I market garlic to a few chefs so the dry down process is more important to me than curing, since the crop is sold off rather quickly.
I dry outside in the shade on wire racks. The racks are held off the ground and covered loosely with cardboard and then tarped.
It's important to pull the crop during a dry period. If given the chance it is better to dig early during dry conditions rather than later when wet.
The cleaned garlic I keep for myself is cured in a basement room that stays about 65.
The garlic is planted in a couple different locations. Cloves are planted late Sept. thru mid Oct. No supplemental water or food, yet the crop produces consistently year in and year out.
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