Garlic?

[emilykf]

Morning everyone,

Well, our first year of growing our own seems to be going well, we had a lovely crop of strawberries, we're eating runner beans most days, our spuds are almost ready to harvest, and our leeks and onions are coming on a treat. We're now thinking we should've started earlier/planned more, as we're full of ideas of what we want to do next year!

My question is, is it too late to plant garlic now? Also what's the best way of doing it (I know you can buy bulbs from seed catalogues but I'm sure my mom used to grow it from normal garlic bought in the supermarket?), and where's a good place to plant it?

Sorry about all the questions, I'm sure there'll be more to come!

[TEB]

I tend to plant Garlic around end of September to mid October, I wouldnt use supermarket garlic (lots do though) as it can be treated. Plant like Onions but deeper about an inch or so, the soil needs to be well drained to stop the bulb rotting and full sun is best. I buy mine from seed catalogues but garden centres and grocers usually stock them.

[emilykf]

Thanks for the advice

[toastie]

Tend to plant mine around the shortest day (if I'm not running around doing Christmas shopping) but was a little later this year and they went in around the end of January. The bulbs that we've just pulled up were Christo which we bought from Thompson & Morgan and they have grown exceptionally well. Used some of the smaller ones as 'green' garlic and the others (which are very big) are drying out nicely. The year before bought our bulbs at the Good Food Show from Isle of Wight garlic - these also did really well although I can't remember which variety. Wouldn't use supermarket ones as they're probably treated/sprayed etc with who knows what.

[kate&rob]

there's also the issue that supermarket garlic may not be suitable to grow in this country. i planted mine in november and has done really well, bought 1 bulb from the garden centre it was from unwins but don't know the variety.

[Alice]

You'll get on fine if you plant your garlic in Oct / Nov Emily.
You can use supermarket garlic which has done fine for me or buy some from a garlic farm.
The Really Garlicky Co in Nairn sell a lovely variety called Melody which is Scottish winter hardy and produces superb results.
You can grow garlic in the ground, but if the ground is wet in winter then rake it up into ridges (like earthing up potatoes) and plant the cloves into the top of the ridges to prevent them rotting in wet ground.
Garlic also does well in containers. I grow mine in bread crates then I can move them into the sunniest part of the garden in winter and get great results. Same with shallots.
Good luck.

[tlck9]

hi all

I'm just about to harvest my garlic, my first successful crop...

I've tried to find on here how its best to harvest my garlic and how then to store, any help appreciated

[bramble]

I start mine off in containers in the autumn. I leave them outside throughout the winter and plant them in the open ground in early spring.

[maytreefrannie]

I planted some in October last year and some more on the shortest day - all in big tubs.

I usually use supermarket-bought garlic marked 'organic' but I think the points made by others are valid - I guess if garlic comes from a much warmer country it will have a tough job to grow well in this part of the world. Also, what someone said to me last year is that sometimes even organic garlic can be treated to discourage sprouting (not sure if it's true or not).

Mine didn't grow big enough either this year or last, so for the next planting I'm thinking of buying from a GC or seed company. I plan to put them down again in October and the shortest day or the nearest moon day to that.