garlic worry :(

[bretty666]

Hello..i planted my garlic mid november and everything has gone good, however i decided to do a mass weeding session this morning and i found the ground was imensley hard ..very vey hard so i decided to dig a bul up ti take a peek and there isnt really a bulb...just a thick stem? Am i right in thinking the bupb wont be able to grow in such hard soil or am i worrying to early?? If they will struggle to grow can i transplant them or do they not like being disturbed?i planted them where they are because i know iths the worst soil in the garden and garlic is a strong grower..

[rustylady]

The bulbs won't form until just before harvest in June, so no worries at this stage.

As to putting them in the worst soil, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. All crops, even garlic, need access to nutrients and water.

[bretty666]

When i say the worst soil ....i meant the most compact/shallow/water retentive....its nit that bad but its next to one of my buildings and its in the shade so its not got a great deak goinv for it really...thank you for giur advice.i thought the bulbs grew cntinuously like a root veg

[maytreefrannie]

Years ago, I used to grow garlic and always got a reasonably good return. Then there was a gap when I didn't grow it. I started again in 2010 and since then each year, but no good results. Bulbs so small they weren't worth using, out of 30 bulbs we used about 2 that were only barely big enough to throw into anything.
Sorry to digress.

[Bill HH]

You could try gentle forking around each plant to loosen it up a bit.But i suspect when they want to bulb up they will.

As an aside, everyone tells me garic needs frost on it in order for cloves to form rather than one big bulb, is this true? because mine went in in November and we haven't had any frost. Also what about cloves planted in the spring, they probably don't get frost either.

[WilliamD]

... what about cloves planted in the spring, they probably don't get frost either.

That's what makes me think frost probably isn't necessary, Bill. Last year I planted Solent Wight cloves in February, they experienced no frost and when I picked them 6 months later in August they were fine - all fully formed into bunches of cloves.

[bretty666]

Iv got 145 growing and i want them to be worth harvesting..its tajen a lng time to weed them so i want the reward of good bulbs.i had thought about forking around but with the next rain its just going to conpact again

[Bill HH]

That's what makes me think frost probably isn't necessary, Bill. Last year I planted Solent Wight cloves in February, they experienced no frost and when I picked them 6 months later in August they were fine - all fully formed into bunches of cloves.

There you go then another gardening myth exposed.

[Bill HH]

Iv got 145 growing and i want them to be worth harvesting..its tajen a lng time to weed them so i want the reward of good bulbs.i had thought about forking around but with the next rain its just going to conpact again

Then fork in some compost at the same time, it will loosen the soil and feed the garlic, what more could you want. With a 145 garlic you will stink like a French mans armpits!

[Richard Eldritch]

I know people that don't plant garlic untill march and get nice large bulbs with good cloves. I doubt the whole cold creates cloves thing myself.....

[bretty666]

Lol bill..i use a lot of garlic. i put mine n in feb last year and they were poor. im gonna go with your compost idea bill..do i dig them up then replant them in the fresh dug compost soil or just go between them?

[roitelet]

Try to keep the soil round them as loose as possible with gentle hand forking especially in the last month before harvesting to allow the bulbs to swell.