The rust was prolific. I’m sure we could have left them to fend for themselves but it felt like a waste of life.  Yesterday, we launched a rescue mission…

I am so glad we did.  We carefully lifted the concrete like ground with a fork and pulled the garlic trying not to touch the spoiled foliage.  We put them straight into a bag.

This problem with Rust is that if you touch the copper coloured blisters they can burst and launch spores into the air to find another host.  As the garlic shared a bed with all of our other alliums, we had to be extra careful.

Surprisingly, the bulbs had already started to form cloves and they weren’t actually all that small either. Once we got them home, we were able to evaluate the damage.  Although the foliage was rust-riden, the bulbs we ok. However, it was still a shock to see how much of the leaves were covered.

This being said, we managed to save 95% of the crop.

They are now happily curing in the sunshine.  Drying out ready for eats!

All we have to do is wait until it’s ready for some epic vegan recipes!