Topic: Garlic - planning ahead

[Sarah-b]

Does anyone have any advice to give about growing garlic.
On a ludicrously well drained and rather poor soil, would I be better planting in November on a non-manured patch, or should I bung in a bit of manure nowish and then plant in January? In other words, is garlic fussy or not?
Also, does anyone have any varieties to recommend? And has anyone bought from www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk?

Thanks,
Sarah.

[Mrs Ava]

I purchased garlic from the garlic farm last year and planted it in our well drained but stony soil in November time.  It romped, then slowed, then come the warmer spring weather it romped again.  Unfortunately mine suffered from rust, and towards the end of the season the white rot started to take casualties, but I have masses of garlic all strung in my shed, and jars of pickled garlics, and garlic butter in the freezer!

I think the idea of planting at the start of the winter is so the cold can cause the bulb to split into cloves.  Also they are hardy so they will start a good root system underground, then sit quietly looking lovely through the winter, and grow like mad come spring - have I just repeated myself!  :P

p.s.  I ordered the big pack from the garlic farm last year where I received hephalump garlic and shallots as well as a selection of others.

[sandersj89]

Having never grown garlic before I am tempted this year though know little about the process. We also use loads of garlic in cooking, a couple of bulbs a week is not out of the question.

Some questions:

I have heavy soil, clay. The allotment is slopped so it drains reasonably well I hope though not seen it in winter as yet. Will this be OK?

How much garlic do you get from each bulb planted? The cost of the bulbs would mean you need a fair crop to make economic sense.

How does the flavour compare to shop bought? Elephant garlic is another matter I know.

How do they store, can they be kept for 5/6 months?

Many thanks

Jerry

[Mrs Ava]

I am sure there are some garlic growing experts out there who will wander by later, but I shall tell you my experience from growing my own.

I don't think they will benefit much from being waterlogged over the winter as they will only rot, so a well drained site I am sure is beneficial.  I didn't have access to any well rotted manure before planting, so raked in a generous amount of pelleted chicken poo and the plants seemed to do just fine.    

How much garlic do you get from each clove, not bulb, planted....well, imagine the whole bulbs you buy in the supermaket, ever single clove that is broken off the bulb will grow and produce a bulb with anywhere to a couple of dozen cloves.

I personally think it is best to buy proper seed garlic rather than planting garlics you have bought from the vegetable counter, only because, alliums suffer enough diseases, you don't want to introduce something from dodgy cloves if your soil is good!

Taste, well to my mind, anything I have grown is 100% better than anything you can buy in the shops.  The bulbs can be pulled when still in the green so you have access to plump juicy sweet garlics which are great eaten raw  :o, or roasted or whatever really.

I think they are great value for money, a little goes a long way, they do not take up much room, they seem pretty undemanding, just keep an eye out for rust and white rot, and you can start harvesting them from early summer if you want, freeing up areas for planting other things.  Also, it is a great feeling to see something in the ground over the bleak winter.

Storeage, don't know yet. My perfect bulbs were dried and are now hanging in our shed,  I check them weekly, along with the onions that are also hanging there, and so far all are still firm and fresh looking.  If any start to go a little iffy, I will pick them and get them used asap.

Hope all this rambling helps.

[derbex]

I have grown it for just 2 years now -on heavy soil. 1st year I spring planted the spring one from the organic garden catalogue (Thermidrome), 2nd year I winter planted the winter one from the organic garden catalogue (printanor).

The spring planting did better than the winter one -bigger, better bulbs and didn't run to seed. We've still some left after a year -so it can keep that long, I keep threatening to do a garlic chicken.

Jeremy

[tim]

Well said!
From 'green' to 'newish', your own will always be the tops. Later, it will be similar to the s/mkt.

Sarah etc - if you grow, DO rotate to try to avoid the dreaded rot. DO get the garlicfarm's growing sheet - if only because they are British family growers. But also look at the very many fascinating sites on the web. Amazing what you can learn.

Ours, this year, were unusually planted in February, & did fine. We have well-drained soil  without much added except compost.

Keeping? - ours goes through till May or so. We keep some in the kitchen - steady 60F+ (AGA) - & some in the barn.

If you go to the garlic farm, do try their smoked garlic - top of the photo. 3" across. Expensive? What luxury isn't!
 DO grow your own!! = Tim

[Multiveg]

We have finished our garlic (well think we have a couple left - enough for this month only)  :'( :'( :'(
Grew Germiwhatsit and Thermisomething else in autumn - one had 32/34 success and the other was less than 50%. Then, I got a few bulbs from Tuckers For Jan/Feb planting- the solent wight was excellent, but I wasn't impressed with Prinanor & Albi. Vigor was quite good as well.  

[tim]

Finished?? If you had 32+ bulbs, that's in the order of at least 5 cloves a day?
We must be poor relations. I reckon on a bulb a week. So, despite everything, we have 6 months' supply. What do you do from now on? = Tim

[Multiveg]

We tend to go a bit overboard in the garlic department in recipes.
The overwintered garlic was started to be harvested for fresh use I think in June.

[tim]

Lovely, fresh. And green. = Tim

[Granny_Smith]

I've never had much success with growing garlic, so have given up trying now - only had a small reward for all my efforts !! Went to one of those French markets that have started to travel around England and brought strings of garlic from them. They taste so much better than the Spanish garlic from the supermakets. Trouble is because it's so nice we eat it very quickly. Still it would be even better if I could get my own to grow well.

[aquilegia]

I planted two bulbs of solent wight last spring and now have two bulbs of what grew left. I think next year I will have to grow at least five bulbs. Now where is that garlic farm link?

[carrot-cruncher]

I have planned on planting my garlic in pots immediately next to my roses 'cos I heard the pests who attack roses can't stand garlic.  My soil in my back garden is quite good and well drained & doing it this way would give me easy access to the fresh garlic whilst the main crops merrily romps accross the lottie.

Has anybody tried going their garlic under their roses and what whas the effect?

CC

[tim]

Aqui - at the top of the page!

One bulb = 10 cloves = 10 bulbs = 100 cloves. How many do you eat a day?
We have only ever allowed one bulb per week. = Tim

[Multiveg]

Sometimes, a whole bulb for the 2 of us in a meal - it keeps those vampires away.

[tim]

Your second name's Buffy, of course? = Tim

[Jill]

Read this thread, and loving garlic (altho clearly not as much as Multiveg  ;D) placed my order via the garlic farm website on the 8th.  Whole order arrived this morning - very impressive.  Just got to go and dig the beds now....