Topic: Salvaging from my screw-up

[ThomsonAS]

Today I lifted my garlic and elephant garlic about a month later than I should have. (OK, I was on holiday for two weeks but this was entirely my fault).  Most had started to split from bulbs to cloves.  Is there anything I can do to salvage anything from the crop (freezing, drying, processing)?  Can I use cloves for next year - and if so, how to store until re-sowing?
All advice welcome.

[Plot22]

I would not set them for next year as the recommendation is that you split the bulbs immediately before planting. You can however freeze as much as you want. I suffer from white rot particularly on garlic but it does not seem to effect the elephant. I set 58 elephant last year and only lost a couple whereas the softneck I lost at least 60% but I managed to freeze 80% of those. I would not risk the softneck to set come October but may well set 100 plus elephant.  I generally set 200 to 250 each year and no we seldom suffer from colds but beating white rot is a major problem. I seem to have got topside of it on my onion bed but garlic is a bit of a challenge.

[Tee Gee]

Most had started to split from bulbs to cloves.  This can be quite common but shouldn't be a problem

Is there anything I can do to salvage anything from the crop (freezing, drying, processing)?

Yes! You can use all three of the methods you suggest! In such cases, I would store the cloves in string bags and hang them up as you would do with strung up bulbs.

Can I use cloves for next year - and if so, how to store until re-sowing?

 Yes! See link below

This is how I grow Garlic (with pictures)

https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/G/Garlic/Garlic.htm