get there. Don't forget that even the spicy flowers are edible.
Notice: It is not true that wild garlic is inedible after flowering. Although the aroma is much weaker, no toxins are formed in the leaves that would cause side effects or symptoms of poisoning.
Collect wild garlic
Where to collect wild garlic?
When the wild garlic is best collected is not the only decisive factor for a successful harvest. It is also important where you can find the crop, as not every forest is ideal for the growth of the crop. You will only rarely find wild garlic in coniferous forests that are far from rivers and streams. The ideal location for wild garlic is as follows.
- deciduous forests
- alluvial forests are particularly preferred
- semi-shady
- Moist, loose soil with a proportion of humus, i.e. very nutrient-rich
- chalky soils are tolerated as long as they are not sandy or dry
The spice plant feels particularly at home in southern Germany and the Alps, where it grows in large quantities. The further north you live, the less common it is, but it is still present. If the location is ideal for the wild garlic, it will grow there in moderation and can cover entire parts of the forest floor, so that even larger collection groups do not reduce the stock. The prerequisite for this is, of course, enough space. Make sure you only collect in places that are densely vegetated. Once you have a foot between the plants, don't harvest here during harvest time.
Please note: Wild garlic is not under nature protection in Germany, but is on the red list of endangered species due to its natural occurrence in the federal states of Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Never pick Allium ursinum in a nature reserve, as the specimens there are protected.
wild garlic leaves
harvest
how to harvest
In addition to the when and where, the how is also important in order not to damage wild wild garlic stocks during the harvest season and still collect enough of the leaves for personal use. Due to the spice plant's popularity, it is often collected in bulk, yet many collectors do not pay attention to the amount they cut. This can become a problem because the bulbous plant cannot easily expand its stock. Likewise, not every spot in suitable forests is recommended, as these are frequented too often.
Pay attention to the following points when harvesting in the forest:
- stock size
- Amount of leaves harvested
- harvesting method
All these points should be observed so that you do not harvest too much or wrongly and end up damaging the wild garlic specimens and thus negatively affecting the natural stock. Of course, you should use the harvest quantity and method with your own plants in the garden so that they can continue to grow in a relaxed manner.
Duration
stock size
As explained above, the largest accumulations of forest garlic are found in the numerous alluvial forests in Germany, as the best conditions for growth are found there. If you are looking for the seedlings in March, you should look away from the paths, as that is where the undisturbed and largest concentrations are. Although you can also bring in your harvest directly on the path, this is not recommended due to the following points.
- small stocks, as these are harvested more frequently
- are marked by dogs and foxes, especially at crossings
- possible deer crossing
- Wild garlic can often be trampled on if careless people use the paths
Wild garlic with its white flowers
Given the frequency with which the plants near the trails are bothered, venture a little deeper into the forest. The deer crossings should be avoided in particular, as foxes mark the existing crossings more often and thus often catch the wild garlic. Likewise, most of the dog excrement found in the forest is in the immediate vicinity of the paths. The further you venture into the forest, the denser the stocks become and the larger your harvest will be.
crop amount
When it comes to the harvest quantity, it is important not to stress the plants too much during the harvest period, i.e. not to harvest them completely. If everyone looking for wild garlic harvested the entire plant, the majority of the plants would be leafless within a few days, which would upset the ecological balance. When harvesting, limit yourself to a maximum of two leaves per plant, because this is the only way they can stay healthy throughout the year and then multiply. Please note that a plant refers to the small groups of plants, as wild garlic grows in groups.
harvesting method
Before you harvest the wild garlic, you should prepare the following utensils and take them with you into the forest.
- sharp, clean knife or small scissors
- Plastic bag
It is recommended not to remove the individual leaves with your fingers, but to use a tool so that the plant is not torn out of the ground with the bulb. To do this, position the scissors or knife slightly above the main stem and simply cut off the leaf. Likewise, if you can avoid it, do not step on the plants. This is not only important during harvest time. Then use the plastic bag to store the leaves as follows.
- drip a few drops of water into the bag
- put the leaves inside
- keep doing this until you have collected enough
- blow air into the bag
- lock it
A filled wicker basket full of wild garlic is a romantic eye-catcher during the harvest season, but it is more worthwhile to store the leaves in a plastic bag in terms of the aroma. The air also protects the sheets from being crushed during transport.
Tip: Alternatively, you can also use your fingers to snap off the leaves, but you should be careful not to tear them out. However, if the plant is accidentally torn out together with the bulb, you should bury it again and ideally it can grow again.