garlic bolted

My garlic seems to continually bolt and I have no idea what to do.

The bulbs are teeny, often the size of the clove that was planted but the leaves are nearly 3ft high.

Outer leaves are starting to go brown and the tips of the biggest leaves are starting to go brown - i know that has something to do with when they are getting ready to harvest.

I have never tried growing garlic, have no idea what im doing and have pretty much left them to their own.

They've been subjected to the awfully wet and windy weather we've had the past 6 weeks and extremes of hot and cold.

I did read a very indepth website about growing garlic but it was too much to take in...

Any simplistic advice for a novice?

thank you

 

Sounds like they are ready to harvest but not good that the bulbs are tiny. I don't really know what's wrong to be honest but I planted mine in the Autumn and they are doing very well. Did it that way the year before too and they survived our horrible winters.

Could it be the type of garlic bulb I wonder? I got mine from Dobies.

 

Those flower heads from "bolting" are called scapes and should be cut off to direct all the plant's energy to bulb production. The scapes can be eaten (I eat all of mine). Appearance of scapes is not a sign the garlic is ready to lift. I cut my scapes off about a week ago.

I don't know what size my bulbs are, but the leaf tips got to 48" above ground level this year, and yes bits are going brown, etc., but I reckon on another two months before they will be ready for harvesting, as they're probably only starting to put on weight down below at the moment.

Be patient, some really great garlic in the UK is grown in Scotland by the really garlicky company. Having said that some of my spring planted garlic failed this year for the first time ever http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/allotments-discussion/31234-garlic.html

What variety are you growing by the way?

 

I cant remember the name of it, silver something perhaps? I will have the label somewhere. It was a french type meant to be easy to grow.

I dont have any flowers yet its just 3ft of leaves - does that mean they havent bolted? (i assumed that was when the leaves shot up real fast). I read about eating the flowery bits and my chef partner is now waiting for them to appear...

 

It seems as if they haven't bolted and even if they have that would probably be nothing to worry about (apart from just how to eat the flowering stems!).



They sound as if they're quite healthy and should be left to be getting on with putting on some growth below ground, and only checking when the top growth starts to go yellowy.

If you've planted loads, you can always pick them slightly early as 'green garlick', but if left until the tops have died right down the cloves can start separating and splitting through the bulb wrapper and won't last for as long as possible.

Think I've got around 3 - 400 this year, both planted like this (that's a 600mm high fence around that extends 150mm below top of raised bed height to give an indication of plant height).



in small isolated beds filled with 'clean' soil so I can be reasonably certain they won't get white rot and can be re-used as 'seed garlic' + in open beds for general culinary use.

 

Moopants, when did you plant the cloves? Also, if there is no flower head forming, then the plants HAVEN`T bolted.