It sounds like you got a good yield considering your source. I've never used perlite as a soil amendment, so I don't know about that; but I do know that garlic likes moderately rich soil that drains well. Don't go too heavy on nitrogen-rich fertilizer or you'll get good tops and poor bulbs. I've never fertilized and get excellent results because of good soil prep. And yes, you should definitely try a named variety; the differences are amazing. Cure them in the shade. Garlic is a natural big repellent and unless you have Italian immigrants roaming around (4 or 2 legged ones) I don't think you'll have any pilfering to worry about. Enjoy!

Yes cure them in the shade but they also should be kept dry. So here on the east coast drying under ashelter or in a building is best. Air circulation is important in curing so give them air . You can hang them or put them on a screen even cut them off the stalks and spread them on a screen or stackable trays (like bread trays the bakeries use to bring bread to the stores)
There is a guy in NJ (valley fall farm ) that grows great garlic try him for seed . I got some from him last year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Valley Fall in NJ

Thank you for your responses and the farmer's link. I used perlite b/c it's a square foot garden - supposed to use vermiculite but that's fairly hard to come by, so I opted for perlite. I will add more compost though. But I'm pleased with how well it turned out, considering my concerns about the soil.

Thanks!
Pat

Couple of suggestions. First, ditch the perlite. Even though you're doing sq foot, use compost and skip the other stuff.

Second, I agree that you should use a named variety. Definitely try Inchelium Red.

I must agree with flatlander, Inchelium is great bulb to grow and usually gets good size.

1. What is the average yield for garlic? I had been concerned about my soil being poor - too much perlite & not enough compost. Does a 74% yield confirm this, or is that about to be expected?
i think that is low, i get about 95%+. use compost as suggested.

2. I planted some Christopher Ranch (California) grocery store garlic, and some bulbs I bought from the Agway, variety not specified. Do you think the yield and/or size would be better with one of the named varieties y'all talk about?
you are in nj so growing garlic from the store is not correct, it is from ca or china. named? maybe. i'd stick with hard neck varieties and if you buy at farmers market or health food store or garlic festival look for largest bulbs with large cloves. the larger the clove you plant, the larger the bulb you'll harvest.

3. Should I cure them in sun or shade? Ed's WORD book says full sun in one paragraph, and shade in the next. Are there any insect or animal pests to worry about?
SHADE! never in the sun and as mentioned keep them dry. use a garage or shed, you need air circulation. only worry is if deer walks thru your bed in november or march! i cover mine with fencing so they see it and avoid the bed. i bend about 16" from the 2 ends of a piece of fencing or crw at a 90 degree angle to keep it up off the ground. i put a pail or forked stick in the middle so the whole span is elevated. my bed is 4' X 12'.

tom