Planting Onion and Garlic Now?

[WiZeR]

Am I right in thinking I can prepare and plant a bed of onion and garlic sets now? Is it ok to follow lettuce?

Also some recomendations would be great. I have just been laid up with severe back pain for the past 6 weeks so am gently easing myself back into the allotment.

[yoanbob]

garlic planted now does really well but takes longer, dont know about onions never tried

[Squirrel]

Sorry to hear you have not been well Wizer! Glad you are back - just take it easy! Believe though garlic takes longer grown at this time of the year, it takes off well at the begining of next season giving better 'garlics'!

[pickledtink]

Around October is the best time to plant. Gives it a nice long growing season and it needs to be in for the frost and cold months to get you your splits for hearty heads with plenty of cloves.
Why not poodle about on the good net based sites to get an idea of what you'd like to plant? Even if you don't order from them you'd then know what you were looking for at your local centre. I'm not even thinking about garlic yet. Need to find an online garden supplier that does Uzis for pest control.....

[WiZeR]

Thanks all. So is the general consensus that onions are not worth planting until spring?

How long will garlic store when harvested? i'm thinking of devoting a whole bed for it.

[Lesley Jay]

Wizer I have had some fantastic over wintered onions. In fact sometimes they grow better and bigger than the ones planted in spring. Give them a try and then you can decide for yourself.

[bramble]

I can truly recommend autumn planted onions over spring planted ones Yes, perhaps they are i8n the ground longer but the onions you will get will be well worth it. Give it a try .

[WiZeR]

which varieties do you recomend?

[nick the grief]

I grew Radar & Electric & they were both OK for me but Adam said his were never too successful.

[Lesley Jay]

Those are the two varieties that I grow and they have been great.

[JennieAtkinson]

Wizer I have had some fantastic over wintered onions.

Oh good! I've just ordered some, but they haven;t come yet. When is the latest I could plant? I was going to do some in the polytunnel and some outside.

[nick the grief]

I did mine October the 7th last year Jennie I looked at the log.

I can see you wondering "why did he carve the onion planting date on a felled tree"

[yoanbob]

garlic stores for ages in a dry dark place, it will vary on humidity levals etc but can store ours for 3 to 4 months no problem, we just platt them and hang in the cellar head, make great gifts for foodies.

[JazzDuke]

On the other hand fresh garlic is lovely and can be used for different recipes. I would try to eat it fresh, otherwise it's hardly worth the effort when the shops have good quality stored garlic at 40p a bulb.

[bramble]

I disagree with you about shop bought garlic being better than home grown. You know exactly where your own home grown garlic has come from and what type of soil it has been grown in. Also you can be sure no chemicals have been used on it. It may not be quite as fresh as the ones in the shop but i am sure it will be healthier. Surely thats why we all grow our own veg.