Spring planted garlic

I planted garlic 11th March and in due course they started sprouting and the leaves are now quite tall. I am not expecting them to be ready until late Summer, but I notice the outer leaves are already going yellow and drying off. The ones in the centre are still green. As I make sure they never dry out I dont think this is a 'watering related' thing. I have never grown it before and have no experience as to what it should look like , could it be that this is normal for the stage it is at?
Thank you
Blue

 

Anyone?

 

Thank you. Yes, they are at least 2 inches deep. Perhaps I need to feed them

 

Well, mine are drying out too, I just assumed this was normal. John Harrison says "Keep weed free but otherwise do nothing unless the spring or summer are dry, in which case water."

 

Ah I see....... maybe nothing to panic about then. It's just that when you've not grown it before you dont know quite what to expect :thmb:

 

I planted some garlic in the Autumn (!) and I think it is growing well. How do I know when it is ready to pull up? Do I just guess and go for August or something?

 

I used to farm garlic. I would dig the bulbs out before the tops died back in august, otherwise you couldn't find the bulbs without diging the whole field over.

Try scraping some soil back from one of the bulbs to check for onion white rot, a white fungus, if you get that, then it will turn the bulbs to mush & you wont be able to grow any onion family on that ground for 10 years.

Remember, its a mediterranian crop so don't overwater, just dont let them dry out completely.

 

I think we're all at odds here.
I usually plant my garlic in Oct - Nov and expect it to be ready around late June / july.

BlueRoses, once your garlic leaves are yelowing they are ready - and they don't get "more ready".
I've never grown garlic spring sown, but I'm sure it's alll the same stuff.
I would leave the garlic til the leaves are dying down - but i wouldn't leave it too long or it will start going to seed.
If the leaves are yellow beyond feeding and watering then I would have them up and drying off.
Take one up and see what is there.
Spring sown garlic may not divide into cloves, but even if it is one big bulb it's perfectly edible.
Let us know how you get on.

 

Thank you Alice. It doesnt seem to have been in long enough to be ready but I will scrape the soil away and have a look. Its just the outer leaves that are drying off, the central ones are still forming and green.

 

The outside leaves going yellow wont be a problem if you've checked for onion white rot, it's just part of the bulb forming process.

 

im glad u posted this blueroses. im having an identical problem. and ive never grown them before either. i will dig back the soil (theyre in pots) and check them for rot

 

Ok great. Let us know what you find :thumb:

 

i had a rudementary dig yesterday but they're a long way down and couldnt find them! will have another go.