Growing Garlic

[wayneyquo]

I'm checking on my Garlic on a regular basis now as it's getting time to start looking at harvesting plants that are ready. I've been told that the leaves should go yellow on about 2/3 of the stem from the bottom upwards and they will wilt and fall over on the "soft neck garlic" varieties. is this true?.

I've planted 4 varieties this year and I got my seed stock from the Garlic Farm on the IOW. I'm growing "Early Purple Wight", "Solent Wight", Iberian Wight", & "Albigensian Wight". all soft necks so I'm told.

It's the first time I've tried to grow it so I'm really looking forward to harvest time and hopefully it will all be a great success !!!!.

The books say that you should give them a feed of "Sulphate of Potash" around February time (For Autumn planted Garlic so that's what I have done as I planted all of mine mid October to get the 2 months of cold weather that they require.

Does anyone have any good tips for next time as I ill be planting again this October using the biggest and best bulb from each variety and some extra good tips are always useful.

[Crborrett]

I'm too growing garlic for first time this year, and very keen to harvest! Mine looks no where ready yet though

[rustylady]

Whereabouts are you Wayne? Here on the East Coast everything seems to be at least 3 or 4 weeks behind normal.

[snakeshack]

I would say that mine still has at least 2/3 weeks growing to do yet.try harvesting one now as you can still use it green,and assess how its doing,as everybody has said its all a bit late this year,my elephant garlic is only just showing flower spikes and they are usually all gone by now.

[vikkib]

I think mine is a bit behind too this year.

My elephant garlic had flower spikes a week or so ago which I've removed and the leaves on the rest are starting to yellow but I'm thinking of waiting a couple more weeks at least.

[bario1]

What's the significance of flower spikes? Are you supposed to wait for them to appear? I thought that would be a bad thing, like with onions? (its my first time growing them too...)

[Kirk]

My garlic has grown a bit odd. Planted one row from the same bulb, the 5 at the back of the row are doing great, very good solid stalks, the 6 at the front are pretty spindly. All treated exactly the same as they are in the first row and so watering is done from the side. Just a bit odd.

All mine are still very much green, so not expecting to harvest anything for 6-8-10 weeks at least.

Usually flower spikes are unwanted but elephant garlic is different to the stuff we are most familiar with and not sure what they go through. However generally flower spikes are not wanted.

[snakeshack]

On the contrary garlic flower spikes,elephant or otherwise taste fantastic if you harvest them when they are still curly (or about 20-30 cm long)then grill or saute in butter.you have to take them off any way as they will take energy from the bulb and reduce the bulb size

[Chippy Minton]

not expecting to harvest anything for 6-8-10 weeks at least.

Ours too, nowhere near ready, looking at mid-late July I reckon. But at least some of it is looking solid, some still looks like spring/salad onions, maybe it's a new trend, salad garlic....

[Likac66]

My first year growing garlic too. I'm growing Cristo and I planted them back in October/November time. I don't think they are ready yet though - probably need a few more weeks.

[zazen999]

I'm checking on my Garlic on a regular basis now as it's getting time to start looking at harvesting plants that are ready. I've been told that the leaves should go yellow on about 2/3 of the stem from the bottom upwards and they will wilt and fall over on the "soft neck garlic" varieties. is this true?.

I've planted 4 varieties this year and I got my seed stock from the Garlic Farm on the IOW. I'm growing "Early Purple Wight", "Solent Wight", Iberian Wight", & "Albigensian Wight". all soft necks so I'm told.

It's the first time I've tried to grow it so I'm really looking forward to harvest time and hopefully it will all be a great success !!!!.

The books say that you should give them a feed of "Sulphate of Potash" around February time (For Autumn planted Garlic so that's what I have done as I planted all of mine mid October to get the 2 months of cold weather that they require.

Does anyone have any good tips for next time as I ill be planting again this October using the biggest and best bulb from each variety and some extra good tips are always useful.

Please don't harvest too early. Even my sept sown ones are being left until July or aug this year.

Top tip, don't plant the biggest ones. Plant a range of big and small. See the link for the explanation as it works for garlic too

The Linear Legume: Why planting little shallots gives you bigger shallots...

And I recommend feeding them some comfrey over the next few weeks to try and make up for the rubbish spring we had.

[Stacey Steve]

The flower stems are called scapes and are great chopped up and added to a salad, but don't go mad with them or it can taste bitter. Good for stir fries as well.
SWMBO is going to dry some this year and see if they work the same as dried chives, so may flavour mashed potatoes come the winter

[vikkib]

And I recommend feeding them some comfrey over the next few weeks to try and make up for the rubbish spring we had.

I was just about to ask about the possibility of a quick feed for them.

I only planted out my Comfrey about a week ago so even if I was harvesting leaves now (I figured it was better to let them get a bit more established!) I wouldn't have any tea ready for a few weeks.

Would a seaweed feed or something similar do the job?

[VirginVegGrower]

I gave mine a seaweed foliar feed a few weeks ago.

[wayneyquo]

Whereabouts are you Wayne? Here on the East Coast everything seems to be at least 3 or 4 weeks behind normal.

I'm in Nottingham. Here are a couple of pics taken today.