Topic: Garlic - no cloves.

[rokerman1973]

Hi, just harvested my first garlic, Germidour, purchased from Wilkinsons. Planted in October last. This is the first time that the bulb has not split into gloves. Is this due maybe to the lack of a decent frost or have I done something else wrong. Have grown garlic successfully for a number of years. Many thanks in advance.

[Paul_D]

I'm new to all this and still trying to decide when to pull up my first ever garlic crop so sorry i cant help but just wanted to say hello to a fellow Mackem. 

[Pescador]

Could well be the mild winter. Where is your plot?

[rollingrock]

late June to early July

[Tee Gee]

I haven't lifted any of my plants yet, on looking at them I am guessing it will be around another month before I get round to lifting my plants.

I tend to go along with the others at this stage and put it down to another of this years weird events.

Who knows? There might be something in this  global warming thing after all!

Just as a matter of interest, have the leaves yellowed?

[johhnyco15]

i lifted one of my germidor again purchased from wilko although a little small it had around 8 cloves to the bulb will leave the rest to mature for a while however no problems apart from rust which we get every year 

[Jeannine]

The variety of garlic I grow puts up scapes that curl twice most only curl once and some don't at all. It is worth looking up your variety of garlic to see when it scapes, it is very good indication that the plant is getting mature which is a big help when deciding to lift it. July is about the middle line , some earlier some later.This year over here it mature very fast and I got to double scapes very soon.I have dedied not to lift it as long as theleaves are a good color.

Also knowing of you have softneck or hardneck  is crucial to good growing so make sure when you buy ot the info is there ,  soft or hard and what variety it is..


If you know the variety you planyed I may be able to tell you a bit more about it.

[sparrow]

My Extra Early Wight had died off completely so I pulled it up. 3 decent bulbs and the rest were really small. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but if the other crop is also poor I don't think I will bother with it again.

[galina]

Rokerman,  I'm with Tg on this one.  I think you pulled up too early.  All garlic first grows a round, then splits later.  Having said that, there is nothing wrong with using rounds, they are easier to peel, just that the overall harvest is lower.

Incidentally, if you replant a round, you will get an extra large, divided bulb next year. 

[rokerman1973]

Could well be the mild winter. Where is your plot?

South Coast Hampshire - looks like a combination of mild winter and lifting to early.

[rokerman1973]

The variety of garlic I grow puts up scapes that curl twice most only curl once and some don't at all. It is worth looking up your variety of garlic to see when it scapes, it is very good indication that the plant is getting mature which is a big help when deciding to lift it. July is about the middle line , some earlier some later.This year over here it mature very fast and I got to double scapes very soon.I have dedied not to lift it as long as theleaves are a good color.

Also knowing of you have softneck or hardneck  is crucial to good growing so make sure when you buy ot the info is there ,  soft or hard and what variety it is..


If you know the variety you planyed I may be able to tell you a bit more about it.

Hi, Germidour, not sure if it's a soft or hard neck but think it is hard neck. Looks liked pulled too early, still it was only 1 for culinary purposes so will leave the rest

[rokerman1973]

I'm new to all this and still trying to decide when to pull up my first ever garlic crop so sorry i cant help but just wanted to say hello to a fellow Mackem. 

Hi Paul D - greetings to you to - well spotted. An exiled Mackem living in Hampshire.

[rokerman1973]

I haven't lifted any of my plants yet, on looking at them I am guessing it will be around another month before I get round to lifting my plants.

I tend to go along with the others at this stage and put it down to another of this years weird events.

Who knows? There might be something in this  global warming thing after all!

Just as a matter of interest, have the leaves yellowed?

Leaves covered in rust, not yellowed or started to die off. Looks like a combination of a mild winter and pulling too early. Was only the 1 for culinary purposes so will leave the rest until foliage dies back. Thanks.

[rokerman1973]

Rokerman,  I'm with Tg on this one.  I think you pulled up too early.  All garlic first grows a round, then splits later.  Having said that, there is nothing wrong with using rounds, they are easier to peel, just that the overall harvest is lower.

Incidentally, if you replant a round, you will get an extra large, divided bulb next year. 

Thanks, was only the 1 for cooking. Will leave the rest. The leaves are covered in rust

[rokerman1973]

Thanks everyone for your useful comments. Looks like I harvested too early and a combination of a mild winter. It was only the 1 so will leave the rest. I have grown them successfully for a number of years without problems. Just thought that the clove forming part took place over the winter and somehow this year had a bad crop. My leaves are covered in rust and haven't wilted yet. Suppose I was just a little impatient to have a look. I usually do harvest about this time in years past but as advised will leave the rest in situ and harvest later. Take care all.

[Steve Oram]

Hi all. Thought I'd throw in, though not much to add - seems the slow March/April has delayed my garlic too (Kent). Also delayed, sweetcorn...etc.

On the rust, I've hardly got any this year even though both of my neighbouring plots have. No idea why, but I've been watering at the base trying to keep the leaves dry as apparently watering over the top in the evenings makes the rust worse. However, one neighbour has hardly watered his, and the rain has probably made the leaves wet anyway. Who knows!

[galina]

late June to early July

For which area in the UK is your harvest advice?

[Deb P]

My garlic gets rust every year regardless of the weather/watering it seems. I just leave it in until I need to replant the area, usually early July, it doesn't seem to affect the crop and it still dries and stores ok.

[Jeannine]

Well I am leaving mine in, I was tempted to harvest due to the double scapes but I am not. I will take some of the scapes off in a few days which I usually do to all of them but there is some talk in the garlic world that leaving them on some varieties is better si I am doing half and half.

Oh and if anyone out there is a newbie to garlic , not all garlic varieties send up scapes and only a few send up doubles.