cutting back garlic leaves

[Nicos]

This is our 2nd year of growing garlic and was suprised to hear that the leaves can/should be trimmed back a bit at this stage.
Last years crop was great, and we didn't trim them back.
Does anyone else do this, and if so - what is the reason behind it??

[pigletwillie]

I certainly dont and adhere to the motto "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Why induce stress into plants when there is no need to, especially when crops are good.

Onions and garlic put on leaf until around midsummers day and then use the energy provided by the leaves to bulb up. I can see no benefit in reducing their ability to do this. Just as I dont chop my daffodils off just after flowering or cut my leeks roots and leaves off when transplanting.

[Flummery]

PW is right (of course!) in that you need the leaves for photosynthesis as the plant is actively growing. When the leaves die back they nourish the root which is what we're after. Toms on the other hand are better with leaves reduced in number when they are fruiting well. This helps with air curculation too.

[Protea]

Nicos,

Where did you hear that you need/should cut the leaves back? I have never heard this?

Either way i agree with PW, i would never cut the leaves off anything as you need them for photosynthesis! (tomatoes and circulation are another matter)

[olde9856]

Ive grown Garlic for years and never heard of this before.
The onlt onion family member I would trim the leaves of is leeks when they are being transplanted to cut back on the transpiration till they reestablish

[SarzWix]

I have heard of leaf trimming on onions; my grandad used to do it sometimes if it had been really windy and some of the leaves were damaged/trailing on the ground - he used to say that if the leaves touched the ground worms would pull them down and dislodge any that weren't properly established. I don't know how true it is, it's not something I've had a problem with!

[roitelet]

Out here the advice is that the leaves of garlic are either cut or tied down. I have done this for the past two years. It is supposed to make the bulbs swell. But having seen some superb garlic grown by another Frenchman that didn't have the leaves tampered with I am not going to bother to do anything to the leaves this year, I shall just leave them to their own devices.

[Alice]

I've never heard or seen that Nicos. I'll be leaving mine alone.

[Nicos]

This is the company we bought our garlic from.

www.reallygarlicky.co.uk/main2.html

Maybe I have misunderstood their instructions??
I know it is best to remove the flowering shoot- but they suggest cropping the leaves too!
I think I'll follow my instincts ( and the majority here!!) and leave well alone- unless someone can explain otherwise!

[Headfry]

I have 'pruned' my galic leaves, but for a different reason....My garlic (planted in Nov.) has slight signs of rust on the oldest leaves, I have removed the affected bits, was this ok?
On the 'nasty' scale...how nasty is rust, what can I do about it! will it affect the onions planted close by.

[Flummery]

I'm sure you can 'crop' the leaves, Nicos - and use them as a milder form of garlic. I had an old bloke on my old allotment site showing me how to 'crop' my immature shallots to use as spring onions. I didn't like to be rude and tell him that if I want spring onions I sow spring onions! Using the leaves will make for a smaller yield of your garlic (or shallot) though.

[Nicos]

Ok- so I phoned the company and they suggest we cut the flowering stem in May (and eat it) and not the leaves ( unless you want smaller bulbs).
So you were all right!!!
Thankyou!

PS- learn from my mistake....keep all instuctions !!!!!

[rustylady]

Only take off the diseased or damaged leaves, if you get a flower shoot coming cut that off unless you want to save your own seed. Otherwise onions and garlic need all their leaf growth to make good sized bulbs