Sunday Gardening News! Harvesting Garlic and Potatoes!

These aren't my garlics but look a lot like them!
yesterday, I harvested the garlic. We look to have about 12-15 lbs. for the winter, I am so excited.
Back at the old LATOC forum, I think it was member Arabi that said about garlic, "Plant on the Winter Solstice, harvest on the Summer Solstice."
I took that advice and it has worked well here. It also helps me remember when to do things, I need a date to go by. Like planting my potato onions on my dad's birthday.

This year, I was a bit late harvesting but no harm seems to have been done. Some of the soft necks seemed to have been oppressed by the excessive rains we had the past week but are drying out nicely in the tobacco barn.
Running a bit late now. A big storm came up and I had to beat a hasty retreat inside to finish writing this post.
Hub came out and helped me gather up the onions I'd pulled yesterday too so now they're in the barn too.
Yesterday, I also harvested about 300 lbs. of Red Pontiac potatoes. That's about half of what's in the ground. They too are in the tobacco barn in the neighbor's little wagon.
Yesterday was bright, sunny and breezy. A good day for harvesting things like potatoes and garlic.
It's best I think to use a flat tined fork. Just push the fork into the ground about 8-10 inches from the potato plant and pry back on it, lifting the plant. Hold onto the plant stems, or what's left of them, and flip it over. Your potatoes are now topside and ready to gather. Gently, so as not to skin them up too bad, place them onto your tarp and allow to dry for several hours turning now and then till they are nice and dry. Then get the neighbor to pull the little wagon out to the potatoes and load them up and put the wagon in the barn. LOL
Seriously, you'll want to put them in a well ventilated, dark place.
I didn't have bags or containers for these yet so they will be fine hanging out in the barn for a few days till I get something to put them all in.

Here's a couple links I found that have some good info and a source for bags.
Harvesting Potatoes
hessian or burlap sacks

Here's some info on garlic.
This is an overview of the porceline garlics.
Porcelain garlics (Hardnecks)

sorry this post is going to be short, I have to run and pump some water.