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Garlic Seed Selection and Saving Methods and Key Technical Points

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Garlic is propagated by using the bulbs as seed. For seed saving, choose bulbs with thick, sturdy stalks, deep green leaves, a good root system, no pests or diseases, and that are large and plump. At the same time, pay attention to timely harvesting. If the bulbs are harvested too early, the cloves will not be plump or firm, and when planted the following year they will have weak germination vigor, uneven emergence, and leaves that curl into tubes without opening; if harvested too late, the outer skin of the bulbs will split, and many cloves will scatter. The harvest time is generally best 25-30 days after the garlic scapes are harvested. At harvest, the aboveground part should have four or five leaves, the cloves should be countable by hand as raised bumps, and the outer skin should be purplish red. When harvesting garlic bulbs, you must

Garlic is propagated by using the bulbs as seed. For seed saving, choose bulbs with thick, sturdy stalks, deep green leaves, a good root system, no pests or diseases, and that are large and plump. At the same time, pay attention to timely harvesting. If the bulbs are harvested too early, the cloves will not be plump or firm, and when planted the following year they will have weak germination vigor, uneven emergence, and leaves that curl into tubes without opening; if harvested too late, the outer skin of the bulbs will split, and many cloves will scatter. The harvest time is generally best 25-30 days after the garlic scapes are harvested. At harvest, the aboveground part should have four or five leaves, the cloves should be countable by hand as raised bumps, and the outer skin should be purplish red. When harvesting garlic bulbs, you must dig about 9 cm away from the garlic seedlings; after digging, hold the base of the garlic stalk with one hand and lift them one by one to reduce knife damage and ensure the bulbs are intact. After the bulbs are lifted, promptly remove the soil, trim off the garlic stem ends and fibrous roots, and spread them in place to dry for 2-3 days, strictly preventing rain from blackening them. The harvested bulbs can be stored using the following methods. 1. Hanging storage method: after the garlic bulbs are harvested, first spread them in rows on the ground, then cover the previous row of garlic bulbs with the next row; when the leaves become soft and yellow, tie the bulbs into bundles with rope, 30-40 per bundle, and hang them in a ventilated place to air-dry or hang them above a heated kang to smoke-dry. 2. Pile storage method: after the garlic bulbs are harvested, tie them into bundles of 50-100 each, stand them upright on the drying yard to air-dry for 7-10 days, then pile the garlic on the yard. When piling, note that the stems and leaves face inward and the bulbs face outward. After 3-5 days, open the garlic pile to ventilate and air the garlic, then pile it up again in the evening to avoid rain and rot. After about 7 days, ventilate it a second time, then transport it indoors to a ventilated place and stack it up. However, note that after harvest the garlic still has a very high moisture content and must not be put into plastic bags or gunny sacks, to prevent mold under high humidity.

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