Never Wash Garlic Bulbs After Harvest.

Just a quick reminder.  Washing garlic after it’s harvested may seem like a quick way to clean it up, but it’s a big mistake if you want to store your garlic long-term. When you wash garlic, you add unnecessary moisture to the bulb, creating ideal conditions for mold, rot, and disease that will drastically shorten the shelf life of your garlic. Washing also softens the papery skins that protect the cloves, increasing their vulnerability to pests and decay.   Instead, embrace the natural curing process. After harvest, hang your garlic bulbs with the stems and roots intact in a dry, airy space for about a month. As it cures, the garlic will naturally dry, and the skins will toughen, preserving the garlic inside. Once cured, you’ll find that the dried roots and soil easily brush off, leaving you with a bulb that’s ready for storage.  Curing is key to preserving flavor and quality. By skipping the wash, you allow garlic’s natural defenses to strengthen, protecting your harvest for months to come.

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Introduction.​

Before planting garlic cloves into the ground, we soak garlic cloves in two solutions  - that provide two important benefits. If you’ve never done this before and have grown beautiful garlic, that is great news!  I offer this suggestion to you, and ask that you be open-minded to this garden tip, as it can prevent a tragedy in your garlic patch, and, it has the potential to help you grow even more exceptional garlic 

 

There are many options for "soaking" garlic prior to planting,  Here are a few statements from other garlic growers:

 

Wisconsin Garlic Farmer: "We soak our garlic cloves in gin, vodka, or a similar alcohol about an hour before planting.  It seems to kill off mold and other stuff.  We want to protect them from pests and diseases."

Ohio Garlic Farmer: "We submerge our cloves in rubbing alcohol for 3-5 minutes to penetrate the clove covers and eliminate any mites lurking inside. We give them a good rinse with water, then plant the cloves 3-4 inches deep."

Montana Garlic Grower: "We treat our cloves by soaking them in a hydrogen peroxide and water solution for 15 minutes before planting them.  Three parts water, one part (3%) Hydrogen Peroxide.  We often see bubbles forming on the surface of the bowl.  We then rinse with fresh water and plant the cloves".

Minnesota Garlic Grower: "We've traditionally soaked our seed garlic in a solution combining isopropyl alcohol, water, and/or hydrogen peroxide to safeguard against pests and diseases.  Over the past few years, we've adopted a 12- 24-hour soak in a solution containing 2% soap and 2% mineral oil, which also seems effective against dry bulb mites."

North Dakota Gardner:  "Whenever we purchase garlic from another garlic grower / farmer, we always soak the seed garlic (individual cloves) in hydrogen peroxide and water for about a half-hour.  After rinsing, we plant.  It is okay if the skins around the cloves come off during soaking.  No problem at all."

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Garlic is Susceptible to Disease!​

Garlic has sulfurous compounds that defend it against many pests and many strains of fungi and bacteria.  The plants use their strong, stinky sulfur compounds, which are released when garlic is crushed or bitten.  Though, Garlic isn't immune to everything.

 

There are biological enemies which suggest that garlic isn't all that tough after all.  Despite garlic's sulfur compounds, garlic is susceptible to diseases.   Most of the threats can be controlled by good garden practices such as removing and destroying plants that look sick, avoiding too much watering (and subsequent soggy soil), and planting only healthy unblemished cloves.  Crop rotation -- changing the planting location also helps prevent the spread of viruses and fungi.   

 

There are Benefits of soaking garlic cloves, such as:

• • Increased germination rate

  • Larger, healthier cloves

  • Reduced risk of disease

  • Improved flavor

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One of the most prevalent issues with both Garlic and Onions is Bulb Mites (Aceria tulipae, Rhizoglyphus spp.).  Two genera of mites are known to infect species of Allium. The dry bulb mite (Aceria tulipae) is an eriophyid mite that survives on cultivated Allium species.  These little bugs need to eat too.  They are part of the life cycle here on earth.   In the garlic field, mites feed mainly on the roots and basal plate. In storage, the mites move into the garlic bulb, where their feeding activity causes sunken tan to brown spots to form on cloves. Desiccation may occur. Soft rot bacteria or fungi may also be present.

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Garlic Soaking 101.

Soaking garlic cloves prior to planting has the potential to provide two important benefits.  Soaking the cloves in a 2% soap, 2% mineral solution, in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, or in an alcohol solution has the potential to kill any mites or little critters living on the surface of the cloves.  This first soak, cloves are submerged to destroy any mold, bacteria or other bad things that could survive the long, cold winter, and play mischief and create chaos in your garlic patch, next spring.   This short, first soak, acts as an antiseptic, capable of destroying tiny mites hiding in the cloves, fungal diseases, and microbes (or at least prevent or inhibit their growth). It doesn't get the garlic drunk.

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PRO TIP 1: Soak seed garlic (cloves) for 24 hours in 2% soap (not detergent) and 2% mineral oil prior to planting. This is effective against dry bulb mite (Aceria tulipae) is an eriophyid mite that survives on cultivated Allium species.

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PRO TIP 2: Soak seed garlic (cloves) for 15-30 minutes in a solution of three (3) parts water, (1) part 3% hydrogen peroxide.  Rinse with fresh water and plant the cloves, pointy-side up.

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The Power of Oxidation.  Another Option.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) works by releasing oxygen (O₂). This oxygen disrupts the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, effectively killing them. It's important to note that hydrogen peroxide's effectiveness is concentration-dependent. A diluted solution (typically 3%) is best for pre-soaking garlic cloves.  This is a short soak of 15 minutes or less.

Soaking for Success : Hydrogen Peroxide Recipe

1. Separate the cloves: Break apart the garlic bulb and gently separate the individual cloves.

2. Mix one (1) cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide into a gallon of tap water (1 cup or 8 fluid ounces = 237 ml). We have used up to two (2) cups of hydrogen peroxide in a solution with a gallon of water as well.

3. Submerge the cloves (seed garlic) in the solution (individual garlic cloves, not the entire garlic bulb) for about 15 minutes. Soaking for any longer may damage the cloves. You will likely observe tiny bubbles forming on the cloves. It is perfectly fine if the skins on the cloves come off.

4. Remove the cloves from the solution and rinse with cold water.

5. Air-dry: After soaking, remove the cloves and spread them on a clean paper towel in a cool, well-ventilated area.

6. Plant the cloves 2 to 3 inches deep, pointy side up, with 6" spacing.

7. Option: Add 1 teaspoon (up to a tablespoon) of 91% rubbing alcohol to the solution prior to soaking.

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Optional Second Soak​

To potentially infuses the garlic cloves with "nutrients" to give them a head start in the fall.  This second soak is in a solution of water, organic fish fertilizer and/or liquid seaweed fertilizer, and baking soda. The soak time is for about 12-24 hours, just before planting.  This treatment has the potential to infuse, the garlic cloves with a boost of essential nutrients.  It's like a fertilizer marinade, for the benefit of the garlic. The garlic will store this added energy and nutrients until spring.   The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) acts as an inhibitor.  Baking soda is considered a "significant killer" of bacterial suspensions and has been shown to significantly decrease the number of viable bacterial cells.   This mixture provides a nutritional boost for our garlic and acts as an effective at killing bacteria and mold that might be hidden on the garlic cloves.  

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Fish emulsion fertilizer is made from whole fish and carcass products, including heads, eyes, bones, scales, and skin. This product is processed to remove oils, and the liquid that remains after processing is fish emulsion. After straining out solids, sulfuric acid is added to lower the pH, preventing microbes from growing. A common fish emulsion is: Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 . Liquid seaweed fertilizer is an alternative to fish emulsion. Liquid seaweed fertilizer is a concentrated formula containing nitrogen and nutrients. Most seaweed-based fertilizers are made from kelp, a variety of seaweed that can grow to lengths of over 40 meters. Trace elements found in organic seaweed fertilizers include magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and nitrogen—all of which are beneficial to garlic. Nitrogen, for instance, is essential to the production of nitrate, a key component needed by plants during photosynthesis.

 

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