[RookieJim]

Swung by the plot to do a but of watering and my plot neighbour advised me to lif my garlic as they have 'stopped growing and may get mould'.

The leaves are browning but I thought I had to wait until they all went brown and flopped over?

She is drying out the garlic she lifted last week and they look fine.

Should I lift or leave?

Jim

[compostqueen]

You may not have planted yours at the same time as your plot neighbour so I would just dig up one and check that's it's ready. 

I have only dug up one bulb so far

I dig mine out with a fork. I don't pull them

[AnnieB]

I usually wait for about 2/3 of the leaves to have turned brown.
Mine are still in and I don't expect to lift for another 3 or 4 weeks.
This year everything is a bit out but even so I would be thinking more of the end of July then the beginning.

[Yorkie]

The only reason I can think to lift early is if you are likely to get white rot - are you new to the plot and would your neighbour know this?

[JohnB47]

Bear in mind that your garlic stems probably won't fall over, like onions do. Mine have never  fallen over - they just dry out and stay stiff and upright. Mine look like they're ready now - mostly dried out and yellow. Must dig one up tomorrow.

[Salmo]

Lift if they have stopped growing is good advice. Once the leaves start to yellow you may as well lift. Leave them too long and the outside skin can split. If it does the cloves a still OK but the garlic bulb does not look so good.