Very Rusty Garlic!

[forkinweeds]

Hello!

We planted out garlic back in November I think and for about the last month they've had rust. When I went up to the lottie yesterday they looked really yellow and rusty. We did try to pull one up about 3 weeks ago to see what was occurring... the bulb was just round and stubby and hadn't separated into cloves yet. This is the third year that we've grown garlic and each year we seem to get rust, but this is the worst year so far.

We're growing Purple Solent Wights for the first time and bought the bulbs from a very well know garlic suppliers and grown in a different place every year.

Does anyone know why we would get rust and how we can prevent it, or stop it getting worse?

Many thanks and happy growing!

[Cloud]

Dont know how to prevent rust as my Solent White has it.The probale reason it has not split into cloves is that garlic needs cold harsh winters to split and we had a very mild winter.

[jacob marley]

I lifted 2 rows of Solent early wight last week that had got rust on the garlic is fine apart from the rust next to it on the plot is 2 rows of Elephant Garlic that is not affected so what is the answer jacob marley

[Tam]

Leek rust - Frequently Asked Questions - topical advice

This gives a description of the disease - I've only had it once, on onions, but as they say in the article, it did not appear to affect the crop ( if I remember rightly)

[lainey lou]

thanks for that Tam, have been wondering about my rusty garlic, glad it's not just me and that it shouldn't effect our crop! BTW anyone know when we should be harvesting our garlic?

[MrsBond]

I have had a slight rust on my garlic for the past couple of weeks.

We too planted last year, probably October, lifted one a few weeks back as I am so impatient and there was not a lot to speak of, so I popped it back in. But, today I lifted another as my onions have swollen massively in the past couple of weeks and hey presto, definitely swollen, inside separate cloves

Still got a while to go in the ground but well on their way, will be eating the fresh bulb as "green garlic", was in a gardening mag a while back if I remember rightly.

MrsB x

[forkinweeds]

Thanks for all your help and advice. I suppose I should just leave them until next month and see what happens.

We didn't put manure in the ground, but did put them in the ground a few months after the beans came out.... because of something I read about them liking nitrogen. Then that link says that the don't like too much nitrogen. It's so hard to know what to do! Trial and error I suppose!

Thanks!

[lfcjohn]

Last year i planted supermarket garlic and had a good crop with no problems at all, this year i paid top dollar from mail order company garlic and it is full of rust with small bulbs.
Just one other thing that always puzzles me & others may be able to help with.Everyone always says garlic needs to have a frost for it to split,but i dont think they get much frost in Spain, Greece,Italy etc and i dont think they have problems getting garlic to split.
John

[forkinweeds]

Haahaa! That's exactly what I was thinking earlier. I've heard that a few times, but I always think garlic like mediterranean climates so never think of the cold or that they like watering too much. I beats me!!