Will this affect the bulbs in storage if left on, or hould I remove all signs of rust?
The other question - is it safe to compost the leaves, or should I get rid of them?
It's quite a good harvest
and I don't want to risk losing any.Rusty Garlic
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
-
goldilox
- KG Regular
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:16 pm
- Location: Le Gers, SW France
- Contact:
Have just harvested my garlic and cleaned up the bulbs ready for drying. I've removed the worst affected leaves but the upper leaves still have some rust on them.
Will this affect the bulbs in storage if left on, or hould I remove all signs of rust?
The other question - is it safe to compost the leaves, or should I get rid of them?
It's quite a good harvest and I don't want to risk losing any.
Will this affect the bulbs in storage if left on, or hould I remove all signs of rust?
The other question - is it safe to compost the leaves, or should I get rid of them?
It's quite a good harvest
and I don't want to risk losing any.-
cevenol jardin
- KG Regular
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Cevennes Mountains, France
- Contact:
goldilox there's a few blogs out there talking about Galrlic Rust which might help here's one
http://toads.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/garlic-rust-attack/
http://toads.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/garlic-rust-attack/
Getting closer to the land www.masdudiable.com
-
goldilox
- KG Regular
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:16 pm
- Location: Le Gers, SW France
- Contact:
Thanks for that Cevenol. Will give that a try next year, hopefully before the rust appears.
My garlic seems to be drying nicely, despite the weather we've had lately, so I'm not really worried about the rust affecting the keeping qualities now.
Also decided not to risk composting the affected leaves and have sealed them in a bin liner ready for the next bonfire.
Another thing I might try next year is spraying with a calendula solution as it's anti-fungal (is rust a fungal disease?) I've got loads of calendula in the garden so not a problem.
My garlic seems to be drying nicely, despite the weather we've had lately, so I'm not really worried about the rust affecting the keeping qualities now.
Also decided not to risk composting the affected leaves and have sealed them in a bin liner ready for the next bonfire.
Another thing I might try next year is spraying with a calendula solution as it's anti-fungal (is rust a fungal disease?) I've got loads of calendula in the garden so not a problem.
-
sally wright
- KG Regular
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:32 pm
- Location: Cambridge
Dear Goldilox,
don't worry too much about rust as it is a pest of the leaves not the bulbs. It might make you cough and splutter a bit if you clean them up in a confined space. Make sure that any leeks are planted as far away from the garlic spot as possible as it IS leek rust after all. Also remove any groundsel near your plot as the rust also affects this and the plants may reinfect your next crop.
The garlic is ready for harvesting if you can squeeze the stem almost flat between your fingers. When you have rust I find this is the best way to tell if it is dry enough to dig up.
Regards Sally Wright.
don't worry too much about rust as it is a pest of the leaves not the bulbs. It might make you cough and splutter a bit if you clean them up in a confined space. Make sure that any leeks are planted as far away from the garlic spot as possible as it IS leek rust after all. Also remove any groundsel near your plot as the rust also affects this and the plants may reinfect your next crop.
The garlic is ready for harvesting if you can squeeze the stem almost flat between your fingers. When you have rust I find this is the best way to tell if it is dry enough to dig up.
Regards Sally Wright.
Hi Sally,
What sound advice. Sadly quite a few of our organic contributors and others do not realise how important it is to keep their plot weed free of Groundsel.
What is so strange is that it is so easily pulled or better still hoed out at an earlier stage.
JB.
What sound advice. Sadly quite a few of our organic contributors and others do not realise how important it is to keep their plot weed free of Groundsel.
What is so strange is that it is so easily pulled or better still hoed out at an earlier stage.
JB.
-
goldilox
- KG Regular
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:16 pm
- Location: Le Gers, SW France
- Contact:
Hi Sally and Johnboy,
Didn't know about the link with groundsel, have just had a look around the edge of the garden and, yes, we have groundsel. It doesn't seem to have rust though. Will spend some time pulling them out over the next few days as I don't want the leeks getting it.
Happily, the garlic is a good size and now almost dry. Just a few more days in the sun should do it
Thanks for advice,
Chris
Didn't know about the link with groundsel, have just had a look around the edge of the garden and, yes, we have groundsel. It doesn't seem to have rust though. Will spend some time pulling them out over the next few days as I don't want the leeks getting it.
Happily, the garlic is a good size and now almost dry. Just a few more days in the sun should do it
Thanks for advice,
Chris
Another garlic question....
I grew purple wight last year and had a good harvest from them. They kept really well in a cool brick garage right up until earlier this year. I've now read they are not a keeping variety. Should I not have stored them? Is it dangerous to do so? (!!) I've now got lots again which I've just harvested. Just wondering why they aren't a storing variety when mine kept very well last year.
Thanks,
June
I grew purple wight last year and had a good harvest from them. They kept really well in a cool brick garage right up until earlier this year. I've now read they are not a keeping variety. Should I not have stored them? Is it dangerous to do so? (!!) I've now got lots again which I've just harvested. Just wondering why they aren't a storing variety when mine kept very well last year.
Thanks,
June
Hi June,
I don't quite understand what you mean by a non storing variety. To my way of thinking it would not be worth growing if you cannot store it.
You are living proof that it stores. The question is how did you get it in the first place? The answer is that it was stored!
I feel that you were successful last year and see no reason why it should be any different this year.
JB.
I don't quite understand what you mean by a non storing variety. To my way of thinking it would not be worth growing if you cannot store it.
You are living proof that it stores. The question is how did you get it in the first place? The answer is that it was stored!
I feel that you were successful last year and see no reason why it should be any different this year.
JB.
If I'm right, the purple wight is 'Early' purple wight and one that is best started in the Autumn. The 'not storing' bit just means that the Autumn planted ones don't always store as well as the ones which are recommended to be planted in Spring. Last Autumn I got 2 varieties from the Garlic Farm - Autumn and Spring planting. So I'll see if there's any difference in their keeping qualities.
--------------
Granny
--------------
Granny
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5581
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 134 times
Not sure if it came from here or elsewhere but my wife found out from somewhere that contrary to normal storage of things garlic stores better warm than cold. Guess it is related to needing a period of cold to start into growth. She plaits ours and then it is hung up on the chimney breast beside the Aga. We grow Marco over winter and are still using last year's and the fresh is just starting to die down.