Garlic

I have noticed a number of threads on Garlic, and it appears autumn is best time to plant ..

Not being aware of this I missed out .. Could I still plant and get any reasonable results ? (possibably in my raised beds )

Dave

 

Yes, but later than others..how much later I'm not sure.

I have some in modules in the greenhouse that I put in around 10 days ago that are just starting to sprout.

Steve...

 

I was planning on doing the same thingas you steve, putting into modules to sprout ( I seen Carol Klein do it the other day on TV). I wasnt sure about the dates to do this.

When will you be planting out steve?

We got ours from poundland who have only recently got their garlic bulbs in stock... though I wouldnt depend on poundland for reliable planting dates :WINK1:

 

Morning Steve

I had wondered if I could cheat and plant some in modules I'll give it a try and report wether I'm successful .

Dave

 

I believe doing it this way as opposed to Autumn planting that our eventual harvest bulbs will be smaller...but we will get a harvest. I start my onions this way too (from sets). Both will be planted out mid to late May, some earlier in my polytunnel.

Steve...

 

If you plant Winter (Autumn) Garlic then it needs a period of cold weather to form its cloves - otherwise you'll just get a single pingpong ball type object.

Alternatively plant Spring Garlic (but not juts yet) for this year. It won't keep as well.

Supermarket garlic is (usually) from a country with a different climate, so not really suitable for planting in the UK, but if you get some "proper" UK garlic then you can keep and replant your own cloves next Autumn

 

From: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/AdviceSearch/Profile.aspx?pid=677

"Softneck garlic (Allium sativum) generally produces smaller, more tightly-packet cloves;

Does not produce flower stalks unless stressed
It is best harvested when the foliage starts going over
It has better storage qualities than hardneck varieties
If autumn planted it will keep until mid- to late-winter
If planted in early spring softneck varieties it can be stored until mid-spring" (although mine
generally last a fair bit longer than that)

Bought some softneck today to plant shortly & extend my usage period as I've only got autumn planted garlic in that will ripen (and go off) earlier.

 

I planted that Spring garlic (Vigor, a softneck) shortly afterwards (prob mid-Feb) and it has failed for the first time in around 20 years. The tops started to die down weeks ago, so I had a dig around underneath them today and they've turned into 'rounds':



I also planted some garlic (Music, a hardneck) left over from autumn planting/over winter eating (and was about to go soft) shortly after that, and it's thriving, not as much as that planted last year (Christo & Germidour, softnecks and Music, a hardneck which has reached 47" high), but still very acceptable:



The raised beds I grow them in (for well draining soil and isolation from white rot) were all kept watered during the dry weather. Deliberately planting garlic late to purposely produce rounds is a technique for obtaining larger cloves the following year by re-planting the rounds in the autumn - but I got them in early.

I can only put it down to the funny weather.

Any other ideas?

 

Can you still use the rounds as you would garlic bulbs in food?

Mine don't seem to be doing much in the way of developing bulbs so I've just left them for now in case its me being impatient.

The tall leaves are starting to brown/yellow and there is no sign of flowers appearing... I would hate to think it had been a complete failure as its my first year growing garlic.

 

I've got quite a few rounds too this season, from an autumn planting.

 

My garlic is not very good either from November planting .

 

Lots of my late autumn planted garlic is now going yellowish, meaning it will be ready soon and weeks earlier than normal (but not as early as Golfer's garlic).

 

I've planted my garlic and onions in Autumn for two years running now and last years harvest was excellent, this year my onions are nearly ready and garlic not far off. Thinking of that harsh winter we had last year they have done well. So I will order and plant more out this autumn too.

 

I think my garlic is probably a disaster.
I went to check on them and the tops have largely disappeared.
*sighs*