Garlic rotting during curing

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

I harvested my garlic 3-4 weeks ago . A little over 400 total. While I was harvesting I noticed some (10-20%) of the hardnecks no longer had a 'hard neck' extending down into the bulb. The false stem appeared to have rotted away. All of these bulbs without the hard stem are now rotting during the curing process so yesterday while trimming and cleaning some of the garlic I have had to throw several away. The plants that still have the hard stem are curing normally and look good.

Thinking back to while the garlic was scaping there were several that the scapes rotted on the plant while they were growing out. We had A LOT of rain during April, May, and early June so I am thinking that too much moisture got down into the stem causing the rotting of the stem and scape prior to harvest and the rotting continued in these bulbs during curing. The rotting seems to have affected a higher percentage of the largest plants/bulbs like Estonia Red and Siberian which is unfortunate because I have had to cull several 3" bulbs.

Is anyone having similar problems this year due to all of the rain?

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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
Original Author

11 years ago

Never had this happen before. I did cull a couple dozen at harvest that showed rot of the basal plate, but these bulbs did not appear to have any sign of rot other than the missing stem but I guess live a learn. I did go thru the remaining garlic that I have not trimmed and culled anything that did not have a hard neck.

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Comments (7)

RedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
11 years ago
Garlic rot is always a problem in the Northeast. Our farmers had very bad harvest last year. Not sure about this year. The only thing we can do is to get good drainage. But it is very limited for the farmers to do.
OldDutch (Zone 4 MN)
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sounds like you are likely to see some of this most years. We have had quite a bit of rain around here lately, too, but so far I have had no problems with rot. (knock on wood) I keep my own stock to plant back every year now; so in your place I think I would have culled questionable bulbs right at harvest, keeping the good bulbs quite separate, and used what could be salvaged from the questionable ones, if anything, for powder. You might want to consider culling rot earlier and discarding the rotten ones in the garbage.

I do not grow Estonia Red, but I do have Siberian and mine is still nice and erect and healthy looking with all the hardnecks still intact. I think my Music and Siberian may have a couple of weeks to go yet.
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Peter (6b SE NY)
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
A lot of my garlic had a white fluffy mold. Hopefully not the dreaded white rot.... I will not be planting alliums in that spot again. The garlic is going in a sandy bed. It is just finishing curing now, we'll see how it looks.
bcomplx
11 years ago
That is an unusual problem, though I've wondered in the past about the hardnecks with wimpy yellow scapes. When I start seeing those, I stop cutting scapes -- just let the plants keep them.

Yesterday while doing some trimming I ran across one head with maggots in one clove, but the rest of the bulb was fine for cooking. You sure they all deserve to be pitched?
kristincarol
11 years ago
Rust, rust and more rust--been a bad couple of years for us in NoCal. Not seeing that it will improve what w/climate change and warmer temps.
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
Original Author
11 years ago
bcomplex

This was a first for me with the yellowing scapes but also a first for not having to water anything as yet this season (but that is coming to an end this week with lots of 90+ heat and little rain in the forecast). The neckless bulbs appeared OK at harvest but then I just bundled them up, hung them in my shed, turned on the fan and really did not pay attention to them for a couple weeks. When I first went to inspect how they were curing I noticed a few that were showing some rot and softness and by then they were too far gone to be of use even for dehydrating.

Most types did OK but the largest bulbs with the thickest necks were most of the casualties. I did manage to save at least of few of each type. Still have about 300+ that look good. I think I am going to cut down on total planted by about 1/2 next year.