Forgotten garlic

Middlebury, VT(Zone 4b)

I just discovered that I had a whole bed of garlic that I forgot to harvest this summer. Unfortunately, they have sprouted and have about 8 inches of new green growth coming up around the original stalk. I’m in zone 4B and we’re having a late Indian summer after a very wet summer. I’m wondering if I could dig up and separate the cloves even though they’ve sprouted and re-plant them. Obviously this might be traumatic to the actively growing garlic, but I might be able to get some usable garlic next year.

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Sedona, United States

Aren't you lucky! The hardest part of growing garlic for me has been how to store it and keep it in good condition during these last few months. Here in hot Arizona mine often dries out and shrivels up before I can plant it. Sounds like Mother Nature has taken very good care of your garlic while you were busy. I would think you should have no problem separating them and planting your sprouts. This is a link to my favorite garlic website. Their info might help you. Happy gardening.
https://harvesting-history.com/9-must-dos-to-grow-garlic-successfully/

Severna Park, MD

I hope you will let us know what you did and how it turned out. My suggestion would have been based on its lifecycle. The next year's crop begins from growth at each clove, so think leaving it alone would end up with crowded stunted plants. So I would dig them, separate and plant as normal. Save those not planted, but since weren't cured before replanting, I assume they won't store well, and wouldn't bet the ranch on how well those planted will do - but guess better than those stored.

Yes, you can still salvage the garlic cloves. Carefully dig up the bulbs, separate the cloves gently, and replant them immediately. Ensure they are planted with the sprouts pointing upwards, and mulch well to protect against winter freezes. With proper care, they should grow into usable garlic next year. If you have a last-minute assignment and don’t know where to turn, https://lastminutewriting.com/assignment is the solution. They helped me complete a challenging assignment in a very short time frame. The paper was well-researched and well-written, and the customer support was excellent. I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of urgent academic help.

This message was edited Jun 19, 2024 9:51 AM

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