[NigelB]

Hi folks.
After what i thought had been a great result for my first time growing non-supermarket Garlic, I kept back the biggest and best-looking bulbs to re-plant for next year's crop.

So today I decided to inspect the bulbs as I'm getting the veg plot ready for winter Brassicas and Calabrese, and noticed the bulbs seemed to be somewhat shrunken inside the paper-like outer skins.
Opening them, I found the bulbs had mostly gone soft and almost translucent from the base upwards. They also give off a rather pervasive and sickly scent I can smell even now after washing and scrubbing my hands.
These bulbs were first sun-dried for a day or two, then rested in an open shed, (relatively cool but airy), for a month or two, then brought into the house for the last month before today's inspection.

The only thing I noticed about the garlic a few days after cropping was that, when one was opened, there were a few tiny white maggots on one or two bulbs. I don't know if that is relevant, but if anyone knows what's affecting them, and how to avoid it in the future, I'd be very grateful.

[Salmo]

I presume that these are onion fly maggots and the damage they have done has let in the rot.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingonions1.shtml

[Trillium]

It sounds like you cured the garlic properly though. A shame you missed the maggots. Now you'll know for next year unfortunately.

[PAULW]

I had mine out drying for a couple of weeks making sure the necks had shrunk down tight, anything with a thick neck was used, you may have had some that had gone/going to seed which will take the rest of the bulb with it when the seed stem rots.