# Hanging Garlic



## didaho (Jan 22, 2008)

Hi all

Just pulled about 60 heads of garlic and will pull the rest in 2 weeks.

Does anyone have pictures of how they hang their garlic?

I usually just tie them up with yarn and hang them, but would like some other ideas.

I wanted to braid them but can't seem to get the knack of that.
Thanks


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## TurnerHill (Jun 8, 2009)

Don't have any pictures. Usually bundle in bunches of 6 (this is hard-neck) and hang from nails on the shed rafters.

Never braided, don't see how that would work with hard-neck, which is all I grow.


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## didaho (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks TurnerHill

I have both hard and soft necked.


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## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I do about 300 heads of elephant garlic every year. I just tie one garlic to another via their own leaves and put them directly over the rafters. Its so humid here I usually direct a fan onto the heads for the first couple of weeks to make sure they dry and dont mold.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

We lay ours on big, flat bread racks instead of hanging them. I lay them like shingles, in a single or double layer with the bulbs facing me and working back. The racks go into the garage where it's warm and shady and they can dry down. Since I braid most of ours, this works really well for me -- I can pull out the bulbs I need for each braid without undoing a whole bunch.

We raise almost 5,000, both soft and hard necked varieties.

The thing to remember about braiding is that the initial 3 have to be secured, either by tying them with something or wrapping one stem back and around the others to secure them. New bulbs are added to the group of stems who are going to be pulled aside as the next step, so as to lock that bulb in place. 

I know that's not a very good explanation, sorry. I had a booklet (not at hand at the moment) that described the process in great detail, by a woman named Diane Trenhail (or something close to that). It might still be available.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Here's a how-to site, with pictures. 

http://www.bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

Way cool, Txsteader!


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## didaho (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks so much everyone.
Knew I could count on you all


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Jillis said:


> Way cool, Txsteader!


Glad to be of help. Fact is, I needed the info myself awhile back, for braiding onions & I'm the type of person that needs visual aids.


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## garliclady (Aug 14, 2008)

We hang our softnecks for braiding later. We tie eight -ten together half way up the leaf stalk and hang the bunches over tobacco sticks put about ten bunches on a stick the hang the stick in the rafters.
Hardnecks we cut off the head right after harvest then put in stacking trays


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

I set mine out on the porch ofr a few days to heat some moisture out then braid- mix hard with soft neck can sometiems get the hardneck to participate a bit- then hang the braid on a nail in the kitchen which is AC so dryer than outside.


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## didaho (Jan 22, 2008)

Well I got about 60 heads drying now. I still have about 70 in the garden.
This weekend I will give it a shot braiding.

http://s250.photobucket.com/albums/gg252/dmoser84/th_someofmygarlicpulled.jpg

http://s250.photobucket.com/albums/gg252/dmoser84/th_dryinggarlic.jpg

Will pull the rest next month sometime

Thanks all


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

We eat the heads fresh, usually by making pesto or in stir fry. Those are the umbels at the top of the scapes. The bulbs, still attached to their stems, are tied about 4" to 6" apart with baler twine approximately at the center of balance per each plant, both hardneck and softneck. 10-15 per string and then hung from the rafters of an old granary. We'll be doing that in 5 more days at www.wegrowgarlic.com

Martin


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I have Elephant Garlic and a variety of Garlic that has a curled "scape." A friend of mine planted a variety called, "Rutka" that looks similar. Once I have dried the garlic, what would be the best way to preserve it? I am in Zone 8b, the PNW, where the humidity is high. I had read the best temps are below 55 and above 40 w/humidity at 50%. Not sure how I could accomplish that... How do you store your garlic?


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Awesome website Martin.


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## kjmatson (Jul 22, 2008)

Great site Martin!!!! I have a sneaky suspicion that "Martin's Heirloom" in their catalog came from someone we know. lol.


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## dogrunner (Mar 2, 2009)

I just dug up my first garlic haed ever! I have about 150 in the bed. This one looks great, bulb is well divided and everything seems fine. Except that the paper shin is only developed about halfway down the bulb. Is the skin the last thing to develope? I do think I am a couple weeks earlier than I was planning on harvest and am wondering if these last 2-3 weeks will see the skin develope fully? Thanks all.


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## didaho (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks Martin

That is where I bought my garlic. It turned out wonderful.
Am keeping back about 10 of the biggest heads for re-planting.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

kjmatson said:


> Great site Martin!!!! I have a sneaky suspicion that "Martin's Heirloom" in their catalog came from someone we know. lol.


You think so, eh? It's challenged Music for size the past few years but I've come up with one which will beat them both. That's Red Estonian which has been reported at 4" from one of the few whom we've shared it with so far. Still very limited supply and we're the only ones who have it.

Martin


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