Garlic harvest questions

[muddled]

Hello folks, I have a couple of questions about my garlic harvest.

I grew hardneck and softneck garlic overwinter. They both did okay, have been harvested and air dried and the best bulbs have been plaited to store.

I seem to remember that hardneck doesn't keep as long and should be used up first. Is that right?

Some bulbs of both varieties are split or have odd 'cloves' on the side. I know to use these first but how should they be stored in the meantime?

And finally, when choosing the ones to replant in October...do I need to choose the best, tightest, biggest bulbs for planting? Those lovely ones that look so good plaited up? Or can I use the wonky ones since I do believe it was the dodgy weather, rather than gene quality that made them so.

Thanks in advance..xx

[roitelet]

I would just go for the biggest cloves for replanting. When you buy seed garlic you only plant the big cloves from the outside of the bulb.

[muddled]

Do you?
I must confess I'm far too mean....I plant every single clove..no matter how tiny, working on the basis that "you never know your luck"

[Bal]

Do you?
I must confess I'm far too mean....I plant every single clove..no matter how tiny, working on the basis that "you never know your luck"

Me too (I just hate it when it says the post is too short)

[roitelet]

We eat the middle cloves!!!!!! Nothing wasted.

[muddled]

Aah! I see now,
so rather than save a number of whole bulbs to plant, you take the bigger cloves from lots....and eat the rest.

Simple really....isn't it funny? I do things a certain way for years without ever considering it fully. Then you realise (with a little help from your friends) that there's been an easier/better way all along.
It's like when VC said to squash toilet roll tubes to make them square....simple but life changing