Topic: Whats happened to my Garlic?

[RenishawPhil]

I am hoping it just a lack of nitrogen?, i have put a large amount of Growmore on them yesterday!!!

[goodlife]

It could well be something to do with lack of food and weather. We did had dry spell first..and if there wasn't much nutrients going on in ground the the new growth started..and now with all this 'soil flushing'  and such a cool temperatures as well.. ::) Poor buggers don't know if they are 'coming or going'.
Otherwise you plants look perfectly healthy so I would not be too consern.
As you have now given them a feed, there is not much else you can do..other than keeping eye on them and if any of them should show signs of sudden collapse..pull them out immediately to inspect the possible causes.

This feed you have given should be plenty for the rest of the season growth for them...too much is not good neither.. ;)

[RenishawPhil]

Thanks:)

[Ian Pearson]

Yes, it could well be reduced nutrient availability due to cold soil just when the plants need it most. The nutrients are there, just not readily available to the plant.
The Growmore will probably perk them up, however I wouldn't put on too much. Garlic will benefit from the nitrogen right now, but if there is still a surfeit in the soil later in the growing process, it can possibly lead to delayed bulbing.
I would probably have just given them a couple of foliar feeds which would act as a perk-up without the risk of long term over-enriching of the soil.
I dare say they will still produce a worthwhile crop though.

[goodlife]

For a future refrence..
If you need quick 'pick me up' nitrogen feed that is ideal for garlic..something that is not too strong, its cheap and readily available...'pay' a visit to back of the shed..take empty watering can with you..and say 'ahhh'..not too loud for not to allert neighbours.. ;D ;)..fill the watering can with water and you have perfect stuff from the 'tap'.. ;D ;D

Spring wee feed... ;D ;D ;D..add a drop of liquid seaweed and its even more superior concoction..and strictly against EU regulations... ::) (I'm sure there is regulations somewhere that 'prevents' us making such a mixtures)

[Ian Pearson]

Yes, that was the method I was thinking of :-)

[goodlife]

 ;D ;D ;D ;)

[antipodes]

When did they get planted? I find that in any case as spring goes on, garlic often goes a little yellow or develops "rust". This often happens to me, but I just see it as the plant's natural development. Here in Britanny, my garlic is usually ready in June. which may be earlier than for you. By May it is often starting to show signs of the stems keeling off. This is about its peak, now, it will start to die back in a couple of weeks. Mine are HUGE this year, I think they obviously like cow poo of which they had a good feed over winter!

[goodlife]

Mine are doing so much better this year too.. ;D Last year we got hot weather too early and the ground dried out when garlic needed the water most.
But now this rain has done soooo much good...last week or so they've grown so much..stems are already so thick at the base that I'm soon having doubts of the variety..did I plant whole bed full of elephant garlic? ::)
I reckon my bulbs are going be real monsters this year... ;D ;D... can't wait!

[RenishawPhil]

I think it could be bit of rust to! Thanks the ideas everyone:)

[banksy]

Sorry to highjack the thread, but as rust as has been mentioned I would like to ask if I should be overly concerned that my garlic is also slightly 'rusty' - so far I have been removing the rust affected leaves and disposing of then in the household rubbish(was told not to put on the compost heap).

Am I being overcautious? Should I just let them get on with it?


Thanks in advance.

[goodlife]

There is not much you can do about when rust 'hits'. The garlic should still be fine..
Some years I too get it and others I don't..it appearance often encouraged by combination of environmental conditions and cultural practices.
Too much nitrogen rich feed too early in the season and it causes lush 'soft' growth that is easily affected by rust. So althought garlic will benefit with some nitrogen feed it best to be slightly frugal with it and do it more in a 'little and often' manner.
When the weather is this wet and humid..there is no point really trying to tidy it off..it just spreads and by removing affected leaves..you propably only end up spreading it more and taking any leaves off, if not dead, will reduce the size of the bulb too.
I would leave them be ..if you feel like your fingers are itching to do something ...just tidy up totally dead leaves.

[claybasket]

I managed to get to the lotty,to see if my garlic was ok after reading about the rust  :-\ there was some yellow leaves but they look healthy and big ! planted in October last year hope they are big bulbs ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

We had one very wet summer when the top growth on my garlic died back altogether due to rust. I got a crop anyway. There's no need to worry about a bit of it.

[banksy]

There is not much you can do about when rust 'hits'. The garlic should still be fine..
Some years I too get it and others I don't..it appearance often encouraged by combination of environmental conditions and cultural practices.
Too much nitrogen rich feed too early in the season and it causes lush 'soft' growth that is easily affected by rust. So althought garlic will benefit with some nitrogen feed it best to be slightly frugal with it and do it more in a 'little and often' manner.
When the weather is this wet and humid..there is no point really trying to tidy it off..it just spreads and by removing affected leaves..you propably only end up spreading it more and taking any leaves off, if not dead, will reduce the size of the bulb too.
I would leave them be ..if you feel like your fingers are itching to do something ...just tidy up totally dead leaves.

Had a quick check today and they are looking OK, have managed to resist the urge to whip off the dodgy looking leaves too!!  ;D

[goodlife]

 ;D

[Eristic]

The oldest leaves on the garlic plants always die off as they progress. This is normal and nothing to get worked up about. Rust tends to affect the main foliage and looks like .. well, rust. it is transmitted on the wind and there's not much you can do about it.



My garlic a few days ago. Good enough for me in April.

[RenishawPhil]

Well if my garlic fails this year it will be two years in a row. I won't be a happy bunny

[chriscross1966]

It's a bit early in the year for it but have you checked for onion white rot?.... roots infected with fluffy white mould, bad cases the root plate just detaches when you pull the plant..... it's a sod to eradicate once it's in there and it lasts too long to rotate away from really...

[galina]

Stripey garlic leaves can be a sign of virus.  As garlics are clones (propagated from plant material and not from seeds), they can get virus problems to varying degrees very easily.  If you have bought new stock bring it to the attention of the seller.  If these are from your own cloves, mark the best plants and avoid the worst affected for seed garlic next year.  Garlic can carry quite a bit of virus before the yield is affected too badly, no need to panic.

Could just as well be they were too dry earlier in the year or a sign of rust, which will show up as orange tiny 'blobs' on the leaves in time, or indeed under feeding.  A liquid feed should be fast acting together with all the rain we had.
 
Are all of them stripey?  Hope they look better soon.