Has anyone grown garlic successfully

[keat63]

I've tried for years to grow garlic and always fail to yield decent results.

I've never bought one though, of the ones I've tried to grow, i've always taken from the supermarket.
I even brought a huge one back from Greece once in the hope that I might get something.

It always grows, but the resulting cloves are dissapointing., never getting much bigger than say a 2p coin.

I'm assuming that some varieties are more suited to UK conditions than others.
Has anyone had good success and if so, any particular varaiety ?

I spotted one in my LGC yesterday, but didn't buy it, knowing what my past results have been like.

[Thelma Sanders]

I grow Early Purple Wight and Solent Wight, bred to succeed in the UK.
After buying seeds the first year, I now save and replant individual cloves I've grown. You do need to feed them well, if you want them to grow big, and get them planted asap, if you do decide to try again this year.

[greenishfing]

I grow decent garlic, some years better than others. I buy the sets, meant for growing in the uk every fourth year on the advice of, I think, Monty Don. The other years I replant my own. I think he said that starting anew every 4 years reduces the chance of disease.

[SarrissUK]

I have grown both from supermarket garlic, and from bought sets. The bought sets always do better for me, and I feed them all copiously.

[annie8]

There will be people who manage to grow garlic from supermarket bulbs but I think buying garlic from a proper supplier will give you a much better chance of success. I am growing Carcassonne wight and Picardy wight from the Garlic Farm this year. Planted them at the start of November, some in the greenhouse and most outside innraised beds. All growing well so far. You can go for spring planting types if you want to give it a go.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I've grown Solent Wight many times with great success. Shop bought cannot compare tastewise. A few of those who have already posted have indicated that feeding is important and I totally agree. Garlic is an allium and alliums are gross feeders so a well dug bed with loads of fym is essential. Don't be alarmed if you see a seed head developing. That comes from the original clove and if you think of shop bought with a hard stalk in the centre, that hard stalk is the stem of the seed head

[Thelma Sanders]

The garlic seed heads aka scapes, if you cut them off - are a treat in a stir fry, so nothing is wasted

[Snadger]

I have had varying success with garlic. About once every four years I seem to get a decent crop.
I have some Solent growing now which appear to be doing ok though. After reading this thread I may give them some chicken poo pellets to perk them up a bit

[the big lebowski]

I have grown both from supermarket garlic, and from bought sets. The bought sets always do better for me, and I feed them all copiously.

what do you feed them ?

[Mr Bones]

As others have said, feed with chicken pellets, liquid seaweed, compost tea, FYM etc. We're always trying different varieties but some of the best have been from self saved bulbs that are now going into their fourth generation (the idea is they'll aclimatise to local conditions but it'll be interesting to see if Monty's theory comes into play).
Ours are planted mid to late October, there's a couple of photos here on an earlier thread
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...lic_93851.html

[Teds Mum]

I think planting time is the key for success with garlic. Autumn planting gives them more time to establish so they can make full use of the growing season.

[annie8]

I agree. Also Ted’s mum I adore your profile picture. Lurcher I assume? What kind of cross is he?

[Greenleaves]

I was once told that you feed Aliums the same way you feed brassicas. AP will probably be able to confirm or deny this

[Teds Mum]

Lurcher , yes, we aren't sure what mix as he came to us from a rescue centre, he's very tall though, probably some deer hound in there somewhere!

[annie8]

Might well be with that face. Saluki too maybe based on the markings. We have a lurcher - 3/4 deerhound 1/4 bearded collie. Our last dog was a rescue lurcher so we never knew what she was but probably deerhound, greyhound and saluki.