Garlic bulbs not fully formed.

[wayneyquo]

Can someone in the know please tell me what cause the garlic bulb to not fully form?

I lifted a couple of garlic bulbs the other day to check on progress and one bulb was not fully wrapped.
There was a section were you could see the cloves inside.
What causes this please?
I know that you should use these bulbs straight away or as wet garlic as they don't store but I would like to know what the problem is for future use.

Can anyone please help !!!

[Thelma Sanders]

Did you lose the loose outside as you lifted it? I can't think of a reason not to have a thin outside wrapper - if the garlic has cloved then it's grown ok

[zazen999]

a cold winter
a cold spring
who knows without seeing we can't tell you...

[wayneyquo]

I lifted them carefully but the bulb in question was not fully wrapped all the way around. a section was open are I could see the cloves inside. I'm wondering if I either lifted too early or too late.

Did you lose the loose outside as you lifted it? I can't think of a reason not to have a thin outside wrapper - if the garlic has cloved then it's grown ok

[veggiechicken]

My garlic is nowhere near ready to lift - just saying

[zazen999]

I lifted them carefully but the bulb in question was not fully wrapped all the way around. a section was open are I could see the cloves inside. I'm wondering if I either lifted too early or too late.

Yeah there is a reason for that.

They are fine.

[bojangles]

I've got a couple more weeks on mine saying that I've notiched tonight some have got rust on them. Now would it be best to dig up now or to wait??

[jacob]

My appear to a finished 3-4 weeks earlier than normal. The hard necks have flopped like onions (helped by a very breezy day) which has never happened before. I feared disease, but dug one out to find a perfect bulb.

To answer the OP, not outer paper is more likely to be too late than too soon.

[SarzWix]

Not sure if you were going for emphasis, or just playing with the settings, but that first post comes across remarkably like you're shouting...

As to your question, yes, probably slightly too long in the ground. However, I get some like this every year but they still store okay. Just dry them out as normal and then use those first, but no rush.

[wayneyquo]

Very sorry but I was not shouting. Just paying with the settings. Thanks for the advice though

[snakeshack]

I usually get a couple like this every year,I use them first and don't save them for replanting,little does the OHknow she only gets the worst of the crop for the kitchen,I save the best for next years seed garlic