We harvested on July 15th last year. We don't use it until it has dried for a couple of months. Then we hang them in net bags and put identifying tags on the bags. They lasted well storing them in the cool cellar at that temp (60F). There was only a hint of one variety beginning to sprout just in the last few weeks. But they are all finished this week
We don't compost anything from the garlic. That goes out in the trash and we rotate the beds each year.
One of the things we use this for (almost every day : ) is to make a dressing. Chop up a clove really fine and add a small quantity of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. It's superb on fresh or cooked kale (and yes we grow a lot of kale and swiss chard too) or stirred into a bowl of freshly cooked white beans. These varieties we are growing have a wonderful flavour and don't leave a strong garlic after taste in your mouth.
Here's the Dan's Russian drying in the shade from last year and the photo below is taken this morning ... it's only just light here (6 am) so the image quality is not great, but you can at least see the stage that the garlic is at.
