Harvesting Pull the bulbs by hand as harvesting with an onion machine may cause excessive bruising. However, some harvesting is now being done with a modified carrot harvester. Undercutting with a back blade is the most frequently used system, since this reduces labour and eases pulling. Bulbs develop in the neck or on top of hard-necked varieties. Cloves are seen easily from outside the bulb.
Bulbs are of good size.
Internal clove colour is creamy rather than white. The leaves start to die back, but are still slightly green. Do not allow bulbs to over-mature in the field, since too many skins will be discarded and bulbs will be discoloured or open up. All varieties need to be pulled before they lose too many skins off the bulb. If the plants are uniformly mature and reasonably well-cured, they may be topped and tailed at harvest.