Topic: Errr Back to the garlic....?

[amanda21]

We had a frost here last night again but the sun is shining now and the soil looks defrosted.  Will it be ok for me to pop to the plot and put some garlic in finally?  The bed has already been dug over so I thought I would just rack in some compost and plant???  I know the garlic needs some cold temperatures to get going but am I ok to plant while frosts are about?  I did a search and loads of advice on here re garlic but couldn't find this answer!  Cheers!

[Georgie]

Yes it should be fine.

G xx

[Larkspur]

Hi amanda21, I have just come back from my allotment where I have been digging for an hour in GLORIOUS SUNSHINE ;D. The other thing I was going to do was plant out some garlic which is about 2" high and ready to be moved from the frame. However, when I removed the clear plastic which has been covering the bed I was going to plant it in the soil was not in any condition to plant anything and was still to claggy to hoe.
I don't know what soil you are growing on but if it is clay like mine I would hang on a bit even though I understand your eagerness. :) Even though garlic is dead tough it is not going to do anything in cold, wet soil.

[amanda21]

Thanks both - it has gone in!  The soil wasn't too bad actually - it's quite free-draining where I am (going to be a pain in the summer for watering!) so I was able to rack it over.  I've saved one bulb for Spring planting or maybe in a pot and transplant in Spring just to see what the difference will be.

[Larkspur]

Well done. Good luck :)

[real food]

Most garlic varieties are best planted in the Autumn for the best crops. You may not see anything at the time, but their roots are busy growing through the winter. Garlic is very hardy, even here in Scotland.

[vee]

I didn't know what to do either, so today I have put one bulb into cells and will put them in the cold frame till March as it says on the packet.

The other bulb I am just leaving in the garage until March when I'm going to plant straight into the soil. The variety is Solent Wight.

It will be interesting to see if there is any difference, although the bulb I am leaving til spring was not as big as the one I planted so probably the cloves won't be as fat when I separate them.

Hope I've done the right thing :-\

[vee]

By the way Amanda - just remembered to say your avatar makes me laugh every time I see it. What has it got on it's head?  ;D ;D

[amanda21]

not sure - it isn't my cat - although mine look just as grumpy sometimes without the hat.  I thought a melon but as some pointed out it looks a bit like a citrus?

[supersprout]

The type of garlic might also make a difference  ::).
I planted white and red garlic in November for the first time. The red garlic is thriving and about 7" tall now. White was a complete no-show. I'd given up on it, cursing the seedsman, but this morning the tiniest little shoots were showing at long last, so will hold off replanting that bit for a little longer!
Just shows that Patience is the Gardener's Friend  8)

[Merlins Mum]

I have 10 cloves of elephant garlic which I meant to plant with my ordinary garlic back in November but didn't  ::)  Will it be OK to put it straight into the ground now or should I get it going in pots first.

MM

[Robert_Brenchley]

Shove it in and don't worry.

[Merlins Mum]

Thanks Robert  :)

MM