Q: Garlic Heads Turned Brown
Friday, June 26th, 2009Customer Email - PVFS staff response.
Question:
Hi everyone at Peaceful Valley –
I’ve grown your wonderful Music hardneck garlic for a few years but this year most of my heads have turned brown, although they did grow scapes, and upon pulling them up they smell funny and have no roots! Wonder what is going on. Any ideas?
No sign of rodent or insects.
Would like to hear from you in this regard. – No hurry.
Many thanks.
Answer:
Hi Judy,
Two possibilities came to mind when reading about your garlic. Could they have been standing in water for an extended period? The forming bulb may have had enough energy to produce a scape before it rotted.
The other possibility is that a soil born disease affected your garlic. Have you been rotating your garlic crop? Most garlic growers use a minimum 3-year rotation. Did you use saved seed-garlic?
Hope my questions help,
