Garlic

[Plot70]

I will consult me catering expert on this issue.
We have had a batch go bad in the past and blamed it on fake olive oil.

[mhrfm]

Am starting to worry about my garlic. Planted in October and growing well but looks a bit puny. Last year same thing happened and the bulbs were pretty small. When in the growing cycle do the bulbs swell up? Have been watering them in all this dry weather and giving feeds with chicken pellets.

How do you know it’s puny? How long should the leaves be? Is that an indicator?

[toomanytommytoes]

How do you know it’s puny? How long should the leaves be? Is that an indicator?

The hight of the plant and the thickness of the stem. Haven't measured them but I'd estimate mine are 50cm high and the stem a couple of centimetres thick. If you're extra curious you can also scratch back the soil at the base to have a peek at the bulb.

[toomanytommytoes]

Am starting to worry about my garlic. Planted in October and growing well but looks a bit puny. Last year same thing happened and the bulbs were pretty small. When in the growing cycle do the bulbs swell up? Have been watering them in all this dry weather and giving feeds with chicken pellets.

What size were the seed cloves you planted? There's a noticeable difference between the bulbs produced by big vs. small seed cloves. After planting I mulch with compost, coffee grounds and sometimes leaves, then in spring with grass clippings. Don't really have to water them at all and they pretty much take care of themselves until harvest.

[annie8]

They are reasonably tall but stems are quite slim.Basically was all cloves from last year. Some were the mono bulb where it failed to split but mostly just cloves from my old crop.

[toomanytommytoes]

If they're small at harvest time this year too it may be worth starting with new, larger seed cloves in the autumn.