How should I cure and store garlic so it does not sprout and shrink quickly?

Garlic stores well only if it is cured properly first and then kept cool, dry and ventilated. After harvest, cure the bulbs by drying them with tops on in shade with good airflow for a couple of weeks until the outer skins and necks are fully dry and papery; skipping curing is the main reason garlic rots or shrinks fast. Once cured, trim and grade, discarding any soft, damaged or diseased bulbs that would spoil the lot. Store the dry, cured bulbs in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, hung in bunches or in mesh or net bags so air moves around them, never in closed plastic that traps moisture and causes rot. Shrinkage comes mainly from moisture loss in warm, dry air, and sprouting is triggered by the wrong temperature and humidity in storage. Keeping garlic in a steady cool, airy spot slows both. For longer commercial storage, controlled conditions or cold storage designed for garlic hold it best, but on-farm a shaded, ventilated structure is the practical option. Storage-type varieties also keep much longer than soft early types, so variety choice matters. Verify curing time and storage conditions for your variety with your KVK or horticulture office.