Topic: Growing Garlic

[Sprout]

This might be a stupid question but when one grows garlic, how many bulbs does each plant produce? Are they like potatoes where lots of tubers are produced from one seed potato or they they like an onion set which only produces a larger version of that planted? Just wondering as just seen some garlic plants for sale on another web-site at 99p each - if only one bulb is produced would be much much cheaper to buy from supermarket than GYO.

[gunnerbee]

you will have one whole bulb for each clove you plant, i usually buy supermarket, or if i see a nice big bulb, i keep half to plant, garlic is so easy to grow, last year i had lots of my own to last me the whole year.

[Lazybones]

I'm definitely going to plant garlic this year - I get through loads of it.  However, I have been told it's best to buy from garden centres as there is so much rubbish in supermarket ones - although if Gunnerbee uses that and it works, hey, who am I to question it.   Plant the cloves individually and you will get a bulb from each clove planted (hopefully)  ;D

[gunnerbee]

i have brought the bulbs from garden centres too, but i was too tight with my cash to pay 99p for a bulb!!!!

[philcooper]

I think you're a bit late for this year chaps!

With the varieties that you can buy in garden centres the best crops come from late Autumn planting an early Spring/late Winter will prodcue acceptable yileds but as they stop growing in July - I think you've missed the boat.

On quantities, depending on variety, ~15 cloves in a bulb - each large clove (approx 10 per bulb) will yield a bulb with ~15 cloves. The theory is that is only worth planting the large cloves.

I'm experimenting this year by separating the large and small cloves, they were planted at the end of October and there has been a visible difference in the size of plants since they emerged.

Before you ask - you eat the small cloves!

Don't bother using the supermarket bulbs as they may:

    have virus or eelworm
    not be suited to the UK climate
 
and 99p for 10 bulbs (and 5 cloves to eat) seems good value to me!

Phil

[tim]

Beat me to it, Phil - was just going to say 99/10 (or more!) = 9.9p (or less) for each bulb grown - 1/2 the price of a market bulb, & better.

Yes, the smaller cloves are giving smaller plants.

[Sprout]

Unless i've misunderstood what has been said above, each garlic plant will produce one bulb. Therefore each bulb will cost (as per the web site i've seen) 99p whereas a supermarket bought bulb will cost 25p (or whatever) for the same thing. In this case, where's the financial incentive to grow them yourself?

[Svea]

you divide the bulb, each bulb contains 12 to 15 cloves. you plant the individual cloves, each making a new plant and at the end of the season, a whole now BULB each containing 12 to 15 cloves.

so, for each bulb you buy and plant out as 12-15 plants, you get 12-15 BULBS back.


round and round in circles....;)

svea

[Sprout]

Doh! I'm not that stupid (or am I?)  :)

[Lady Cosmos]

Hi Sprout..
I have Chinese Garlic, I had one bulb( say 0,99p), divided it up into 12 cloves, planted all 12 cloves at 28 october last year 20 cm deep in the ground, the leaves are at the moment about 40-50cm tall, nice green colour and I think I will start picking them within 7 or 8 weeks. I expect another 12 big, healthy, juicy cloves from each (last years) clove I put in the soil  , so it is MUCH cheaper growing your own garlic.  :D :D
1 bulb gives 12 X 12 cloves in one year.   ;D

[Sprout]

Ok, I give up!
I concede that it is much cheaper to GYO if you are going to replant the individual cloves and go on from there. Obviously then, if you buy 1 plant for 99p say, and then eat it, it's cheaper to buy from from the supermarket.
Thanks everyone for your comments. I am now enlightened.  ;)

[selwyn-smith]

too much maths!!!!

[Bambi.1]

I tried growing garlic a couple of years ago and it was a waste of time for me  :'( it was the same size (one clove) it didn't seem to grow into a wonderful bulb,what did l do wrong  ??? or was there something l should have done.............more water or more feeding  ??? l was so disappointed and would love to try it again................l love garlic.

[gunnerbee]

try growing it in pots???

[Bambi.1]

Oh!!!! Do you all grow them in pots  ??? l thought there would be more room in the garden  :o told yer l'm no gardener but l'm learning LOL!!!!

Now the kids are grown,yes l grew them myself  ;D l now have time for the garden and want to learn more  ;D

[tim]

Sprout - "much cheaper to GYO if you are going to replant the individual cloves and go on from there".

But that is exactly what you do?

I've only done it for 60+ years & you've got me confused!!

[Sam Spade]

I've tried garlic for the first time this year, planting supermarket bulb segments after being a bit horrified at the garden centre prices. I planted them early March as they need a long growing season - its' better to plant in November by all accounts.  So far, the results are fantastic in terms of growth above ground growth - hopefully no probs below ground. One thing I would point out is that I'm fairly certain they must be coated in some growth suppressor because it took a suprisingly long time befoee they started to shoot. But once up .. they're raring to go. Sorry, no digital camera.

[redimp]

I tried growing garlic a couple of years ago and it was a waste of time for me  :'( it was the same size (one clove) it didn't seem to grow into a wonderful bulb,what did l do wrong  ??? or was there something l should have done.............more water or more feeding  ??? l was so disappointed and would love to try it again................l love garlic.

What was the above growth like and when did you plant them.  Garlic does need a long growing season and some say they need quite a long period in the ground where the average temperature does not rise above 10^oc for the bulb to split into individual cloves.  I only got my lottie this year and garlic was the first thing I planted - mid February.  I was worried then that I was a bit late - I like to plant it in October/November but the above ground growth is looking good.

PS - I did not separate out small cloves but plated the lot at 10" intervals. Furthermore, I cannot see an advantage in pot growing if you have the land to put them in.

[Bambi.1]

I think l planted them at the right time of year as l bought them from a garden centre which had instructions....... on when to plant.

Because they hadn't grown l left them in for the following year and they were still in a clove and not a bulb  :'(
We have very sandy soil,could that be the reason  ??? Do they need a lot of feeding  ???

[bunnycat]

I'm growing garlic for the first time this year, too. I got mine online from Dobies, and the instructions said to plant them from early March onwards, which I did :)

I've got some in a large pot and some in a trough, and they seem to be going great guns ;D



I just hope they're being as vigorous below the soil as they are above it :-\