A question about garlic

[Nykied]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum but I've been reading my GYO mags avidly since January.

When I split my garlic bulbs up into cloves ready for planting this weekend, do I need to get all the skin off, so that they're shiny, smooth and, well, naked? Or do I leave the skins on each clove?

Also, does garlic (and onions) do well in pots or troughs?

Thanks in advance if anyone answers

[T8Ter]

Hi Nykied,
They will grow fine with the skin on, as for pots and troughs I've only ever grown garlic in open ground so I'm afraid can't comment on that, but someone here will know for sure.

[zazen999]

Hi

The skins stay on.

They grow fine in containers; they might be a tad on the small side this year as they should have been in around Oct-Dec time but don't worry, they will still be edible.

Could you pop your location into your profile, as the advice really does change depending on where you are in the country/world.

And welcome to the vine

[Nykied]

Hi T8Ter and zazen,

Thanks for your replies. I'm looking forward to being a grape!

I only bought the garlic bulbs last week, so I assumed they'd be spring-planted. I'll know for next year (unless none of my veg work out, in which case my enthusiasm will be gone).

I'll update my profile now, thanks for the hint.

[Florence Fennel]

Hi Nykied. I've some garlic in the ground as usual, but some are in containers as a trial (they were planted in November). The container ones look just as healthy as those in the ground. As Zaz has told you, yours will probably be a tad on the small side, but just as tasty and in any case as with growing anything there are very often surprises, you might find yourself with some big uns! Happy gardening and welcome to the Vine.

[pipscariad]

Welcome to the Vine! I planted out my garlic in March last year, and it did absolutely fine, got some lovely big bulbs, so I'm sure yours will do well - it's probably a spring variety anyway. I haven't any experience of growing it in containers so can't help out on that one, but good luck with it.

[BUFFS]

and put a small handful of pelleted chicken manure on soil in pot,rain will break it down and feed young plants,ive been growing garlic in pots for nearly 10 years and still planting the offspring,just make sure they are fed and watered..........enjoy!!

[gojiberry]

You also need to make sure your garlic is outside to catch the frosts as it is the cold that causes them to split into multi cloves.

Ian

[Nykied]

Oh dear. I've put mine in the fridge as suggested elsewhere on the Vine, but I split them into cloves myself. Have I made a massive error?

[T8Ter]

No, Nykied, splitting the seed bulbs yourself is required for planting.
The frost is required to split the bulb you're growing, if it doesn't get a good frost it will grow as a solid bulb (much like an onion)

[elsie-scot]

Oh dear. I've put mine in the fridge as suggested elsewhere on the Vine, but I split them into cloves myself. Have I made a massive error?

unless I have totally missed something, you spilt into into individual cloves, and then the frost breaks that clove to form the garlic bulb with all the new cloves.

You can grow onions in containers, know a guy who grows them well in fish boxes

[vegnut]

They are probably a spring (hardneck) variety, so they will do very well i would imagine. The autumn (softneck) varieties sown now wouldn't do too well, size wise.

[Nykied]

Cheers vegnut. They're in the fridge now and I'll be planting them tomorrow (too rainy here today), so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed

[vegnut]

Yer welcome Nykied

[chriscross1966]

Softneck/hardneck doesn't really define planting time... all of mine went out in October/ear November.. a row each of hard and softneck, a row and a bit of elephant and an experiment with some chinese single-clove bulbs... they all look great now..., that said most of the spring planting varieties I've seen seem to be hardneck IIRC.... good iea re:fridge though putting them in a coldbox with some coldpacks and swapping out the coldpacks every day might be better (colder and varies....)

chrisc