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Old May 14, 2017   #50
bower
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,793
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We had some soaking rains close to harvest time last year, and for sure it made for problems. Some plants had yellow streaks on inside instead of outside leaves drying down. I pulled the ones that didn't look right, there were mites on some and also I found one or two plants with that pink fusarium. I ended up pulling my crop sooner than I would have, out of panic that the problems would spread - and it was interesting, the bigger and more mature bulbs were mostly the worst affected.

I did the same thing at the farm, was told to inspect and pull anything that didn't look right. Sure enough there were one or two with the pink fusarium.

Afaik or understand from just a few years growing garlic, it is normal for this climate anyway, that you may find one or two bad ones in any bed, and you pull them and dispose well away from the cultivated area. A wet year you may find some mites in the patch as well. Since the problems are present all around in a low level way, rotation is important because the next year you would have more of the pest or disease developing in that place the second time around.

I have done an experiment in reconditioning a bed last fall instead of rotating, though, because of having a bunch of Spanish Roja seed garlic laid on me after planting at the farm, and nowhere else to put them. There weren't any pest/disease in that bed afaik, so we'll see, if that strategy backfires or not.

Pulling early was a good strategy for me, as the impact was only on the wrappers. I didn't lose more than a clove or two to pest damage or disease, although I did peel slice and dry the worst affected to make garlic powder instead of storing. The others cured well and no sign of pest in storage. The fusarium bulb I left to cure in isolation was not even damaged - only the wrappers were pink. No good for planting, but you still may salvage some eating.

I haven't seen the stipple spot, it seems to be a mystery?
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