Time for Autumn garlic planting

[dammad49]

After over 20 years growing and experimenting with with mainly Elephant but also various soft & hardneck varieties I still haven't got it right! I've found cloves produced abroad seem to need a couple of seasons to acclimatise to UK conditions (jet lagged cloves?), particularly the kiln dried commercial stuff from the Far East. Garlic I bought from the USA 3 years ago has really performed well this year for the fist time.
The bits I think I've got right are:
Planting time Oct/Nov, spring plantings have always been inferior.
Soil well manured last year, loose & well worked (ideally well rotovated).
Heavy organic surface mulch immediately after planting (saves a lot of weeding).
Seed cloves from UK grown stock, sun dried.
Remove scapes as soon as they appear - they are a good food crop in themselves.
Non organicly, pre treat FBB, March Growmore, May tomato feed.
3 year rotation.
Lift carefully, a spit is ideal.
Sun dry - never wash garlic.
Dont listen too much to "experts".

One of my experiments this year will be some garlic rounds bought from Aldi, they come in a little woven basket and look VERY interesting.

But the main thing is even the failures are usually quite tasty.

[1Bee]

I've popped some Vallelado into the raised bed that I can't grow lettuce in now, because of root aphid. Here's hoping they don't like garlic....

I've read a lot of conflicting advice. The planting advice that came with them from Kings suggested only to water in extreme drought, the mag says plenty of water but don't let it stand.... Sighs. Read somewhere don't manure... somewhere else needs a lot of fertiliser..... Conflicting advice is so hard on a newbie!

Mind you, I was a bit disappointed in the amount of cloves from the bulbs I bought. Five from one and six from another. Good, big ones, but still. And I think I damaged a couple splitting them out. Sighs.

[Lumpy]

I agree 1B alot of advice contradicts itself and garlic is not the only crop this happens with.

I suppose many factors control the advice such as location, soil type, growing position, varieties etc so I just plod along and do what I think is best for my tiny garden.

This year OH built a long, narrow raised bed about 16in deep so it has been filled with MPC and my garlic has gone in there.

If it works - great if not I will go back to Plan A, which is growing it under the mini fruit trees as it worked really well this year.

Oh and there are now 17 cloves of this and that happily sharing thier growing space with the flowers in the front.

[Scarlet]

I found same size of bulbs for mid october sown around rose plants and the ones planted on x-mas day on other bed with good mulch of mushroom compost.

so this year I will delay it as much and don't menure the bed until spring.

Roses have really big roots, I wouldn't expect anything except leafy veg to grow well in the same bed.
I don't think you can compare the growth rate unless they are growing in a similar situation.

[bearded bloke]

Soil well manured last year, loose & well worked (ideally well rotovated).

One of my experiments this year will be some garlic rounds bought from Aldi, they come in a little woven basket and look VERY interesting.

Yep, I can't remember who told me "if you can't use your thumb as a dibber, the soils to tight" was right & same rule applies to onions.

If you could add you "rounds" findings to this thread please ... http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nds_80471.html ... that would be a great help

[Collierygarden]

Hi everyone, I'm trying two type of garlic this year - softneck 'Germidour' and Sainsbury's own single Spanish garlic (which I think is a hardneck).

I tried the Sainsbury's own last year, having never grown garlic before and because I had a spare bulb, and got alright results. Each bulb had split properly, and I got cloves which were similar sizes to the bulbs you buy in the shops (winner winner).

Excited to try the 'proper' seed garlic - the bulbs were twice the size of the shop bought stuff, (way more than twice the price though!) although they are meant to be milder. Be worth the price if it tastes better and I save my own bulbs for next year.

60p for two bulbs of Sainsbury's own, £4.99 for two bulbs of 'germidour'.

I'm growing two bulbs (split into cloves) of each variety side-by-side in one of my raised beds so they get the same conditions as each other. Planted each approximately 8 inches apart, in a zig-zag formation, rather than in proper rows (I can squeeze more into my tiny garden that way, and still keep the spacings).

I haven't done much to prepare the soil, which was used for squash last year. I've weeded and raked in about two bucketful's of compost. The soil's never been walked on so it's as fluffy as its going to get.

Has anyone else managed to get decent results with supermarket garlic?

[Bigmallly]

I only grow Supermarket Garlic but for different reasons, I use it not for culinary purposes but to deter Moles/Voles from eating the crops I do wish to eat. I just plant it around the eges of beds.

[Scarlet]

Yes, several peeps on here have had really good results. I've had fantastic results with garlic bought from our local farmers market. Also had great results from "proper" seed garlic bought at the Malvern Show, though last year I had a touch of white onion rot so I bought in completely new and tried another bed. Lost the lot.
I'm trying again this year with seed garlic (not bought it yet!) and some farmers market garlic. Also with saved elephant garlic that didn't suffer with any onion rot as I'd planted it the opposite side to the normal stuff.
Keep us posted, it's good to compare notes

[Collierygarden]

What a nightmare to lose the lot!

I live out in the sticks in the north-east, and I literally don't have a clue where the nearest Farmer's Market would be... the whole place seems to be farms as well! Mail-order or supermarket are my only options it seems, sadly!

I'd love to try elephant garlic, maybe next year when I've hopefully got a bit more room (overdone it on the seed order, again).

Keep everyone posted on how the two garlics compare

[cristalfiona]

I live out in the sticks in the north-east, and I literally don't have a clue where the nearest Farmer's Market would be... the whole place seems to be farms as well! Mail-order or supermarket are my only options it seems, sadly!

I'd try googling it - I had no idea, so searched my town and farmers market, found out that within about 20 miles, there are at least 2 every weekend - some in town, some in the countryside. I'm not likely to go to them all, but I've stuck them as recurring events with the addresses on my calendar so if I'm ever out that way anyway or stuck for something to do I can pay them a visit.

[Bacchus]

Am also going to get the elephant garlic in tomorrow - hopefully. I've a new bed all ready for it. I'm hopping to plant around 50 cloves this year because it was popular with friends last year.

Also a friend who runs a farm shop said he's stock any spare I had as you just don't get it anywhere to buy here - so turning commercial