Garlic harvest

[annie8]

Lifted my garlic yesterday as had started to die back and saw the first few signs of what looked like rust. Got a really good harvest this year. Last year i bought bulbs from the garlic farm and plants grew well but the bulbs were really disappointing, they didn’t swell and the plants got rust. Not sure what made the difference this year. I have been careful to make sure they had plenty water and have been giving them regular chicken pellets as fertiliser. Also I planted some of the ‘mono bulbs’ from last year , where the bulbs didn’t split into individual cloves and that seems to have worked. Have put the bulbs in the garage. Not sure how to dry them as last year I had to cut the stems off becUse of the rust. How do others dry theirs? Maybe I could tie them together and hang them? The stems are still quite rigid.

[bramble]

Annie, yes, try to tie them up in a plait and hang them up in shed or somewhere cool and airy.

[ameno]

You can't really plait hardneck varieties (which by the sounds of it is what yours are) as the stems are too rigid.
I usually just dry them somewhere warm and airy then cut the tops off and stick them in an open cardboard box in my kitcen cupboard. Never had a single one rot. Garlic lasts ages as long as you dry it properly. Doesn't really need any special treatment.

[annie8]

It’s a mix of hard neck and soft neck. Might explain why some of the stems are pretty rigid. Would I be better to dry them in the gh or the garage ? if it needs to be airy gh might be better as i ventilate that for my tomatoes. How long do you air them before you store ?

[ameno]

I'd say garage would probably be better, actually.
It will probably be too humid in the greenhouse, despite the ventilation, as all that water in there (both in the soil and in the plants) will increase humidity greatly as it evaporates. It may also be a tad too warm in the greenhouse.

Just dry until the skins are paper dry. In dry weather, a week is usually enough (although it doesn't hurt to leave them longer), in humid conditions, it may take longer.

[halfcut]

You can plait hardneck into softneck by wrapping the softneck around a couple of central stems of hardneck, that's how we do it anyhow. Ours hang in a shed, I wouldn't use a g/h as the humidity is probably a bit high and the sun a bit fierce. For drying, we just spread them on the floor somewhere dry and shady, shed/decking/kitchen floor, doesn't matter where, just don't pile them on top of each other.

[annie8]

Thanks. How long do I need to hang it before I can store?

[Jungle Jane]

I left mine for two weeks drying on metal shelving so air can get all around,try to let the bulbs have a bit of gap between each one,then either hang to store them & cut each one off as you need it,I just cut the stems leaving about an inch & carefully cut the roots off brushing the mud away,then store in a box or basket.

[Mr Bones]

We dry ours like this. This is last years harvest

[Snadger]

We dry ours like this. This is last years harvest

Impressive Mr Bones.

[annie8]

That’s a great set up. Think I’ll end up with a mesh bag in the garage until I can get something better.

[annie8]

Pick up mesh bags in the supermarket. Think they are for fruit and veg so you can reuse them. Just the ticket I reckon and they have a drawstring that I could hang in the garage.

[Mr Bones]

Or tie them together with fishing line

[FireLion]

We dry ours like this.
I must say that process is started to go faster when we set up a good dehumidifier in the room.

[Peteyd]

I have really tried this year to store and preserve as much of my produce as possible. one thing i think i really took from it this year is to not be sentimental or attached to poor quality.

If its damaged or diseased then it isn't going to store particularly well and my impact the rest of the harvest. If i have to throw away 2 knackered bulbs to save the other 20 /30 then so be it.

as a side note, i also have also grown mono garlic this year, something a bit different. it will be interesting to see what its like when used.