Mouldy Garlic?

[cuffbertt]

I've just received some Solent Wight in the post and just started splitting it into cloves so that I could plant them this afternoon. As I pulled one bulb apart there was a puff of white dust and I noticed that the base of the bulb and cloves inside is all mouldy and soft.

I have some photos, but they're pretty gross looking so I haven't posted them up. I can do though if it makes a difference. The cloves have small white things growing out of them too which I originally took to be roots, but now I'm not so sure...

My instinct is that this is definitely not right and that it should go nowhere near my beds, but before I email the supplier I wanted to check that I'm right? This is my first year properly trying to grow veg and I don't want to email them and then find out they are fine. I have a habit of over thinking and worrying about things.

[hamamelis]

Yeah, garlic shouldn't be mouldy or soft.

The white things may be roots, as they can start growing them despite part of the clove being rotten, but they're very unlikely to form decent plants if there's rot in the clove.

[Scarlet]

Where did you get them from? Were they fresh/in date?
I have onion rot on my plot...I’m sure it was brought in by garlic so I wouldn’t plant it.

Can you post the photos? It will help......I’m sure it won’t offend

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

No! I wouldn't plant them either!

Once you introduce decease weather it be soil born or not, it will take an age to get rid of!

[cuffbertt]

Thanks all, good to know I was right for once I'll email them and see what they say, hopefully they can send me some replacement non-mankey garlic pretty soon as I'm planting them a bit later than I planned to lol.

I don't want to say too much about where I got them from in case it's a one off genuine mistake, I don't want to put people off buying from there as I've heard good things about them so far. All I'll say that their second name is a big black bird

Here's the photo. It looks much more disgusting when it's viewed with a macro lens

[veggiechicken]

That's appalling!! Send them an email with the photos ..............I'm still puzzling over the big black bird.

EDIT - Got it - I think of "them" as a "her".

[cariann88]

I'd email the supplier with photos of the garlic. I once had some garlic that I bought online sent to me and when I opened the box the garlic was mouldy.

[Snadger]

I think white rot on garlic usually has a black sooty covering.Strange that aint it!

[cuffbertt]

I've emailed them and sent a copy of the photo, so hopefully they'll sort it pretty quickly. Not sure I really want more garlic from there now though if there's a risk of introducing disease to my raised beds (so far unused since I built them!). Guess I'll just have to check the new bulbs thoroughly before I plant them!

I've heard some people soak their cloves in rubbing alcohol before planting, what does this do? Is it something I should consider?

Thanks all!

[Dalrimple]

Cuffbert iv'e never heard of that ! it must get em off to a fast start ! I finish up rubbing my knees affter iv;e been planting ! sorry i'll get my coat . Dal

[Tripmeup]

That looks terrible
Looks more like a mouldy lasagne than garlic..
The cloves you plant should be firm and healthy looking with no signs of growth, softness or colouring...

[Mr Bones]

I've heard some people soak their cloves in rubbing alcohol before planting, what does this do? Is it something I should consider?

Thanks all!

I've dipped onions and garlic in malt vinegar prior to planting as a safeguard against fungal infection. I've also dipped elephant garlic in vinegar prior to storage. All cloves dipped were separated first and none had roots or shoots at the time.
When I was first introduced to dipping in vinegar I didn't think the bulb/clove could survive, but they do.

[Dalrimple]

Mr B do you think lemo juice diluted with water would do the same ? atb Dal

[cuffbertt]

So I got a reply from their customer service on the Monday, and the replacement garlic arrived on Wednesday, which is pretty good going. However, one of the replacement bulbs has mould on the bottom as well, so I'm about ready to give up lol.

I probably have enough non-mouldy cloves out of all of the bulbs they've sent me, so I'm tempted to just plant those. Do you think there's any issues with planting non-mouldy cloves that have been stored with the mouldy ones? I don't know if this will introduce disease into my beds?

[Snadger]

So I got a reply from their customer service on the Monday, and the replacement garlic arrived on Wednesday, which is pretty good going. However, one of the replacement bulbs has mould on the bottom as well, so I'm about ready to give up lol.

I probably have enough non-mouldy cloves out of all of the bulbs they've sent me, so I'm tempted to just plant those. Do you think there's any issues with planting non-mouldy cloves that have been stored with the mouldy ones? I don't know if this will introduce disease into my beds?

Just rinse and rub them with a baby wipe and that should clean off any mould spores.

The firm you are dealing with must have non-gardening staff if they replaced mouldy garlic with more mouldy garlic!