[brownrexx]

I keep my garlic heads in open, wooden baskets in my basement which has a concrete floor and a pretty even temperature around 55 degrees. I keep the baskets up off of the floor to prevent dampness.

Last year my hardnecks lasted about 10 months before they started sprouting.

I think that curing the bulbs properly before storage helps a lot too.

I have never had a virus in my garlic bed but I have read about them and they can persist in the soil for years and affect subsequent crops so I really like to be careful not to get one started. That is why I like to buy from a reputable supplier who sells certified garlic. After the initial purchase I grow my own garlic from that stock. I am an organic grower and I bought organic garlic from getgarlic.

I read a post on a forum from one person who sold her garlic at a Farmer's Market and she knew that she had a virus in her patch. She said "the buyers are supposed to eat it, not grow it, and the virus is not harmful to humans"

I was appalled that she was so uncaring of others and it made me see that not everyone abides by the same standards.