Tips on growing garlic

Not grown garlic before as only learnt quite recently that most varieties of Garlic are very hardy and actually grows well in Scotland remarkably! Just had delivered c/o Van Meuwen a Lautrec Wight Bulb (cost me nothing thanks to their great offer a few weeks ago). My main veg patch is free draining as sort of raised (too complicated to explain!) but it's still pretty full of Carrots which ok won't be there for much longer but the rest of the area is stuffed with Leeks and Parsnips which will be in situ for ages yet.
Would I be best to plant up the individual cloves in pots and store in the green house to plant out when space becomes available, not plant until after I've lifted the remaining Carrots by say the end of October or plant the cloves permanently in a big tub which could stay in my unheated greenhouse over winter? Not sure what's most vital, good drainage or sun? Where the Carrots are isn't the sunniest spot in the garden but if I planted the cloves in the tub they would get loads of sun. Sure someone will be able to advise as to the best option. Also presume best to avoid ground which has had either Onions or Leeks growing in it this season? Last, my ground is pretty acidic, will a good handful or so of Growmore be enough to satisfy Garlic? as I read somewhere I think that they like alkali conditions, plus have plenty of rotted manure which the likes of Leeks really benefit from, yes or no for garlic to get a dose? Sorry for all the questions but want to try and get some success!

 

I have grown garlic using multi purpose compost, in pots, in the greenhouse over winter and just moved the pots outdoors the following spring, in fact I have had more success growing garlic this way than leaving them in the ground outside over winter or planting in spring. If you do this make sure that the pots are free draining and that the compost is kept moist but not soaking.
If you are going to plant the bulbs outside the ground should be prepared with plenty of compost or rotted manure dug in, if you haven't done this it will probably be too late for this year. As you say, avoid ground that has just grown onions/leeks.
Give the indoor pot method a try, you could be surprised.

 

I wouldn't normally plant garlic out till october, but you'll have colder winter up there so the greenhouse sounds a good bet. It makes root growth over winter so it's ready to go in the spring.

The more alkaline the better Wouldn't hurt to dig some manure in, but it's not essential with garlic.

You're right to not grow them where other onion family have been too

 

Garlic grows fine further north in Scotland than you are, see https://www.reallygarlicky.co.uk/ I don't know what variety you've ordered, but I've always understood that hardneck garlic grows best your way. Manure can be put on top as a mulch for the worms to take down.

I've only tried starting them in pots once (when my plot was waterlogged in spring) and had a very poor crop plus some cloves took a second year to bulb up, but that was Spring planting garlic. Perhaps try starting 50:50 in pots/open ground?

 

Thanks all you really are great with your advice. Books/internet are all very well but hearing straight from the proverbial is so much more useful. I'm going to do a mixture of 50% in the big pot and 50% in a flowerbed. I've bought Lautrec Wight @Scrungee which I believe is a hard neck variety. Great tip @shiney as I have a few gaps in a South facing shrub bed which will do nicely! I grow quite a few ornamental Alliums in this area and they do well so being of a related family? hopefully I'll have the family reeking of garlic next year. By doing this I will find out which method is more successful. Very impressed with the bulb I got. VERY nice and hard with 12 really good sized cloves and 3 smaller ones. Presuming I have success and grow something decent, can I then keep a few cloves and replant them fo the following season or am I best to buy new again?

 

Yes, but keep monitoring closely for signs of disease. I have the dreaded White Rot in some areas and it can spread on tools, boots, etc., or even composted kitchen scraps.

Not obvious to Mrs Scrungee who can't understand why I keep giving her the smallest, tattiest Garlic for cooking and pop most of the best stuff back in the ground.

 

Planted up the first of mine today from VM. I put most of mine in roottrainers then plant out into containers in spring.
The only problem this year is ive got 104 elephant garlic and about 120 garlic to find containers for