[MAK]

I dug up the garlic today and am very happy with it.
What do you find is the best way to look after newly dug garlic?
The bulbs are large and the stalk thick. Although yellow/brown the stalks are still moist.
I have knowcked off the soil and left to dry in the sun.
I will cut the roots off tomorrow.

Should I cut the stalks off and tie up next  OR leave the thick stalks to dry a few more days before stringing up?
Any suggestion on how best to store? Outside or in a darkish dry barn?

[deepinthewoods]

leave them to dry in the sun, dont cut anything off them, the bulbs will swell as they absorb everything back in. (according to GQT last week).
once the stems are dry, tie them up. ive just used the last of last years up and the weather has been so bad my next lot are no where near ready, so lucky you!!

[MAK]

Thanks - so don't cut the roots off then?
planted 22nd December and dug up today. I bought them off a chap from Toulouse who only sold garlic - cheap/kg and we ate half and planted the rest. the bulbs are big with many cloves so I'm a happy bunny.
What about storrage - I hung last years outside under cover but wonder if a dry semie dark barn would be better.

[northfifeduckling]

leave them to dry in the sun,

sorry, that made me laugh out loud 
mine never go that old to store it, I love to cook with it just fresh.

[deepinthewoods]

yes, i did think that, but maks in france so should be ok. just dug around one of mine and there still hardly bulbed up. i need the space for winter brassicas, dont they know that

[Bert]

i need the space for winter brassicas, dont they know that

I'm with you there 100% 

[MAK]

I planted about 90 cloves of violet garlic
http://www.frenchflavour.co.uk/Garlic/violetgarlic.htm

so I have a few Kg of very large heads that will keep us in garlic throughout the year ( one head a week should do). My neighbour got given some yesterday and promptly offered me the hay her son cut with the vintage tractor the other day. I will pack it into a cardboard box then tie it off then lug it back when I have time. So a good "trade" though it was not planned.

[pottsie]

Checked mine today not quite as good as last year and a few have gone to seed, will eat them now wet and see if the others swell. Any ideas why they have gone to seed think it might be the dreadfull weather?
 
Rob.

[MAK]

Too much rain? Break of the seed head and the plants won't pump energy into the seed.
I read that if you over manure you can get thick necks and they can run to seed. BUT - I noticed that none of my books tell me what "well manured soil or free draining soil" actually means. I dug my manure in about October the planted on the 22nd December.
We have had a mist and drizzle all day and it has even penetrated under a hanger and onto the garlic. I gather the longer you leave them in the sun the better they will keep so i hope the forecast of 33 degrees and sun is true.

[northfifeduckling]

I find the ones going to seed are second year's - the ones I forgot to harvest the previous year because the weeds had hidden them...

[Mel]

I picked mine yesterday,it was not as good as last year but a fair crop,some though stayed very tiny for some reason-but it has been flooded.The tiny ones which were of no use to me I broke up and gave to my chickens,they absolutely adore it

[MAK]

I've just put my garlic to bed. They had a day out in the sun today but it's getting dark now and we have overnight storms forecasted. I hope to get them out in the morning and show them bright blue skys. The I will tie them up by the neck and hang them !!!
 
 

[deepinthewoods]

i think the old rule was 3 layers of dry skin on the clove, then tie up.

[Bert]

How do you know when it's ready for digging? I thought you have to wait till the leaves died back. My stuff is still looking very green. Its been in since last October. Am I being stupid again.

[Greenerlife]

How do you know when it's ready for digging? I thought you have to wait till the leaves died back. My stuff is still looking very green. Its been in since last October. Am I being stupid again.

I usually wait for browning and then dig it up.  this year I planted a lot of different types which I carefully labelled, so I would know when planted (some in Oct some in spring) and when to dig them.  sadly, my waterproof pen did not live up to its branding!  monty Don said last week that he was digging some of his up because they had rust like spots and before he said that a lot of his garlic and onions had gone to seed and the took the tops off them so as to concentrate the bulb.  He was leaving the others for another month.