rust on garlic

[peanuts]

I always keep  a bulb of the previous year's garlic to re-sow in the autumn.  This year it has looked very very good and healthy, until about a week ago when they have developed what I assume is rust.  Never seen it before.  The leaves are turning brown, but whether because they are now ripe, or because of the rust, I don't know! 
I've just dug up one to have a look.  The bulb is the biggest I've ever grown.  The neck is still very thick.  (I don't know what sort of garlic- thick neck or the other sort).
Would it be wisest to dig them all up now and dry them off above ground, or to leave them in the ground?  Is the rust going to affect to bulbs?  Thanks for any advice.

[peanuts]

[artichoke]

On my site every single garlic plant on every plot has rust this year. They look miserable, but underground they seem fine. Mine are the sort that flower (hardneck) but some have fallen over, so I have been pulling them. Don't know if this is the best idea, but they should be standing upright.

I have also pulled those that have no functioning leaves at all, on the grounds they cannot grow any more, and again they are a reasonable size and unblemished.

I cannot recommend Elephant Garlic too highly - such a treat to dig up a few (as I have done recently because they are in the wrong place) and watch people's jaws drop. Lovely mild flavour when thrown into casseroles.

[telboy]

Riddled with rust this year Peanuts. Must expose the bulbs to get the (sun  >:) to ripen them!
Here's hoping.

[goodlife]

Yes..mine finally got the rust too.. ::) This year it is all down to the wet weather.
Once the tops have gone brown..with or without rust..all you can do is get them up as soon as possible and get them to dry.. ::) I'm hoping a gap in a weather..even few hours would be lovely and I shall lift mine up..get them on bread trays and keep them under cover in polytunnel where they WILL dry in few weeks.. ::)
Once dry I tidy the bulbs up and they will happily store for long while.
Rust doesn't effect the 'finished product'..but all the dead foliage need to be cleaned off once dry reducing the chance of storing the spores for next year.

[peanuts]

Thanks very much for advice.  We are in for a dry period now, so I will lift them tomorrow and dry them out in our (shhhh!) warm sunshine.

[strawberry1]

I lifted my very rusty garlic yesterday and it is really good. Would you advise getting new bulbs for next season?

[Ninnyscrops.]

Rusted garlic leaves that had a quick shimmy to remove the dried ones.



Garlic heads that need a quick fluff up on the roots to get rid of the dried soil before hanging.

This is not my main crop, but hubby's "vampire planting" around the plot last year.  ;D

Ninny

[strawberry1]

I put a trellis on top of a ladder and my garlic is now hanging upside down. I took several leaves off leaving half a stem and washed the bulbs and cut the roots, as I wasn`t going to store it hence the massacre but I have changed my mind. All the bulbs are a good size and some are outstanding, so I am going to replant it again. This time I will put sulphate of potash down first and I will space them out better but they are so worth keeping going. They are jolimont and re-planted ones at that

[gwynnethmary]

This is my first year at garlic, and I dug one up today that looks like real garlic!  I tried a couple of weeks back and it just looked straight so I guessed they weren't ready then.  The leaves are very rusty but still mainly green.  Should I leave them in longer to get fatter?

[pigeonseed]

I'm not sure, but I always think when they start to be less leafy, they're storing energy in their bulb and closing down, so I usually wait till then.

A few of mine had started to look finished, but when I dug them up they were still very underdeveloped and a bit rotten on the outside - not white rot, just soggy, soggy weather rot.   :(

[gwynnethmary]

Have just watched Monty Don dig his up, but they are much bigger than mine.  He seemed to be saying that if they look fine, leave them, but if they have rust, get them up and use them fresh if they're not hard enough to store.  It's all a bit confusing!

[manicscousers]

We dug ours up, stripped the leaves and froze them  :)

[green lily]

I really am p'#ssed off with the rust this year. I planted beautiful big cloves last Oct and they've really come to nothing. I'm still using last years massive crop but I shan't keep any of this lot. Now where can one buy garlic that hasn't been wrecked by the weather etc? Spain??? Think I shall get my next batch from the greengrocer..... >:(

[strawberry1]

we have started eating some of ours, 4 bulbs so far and they are utterly gorgeous in a mix of roasted veggies. I don`t think I have ever tasted anything like it but I have never used green garlic, always going down the dried route. I have now doubled the amount I plan to grow this autumn but I will be sticking to jolimont plus a personal try of belle italiano.

Re preserving: I have two excellent methods if normal drying is not going to work.

Whizz lots of cloves in olive oil and freeze immediately, it can easily be scooped for cookinG
Slice and dehydrate

[claybasket]

I have rust on my garlic also,we dug one up to see what it looked like,it was a good big bulb Ive got about hundred planted i would like to know how to pickle them ,these were bulbs brought from Turkey last September.

[Alex133]

Mine always have rust and the bulbs are always fine - don't worry about it too much.

[BarriedaleNick]

You can spray with a baking soda mix..1 gallon water, 1Tbsp baking soda, 2.5 Tbsp vegetable oil  - spary every day for several days in a row should help to keep it at bay.

[caroline7758]

Mine have rust too- they always do. I dug up those with yellow leaves but have left the ones with green leaves even though they have rust as some of them don't seem to have formed proper cloves yet, although they are a decent size. Should I lift them anyway?

[irridium]

i thought that it was only best to lift them when the leaves have yellowed/died down (usually early/mid-July) , and only on dry days so that the bulb have more chance of drying out better than on wet days...

I've lifted a couple and most have okish bulb sizes, not hugely big, but fine. one or two out of 6 have just been singles, so that makes me believe that there is still time for them to develop. with them all covered in rust and most have almost yellowed or leaves dying off, shall i lift them all (I've about 80 of both hard and softneck varieties).

[strawberry1]

I am hygienic with my plot and remove any diseased plants but what is the point when neighbours on both sides just leave their rusty garlic and leeks to rot 

The rust really has not affected the bulbs at all tbh and maybe planting these next year will build up some immunity. I live in hope