Harvesting Hard Neck Snake Garlic

**Durgan** · 08-12-2009, 10:23 PM

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZDEZV 12 August 2009 Harvesting Hard Neck Snake Garlic.
Due to being away the harvest is about a month late. Late harvest means the bulb splits the clovers away from the normal protective sheath. Only a few bulbs indicate this condition. These will be used first, and the others dried for about ten days for Winter storage. The weight was 31 pounds for 92 bulbs. Average weight, dug, is about 0.33 pounds per bulb.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicS Garlic Summary 2009

**frugalfranny** · 08-13-2009, 12:03 AM

Welcome back durgan........missed you and your pics.

That is one heck of a lot of garlic! Do you use it all?

**Ceashels** · 08-13-2009, 08:04 AM

Welcome back!

How do you store it for long term without it drying out?

**Durgan** · 08-13-2009, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

Welcome back!

How do you store it for long term without it drying out?

The garlic bulbs are thoroughly dried after harvest, and the protective envelope basically keeps the garlic adequately for about a year. I simply store in paper bags in the basement, which is only slightly cooler than in the kitchen. It is far too much garlic for our own use. I give a lot away to connoisseurs.

Garlic grows so well here and takes little room so I grow it mostly for the pleasure of seeing how large the bulbs can get. The largest cloves will be saved for seed for this October planting. There are 6 to 8 cloves for each bulb, so I use about 20 bulbs for seed, eating the smaller cloves in each bulb. The bulbs are separated into cloves just before planting.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-14-2009, 12:43 PM

Holy cow! That's a loooot of garlic.

I agree, welcome back.

How much room do you actually need for that? I'm looking for something to fit in the side garden with the prizehead lettuce (which grew absolutely fantastically this year) and the green onions.

**Durgan** · 08-14-2009, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by MomToTwoBoys

Holy cow! That's a loooot of garlic.

I agree, welcome back.

How much room do you actually need for that? I'm looking for something to fit in the side garden with the prizehead lettuce (which grew absolutely fantastically this year) and the green onions.

It is possible to grow a lot of garlic in a small area. Spacing is about four to six inches between plants. garlic is low maintenance. Plant in the Fall about October in Zone 5.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-14-2009, 07:42 PM

That would actually be perfect for the spot between my green onions and prizehead lettuce. I had about 9 inches left to use, so I might give it a shot.