Planting Garlic

[andrewo]

As you all may know I had problems with my garlic supplier this year (my fault I decided to try someone new and paid the price). The garlic arrived before xmas: Chesnok and Tochliavri varieties.

I decided to plant them this week because they need a cold snap and this week is mild (however I have covered with a fleece cloche and the garlic is planted in raised beds). What do you think their chances are of survival and has anyone else done this before?

For those of you who don't know I live on the West Pennines (and we have it wet and windy here).

Any solutions to protect them or bring them on would be gratefully accepted. I had to plant now as I want that bed back in summer.

Andrewo

[poultrychat]

I planted my garlic last year in January without any protection in raised beds (linkabord) and they did fine although that was in Norfolk

[Lesley Jay]

Andrewo I don't think you should have any problems with the garlic. Just leave it to grow.

[sewer rat]

Garlic

Andrewo
Planted my garlic late last year, and it is doing fine, in fact it is doing better than that, despite being outside in temps as low as -7. Can't see you having any problems.
Cheers
Rat

[Socks]

i planted my garlic last year (beginning of december) and although my onion sets planted at the same time have been struggling, the garlic (thermidome) is going great guns.


im quite chuffed as its the first time ive tried to grow garlic!

[Nicos]

elephant garlic

Tried this for the 1st time last year. Planted it in spring at the same time as normal garlic,onions and shallots. All the rest did well but the elephant garlic only grew to the size of an egg and remained as one piece - looked like a little turnip!. As the photos show it as huge, I wondered if we just planted it too late (arrived late from the suppliers) and it didn't have time to develop. We have left them in the ground and they have started to grow again.Do you think they will develop properly now or just grow and flower? Or, should I give up on them and crop them before they sprout too much?

[Geordie]

Normaly you would harvest the single large clove, dry it and replant, it should go on to produce large cluster following year. Not sure if you leave it in the ground....should be ok i think.

[Lesley Jay]

Toby Buckland was on TV yesterday and he said to use the leaves on garlic in cooking. So if you leave the garlic and it does sprout you can still get some use out of it.

[Nicos]

thanks -will leave them and see!

[debbie]

Elephant garlic

.....elephant garlic only grew to the size of an egg and remained as one piece

According to Sarah Raven..."Autumn planting is recommended for Elephant garlic although you can plant in late winter. If you plant in the spring, there's an increased chance of producing a solid bulb instead of a bulb with cloves".

Excerpt from her book "The great vegetable plot" which I read from cover to cover over Christmas (pressie).

Maybe that explains it!!

[nick the grief]

Does elephant garlic stampede rather thn bolt

[Lesley Jay]

Yes Debbie I think you have hit the nail on the head. I am going to have a look for that book on Amazon - sounds like a good one.

[Nicos]

good one Nick!!!

[andrewo]

Covered with fleece

I covered with fleece in the end and those little beauties are starting to come up, a few green shoots and doing well.

Andrewo

[sewer rat]

Greenhouse Garlic v Outdoor Garlic

Checked my garlic today - I planted 18 cloves into 3" pots in my unheated greenhouse at the back end of the year, and 18 cloves direct into soil outside my greenhouse at the same time. After a day in my garden today, I now have 36 cloves outside - there appeared to be no difference at all in growth between the different batches. My only concern would be that those started in the greenhouse may be less hardy if we geta really cold February or March - let's face it, January has been almost like Spring this year - at least it has up here - someone says you poor southerners are getting some really cold spells!!!!
Cheers
Rat