Market Farming

[Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>]

Martin wrote:
> This spring I grew one of my best garlic crops ever.  I had mulched it over
> winter, kept good moisture in the soil despite the relatively dry
> conditions, and it sized up really nice.  As far as I can tell, I harvested
> it at the right stage and cured it properly, keeping it in the coolest and
> dryest spot I could provide in the airy loft of an old outbuilding.


Sounds like you processed it correctly.

> Yet
> when I brought it out of storage recently I notice many of the bulbs have
> shrunken sides and, when opened, have cloves that are soft and deteriorating
> to a shriveled state.

Send it to whoever analyzes plant material (here's it's the Penn State 
Plant Pathology office) and find out what disease you have.  Depending on 
what it is, your stock or your soil is carrying it.  If you bought the seed 
stock from someone, don't buy from them again. If it was your stock, make 
sure that you don't plant any bulb that isn't rock-hard --even one bad 
clove in a head can contaminate the entire head.  If it is a soil problem, 
plant your garlic in a different place (depending on what the disease is).

Good luck!  Disease is the only real problem in growing garlic, but when it 
hits, it can hit bad!

Dorene




Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460