Garlic doesn't seem split

[mudpies]

This is my first year growing garlic and I'd appreciate some advice. I planted it in late October - can't remember the type. It seems to be growing fine, stems are leek sized mostly and just a little brown now at tops. Yesterday I eased one up just to have a look - nice size, about the same as the ones I buy, maybe a little bigger, but I can't see the shape of cloves, it looks like one big bulb. Will these become clear as it dries? if it is one big clove can I still store and use it?
We certainly had plenty of snow and frost, which I thought it needed to split.

[Thelma Sanders]

They split at the last minute, and you wait till the foliage starts to die back, so now is probably too early this year.

[Kleftiwallah]

Yes and yes.



It is said that to form individual cloves the garlic head needs a good frost.
However, the cloves on your garlic(s) may still be forming and still a little undersized. You can still use a head of garlic that is only one clove, - avoids all that fiddly peeling.

Of course you know that 'elephant garlic' is not a garlic, but a modified leek.

Cheers, Tony.

[mudpies]

All good then - yippee! Many thanks.

[Two_Sheds]

Well, I ate my first garlic (of the year) last night ~ I didn't think it had separated but it had. Apart from having a leathery rather than papery skin, it was perfect (grown from a supermarket bulb)

[redser]

Picture perfect! Wish mine looked like that.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine don't usually ~ I learned from last year that my soil really isn't good enough for garlic, so now I chuck on loads of garden compost, green manures, even weeds just chopped up and left as a mulch



This garlic was grown at school in the lasagne beds

[CimaDirapa]

I grow four types of garlic in six rows 1. Lautrec Wight 2.Early Purple Wight 3.Tesco's finest something 4.Solent

The early purples and Lautrec got rust and are a bit orange yellow, the other didn't get rust (??), will the rusty ones fill up ok? Pulled one rusty and it is a nice size (kind'a supermarket size) but no cloves formed.

[vegnut]

My wights got rust first this year too. When the plant is covered in rust it stops growing and the garlic head will stay the same size. If you let the garlic dry out properly you will see it form into the cloves (usually). Even Two Sheds Piccie above #5 shows a slight ridging, so if left instead of eating them green they would form small cloves. Hope this helps a little.

[mudpies]

Can definately see the cloves in yours two sheds - might have another look at mine tomorrow and compare the two, might even dig one up and dry it out, just out of curiosity, then leave the others for a few more weeks..... thanks to all of you for your advice, it really helps being able to ask questions like this and learn from you guys

[firesprite]

I always plant garlic in autumn - but mine is still very green at the moment so don't think I will be harvesting for a while

[MojoJojo]

Well, I dug up my first bulb of Early Purple Wight a couple of days ago. I cut it open today because I wanted to work out if it was time to dig the rest up.

It's definitely split into separate cloves - does that mean it's time to dig the rest up and dry them? It's not like a garlic bulb from the supermarket, but then it hasn't dried, so I'm not certain. But definitely has separate cloves.

I'm keen because I planted them in a stupid bed and would like to dig it up and replant as soon as possible!

[VirginVegGrower]

Mine are up today and strung up to dry in the poly. The biggest by far are the early purple wight. Definitely one for next year.

[bearded bloke]

Mine that were sown in soil are looking very green,so a few weeks to go on them yet ................





Those in pots near the back door have decided they are gonna get all rusty .......





Guess they will be pulled for "green" garlic this week