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Brown spots on garlic #775192

Asked October 12, 2021, 11:18 PM EDT

Hi, enclosed is a photo of some of my garlic cloves from this year‘s harvest. The paper is intact the stock is intact the leaves had no problems yet the cloves when mature have these brown spots on them and the paper is dark brown around them. Is this a nematode problem or something in my soil causing the cloves to have the small lumps with grooves that are discolored brown? Marcy

Crow Wing County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for writing. 

The most likely cause is Fusarium blight. http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/bpp/Plant_Clinic/Garlic/Fusarium.pdf

There is divided opinion on eating garlic. Most sites say no but do not have data or research. A large agribusiness consultant in Nova Scotia says no. https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Fact-Sheet-Garlic-Post-Harvest-final.pdf

On the other hand many sites point out that with rare exception fusarium is a disease of plants not humans.  On balance do not eat.

Fusarium lives in the soil.  Do not replant a fusarium susceptible plant (mainly garlic, tomatoes, basil, potatoes) in soil where fusarium has been found for two years. Crop rotation matters. 

Steve Miles  Master Gardener, Hennepin County MN (I answer using human intelligence, not AI) Replied October 13, 2021, 12:32 PM EDT

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