woody garlic?

[SelkirkAlex]

garlic is one thing that always grows well for me.

some of this harvest is a bit odd though, the cloves have gone hard and woody.

autumn planting garlic, for health reasons didn't get around to planting it out last year, instead started it off in modules in a cold polytunnel then planted them in spring.

seemed to grow fine, good looking particularly large cloves, a bit of purple tinge, was actually chuffed, then I tried to cook with it. tastes ok but hard, woody

have put it in olive oil to see if that can salvage it, worst bet I get some smelly compost and some garlic oil.

I am baffled though as to why, all I can think is that it was starting to go to seed?

[fishpond]

Are the cloves from garlic you have grown before?

[SelkirkAlex]

nope was bought in provence wight

[Zelenina]

Can you post some photos of the problematic cloves, Alex?

Going to seed isn't likely to be the problem. If it was a hardneck variety it would be normal for it to put up a hard stem, called a scape, from the centre of each bulb. But instead of producing flowers and seeds it produces bulbils which can grow into new plants. This doesn't affect the quality of the cloves.

People often cut off the scapes (they are good to eat) on the theory that it will make the bulb bigger, but I read about a trial by an American garlic grower who found they did slightly better if the scapes were left on them.

But Provence Wight is a softneck variety and they don't usually grow scapes. Although I have had some that made short hard stems with a few bulbils in the neck. This also didn't affect the clove quality.

My garlics usually only go woody if I've stored them too long. But Provence Wight are supposed to be storable until January so that shouldn't be the problem. Could you have cured or stored them at too high a temperature, or in too dry conditions?

Another possibility is a storage disease or pest. Infestation with the dry bulb mite in particular, which can cause just a few brown streaks or patches, or general discolouration and premature drying of the whole clove, often with secondary infections by various fungi. So it would be good to check whether your cloves are discoloured in any way underneath their skins. Not just the worst, most woody ones, as other seemingly healthy ones might have a mild infection. Post some photos here if you can.

You can find some pictures and a slideshow of garlic storage diseases here.
Diseases of Garlic | OSU Plant Clinic
Do yours look like any of those?:

[SelkirkAlex]

garlic

I am baffled (not that that is hard to do)

smells ok, the skin seems thicker/tougher than usual, but then they were only lifted in september, everything else seems good, well formed cloves, no blemishes or marks,

did notice it had a short hard scape thought this strain was a soft neck

[Scarlet]

They look fine, are you sure they just aren't a bit tough to mince because they are still very fresh?

As for storing garlic in oil, please beware that it will only last a few days especially if left at room temperature. There is a botulism risk.

[SelkirkAlex]

thanks for the warning, I have always kept some garlic cloves in oil in the kitchen, these aren't just a bit tough, they are hard to the bite

[rary]

I can't give an answer to why this has happened or what could cause it but rather than composting it I would steep the garlic to make a garlic spray

[SelkirkAlex]

if oil is out I will mince it and add vinegar for cooking

[Scarlet]

I keep mine in vinegar for months (hmm, years if Im honest) if you use a good quality white wine vinegar it's not only good in cooking but fantastic in salad dressings.

[fishpond]

Sorry, I haven't got a clue.
Thought it may be lack of water, but we have had more than our fair share down here, so I assume you have had lots up there.

[Zelenina]

I am baffled (not that that is hard to do)

smells ok, the skin seems thicker/tougher than usual, but then they were only lifted in september, everything else seems good, well formed cloves, no blemishes or marks,

did notice it had a short hard scape thought this strain was a soft neck

Those cloves look fine so I'm baffled too. Although September seems very late for harvesting garlic that was started in the Autumn, so maybe that's the cause.

Softneck varieties do sometimes form a short hard scape when grown under stressful conditions, often with a few bulbils which can be planted.

[SelkirkAlex]

preserving garlic

http://http://www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com/2014/05/preserved-garlic-in-extra-virgin-olive.html


found this recipe for preserving garlic that isn't as potentially lethal as what I was doing

[Zelenina]

I was looking at your alliums in the Virtual veg show, Alex, (a fine onion, and I agree about Longor shallots, they did well for me this year too), and I'm almost certain that your garlic problem is due to harvesting them too late. I can see that the wrapper around the bulb has almost disintegrated and the cloves are separating.

I harvest mine much earlier, although some varieties take a bit longer than others. The best time is when the bottom leaves have yellowed and died away but there are still at least two or three green leaves left. Because the base of the leaves forms the wrappers around the bulb. You can then peel off the outer dirty wrapper and have a nice, cleanly wrapped bulb that will store well.

Plus an empty garlic bed that you can grow another crop in.

[SelkirkAlex]

thanks zelenina, I suffer from the typical newbie affliction, if it seems ok then leave it in the ground as long as possible in case it grows, the idea that mature is enough, longer is just looking for trouble or the impossible whichever comes first, like those red onions, nice but should have been dried and stored at least a month ago