Garlic coming through already!!!

[mbronco27_03]

Very confusing, put in my garlics cloves on 24th October, 82 to be exact, ready for the first frost to split the cloves ready for growing and noticed today that they have started poking out the ground, and are now about 2inches out!!!! is this usual, does this mean that they will all die, did they go in to early?

anybody got any ideas?

will post a pic later or tomorrow

[northepaul]

Whats left of mine along with onions and shallots are doing the same. Nothing you can do, just leave them - hopefully they'll be ok.

[jacob marley]

Very confusing, put in my garlics cloves on 24th October, 82 to be exact, ready for the first frost to split the cloves ready for growing and noticed today that they have started poking out the ground, and are now about 2inches out!!!! is this usual, does this mean that they will all die, did they go in to early?

anybody got any ideas?

.Do not worry they will be fine mine are about 5 inches high at moment this is normal .
And no they did not go in to early mine were earlier than yours they will be OK....jacob

[Jeanied]

From reading other threads on this subject I think the garlic gets a sprint start on growing in the autumn if it is mild, then it sits there in the cold months not growing at all, but the cold / frost influences the growing clove to induce it to split next year, later in its development. At least, that's what I hope is going to happen - my garlic is 9"-1ft high now!!

[Florence Fennel]

I've staggered the planting of mine over the last few weeks and still have some to plant in December. Like yours, some are 3-4" out of the ground whilst others are just peeking through. As Jeanied says, they will sit through the winter and then spurt in the spring. Don't worry!

[Glutton4...]

I planted my Onions and Garlic 3-4 weeks ago (I think - I lose track!) and they're showing now - some of the Garlic are showing 2-3" already too.

[ginger ninger]

I planted mine at the end of October and there about 6" now, I was given some in a swap on here which I planted bonfire night, so they are slightly staggered.

[WillyNelson]

Going by what I heard on GQT last week (or the one before) they're ok to be sprouting now. I was happy to hear that as mine are about 5cm. Apparently they lie pretty dormant over the winter but it's worth giving them a bit of a boost in the early spring to get bigger bulbs. One of the guys on GQT (Bob?) suggested a blanket of fleece to get them going earlier on.

[SunnyU]

I got some garlic and onion sets yet to go in - am I too late??

Also, do they need to be covered with fleece or anything. We had the first frost the other night but it's fairly mild again now.

Thank you!!

[Florence Fennel]

Funny Sunny, someone's just said to me that today is the shortest day. I think old gardening folk lore used to say that garlic should be planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest day, which sounds about right to me. If you use the search threads button on here, you'll get loads of information about planting and caring for garlic. Oh and a very warm welcome to the vine.

[zazen999]

It's not the shortest day yet! 21st Dec is the Winter Solstice.

No need to fleece - they are perfectly hardy in the UK.

[SunnyU]

Excellent - thank you!