Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Sprout on May 24, 2005, 10:18:15
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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.
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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.
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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
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i have brought the bulbs from garden centres too, but i was too tight with my cash to pay 99p for a bulb!!!!
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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
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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.
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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?
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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
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Doh! I'm not that stupid (or am I?) :)
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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
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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. ;)
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too much maths!!!!
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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.
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try growing it in pots???
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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
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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!!
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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.
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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 10oc 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.
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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 ???
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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
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/bunnycat/DSCI0104.jpg)
I just hope they're being as vigorous below the soil as they are above it :-\
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Looking good bunnycat.
Don't forget garlic growers, give Gavins pickled garlic a go - they are to die for.
And don't forget to try some garlic whilst it is still 'green'. Young and sweet!
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I've been told that young, sweet garlic is gorgeous when roasted, so I might have to give that a try :P
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Hi All,
Just a note for those growing Garlic for its medicinal qualities, once subjected to heat its natural anti-biotic properties are for the most part lost.
It is only when eaten in the raw state that virtues of this wonderful herb enhance your health and wellbeing.
PREMTAL ;)
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BUT NOT YOUR BREATH ;)
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Gavin - excuse me?
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,319.msg3153.html#msg3153
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Gavin - excuse me?
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,319.msg3153.html#msg3153
This one I think, Tim:
http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/veg/garlicp.htm
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Thanks Tim and Wivvles for the links :D :D
Never tried pickled garlic, but it sounds delicious :D
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Hello there
As we are on the topic of garlic, I wonder if anyone can help me with some info on, WHEN DO YOU HARVEST GARLIC ? Any advice would be very welcome.
P.S. just planted my toms out in the lottie, it was very hard to leave them and come home. Hope they'll be all right.....
Katy
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Just found this on another site:
As garlic reaches maturity, the leaves will brown then die away. This is the cue that it is time to harvest your garlic crop. If you harvest too early the cloves will be very small, too late and the bulb will have split.
Once picked, it is essential that garlic is dried properly, otherwise it will rot. The bulbs are often hung up in a cool, dry place. After a week or so, take them down and brush the dirt off gently - don't wash the bulbs at this stage.
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Sprout,
The other problem with leaving garlic in the ground too long is that itt rots - very quickly. So when they go brown, dig 'em up quick!!
Phil
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I've always grown mine from cloves planted direct in the garden either in very early spring, or better yet, in late Autumn. I'm not sure that they transplant well, and who would need to anyway? Reason I say that is the pics from Bunnycat show garlic in very shallow containers. What plans have you got for them Bunny?
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My best come from cloves I save myself, and plant as soon as I harvest. So I have garlic in all the year round.
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Thanks Sprout,
I really wouldn't want to leave them too late. I'm growing some elephant garlic, it's huge they look more like leeks.
Katy
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So right, Wiv - I was thinking of the ones I had done myself. Esp the lemon one.
Harvesting? From the Horse's mouth -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/7902fd73.jpg
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I've always grown mine from cloves planted direct in the garden either in very early spring, or better yet, in late Autumn. I'm not sure that they transplant well, and who would need to anyway? Reason I say that is the pics from Bunnycat show garlic in very shallow containers. What plans have you got for them Bunny?
Hi kk
I'll be using them for cooking as both myself and hubby adore Italian food, cooked with pleanty of garlic ;D
As it's my first ever attempt, I've no idea how they're going to turn out but all the literature I've seen says they do well in tubs. Fingers crossed, eh?
I'll post another photo when I harvest them :)
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bunnycat - PLEASE don't be put of by this but, as ken hinted, you may have a problem.
Don't expect to get fat bulbs from a trough. Cloves are normally planted 6" apart, 2" deep in fertile soil. Yes, you'll get some tasty stems, but don't expect too much?
Prove me wrong??
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As I said, I'm only giving them a go at the moment to see what happens ;D
I don't have anywhere BUT containers to grow veggies so if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I've got onions in a big container and potatoes in compost sacks as well, and I'm about to have a go at runner beans in a tub with canes, too.
I'm really just taking pot luck to see what works in tubs and what doesn't :-\
If it's a failure, I'll try something else next time, or do toms again as I've had a lot of success with cherry ones in tubs ;D
There's still lots for me to play with and I grow herbs as well, so all won't be lost ;D
All advice is greatly appreciated, so thanks to both you and ken for your thoughts, tim :)
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"Just taking pot luck " ;D
Thats a good 'un Bunn ;D
Your like me, not much room so all my veggies grow in pots too and its fun seeing what works and what doesnt :)
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All my garlic is growing in containers too, but mine is growing hydroponically!
And since its in perlite I can gently scrape it back and have a peep underneath. The original bulb is dying off and theres a little ball of new garlic underneath it! ;D ;D
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My skin and blister grew garlic in pots last year and did pretty good. I think lack of water is the biggest problem. She only has a small garden so is growing everything in pots, even her sweetcorn!
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I wish I could see what my veggies are doing, Shirl ;D LOL!
'Pot luck' - oh dear, I didn't even realise what I was typing :-[ I'm getting worse ::)
I'll be getting the runner beans into thier tub at the weekend, so that will be another trial crop all set to go.
Of course I'm hoping that I get something back but half the fun is just having a go, isn't it? ;D
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I find the smaller 'baby' varieties do very well in pots. I know runners do fine in pots, I have first hand experience of that one.
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Thanks for that EJ ;D Good to know that the runners will probably be okay.
I've got a book with a section on growing the smaller versions of veggies in a limited space, so I might have to dig that out and have another look :)
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Lol bunnycat im still at that stage where I poke about everywhere to see whats going on underground! ;D
I grow pretty much everything in pots and its been fine. I even grew my carrots in a box last year. I popped it on a high table and never once had to worry about carrot fly!
Good luck with it :)
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I'm still quite a nervous gardener. LOL!
I read as much as I can about what I want to do, phone my Dad and start telling him about everything I've read to see if he has anything to add and he just says 'for gawd sake, just put things in tubs and see what happens'!
Very laid back gardener, my Dad ;D
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Thats just dads in general. I grow quite a bit of my veggies hydroponically and my dad still says that its an expensive marketing gimmik that doesnt work......... even when he can see vine heavy tomatoes growing in front of him!
My carrot boxes this year are a bit dissapointing but I dont think im alone in that.
Its a great way to grow and I can just pick em up and pop em in the greenhouse if it going to be cold!
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Sounds like an interesting way to do things.
I've heard of it, but I've never seen it in action.
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One last thought not otherwise mentioned in this string is that I've heard one of the reasons for putting garlic in in Autumn is that they need exposing to sub-zero temperatures in order to stimulate division into more bulbs - those that haven't moved on from the original clove may be due to this?
Maybe late/spring/summer planted garlic needs a couple of overnight stays in the freezer before you plant it? I was going to try that and pop a few cloves in the greenhouse bed when I harvest mine (late June/early July?).
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my elephant garlic is starting to flower, should I let it? or nip the flower buds off.
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Didn't know that garlic benefits from getting really cold to help with the bulb division. We've had a few frosts since mine went in, so perhaps that might help :)
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Well I put some garlic under the rose bushes last year, I heard it helps with black spot, probably the antifungal properties..they've started to grow, so I'm going to wait for leaves to go brown, see what I've got and re-plant a clove or 2.Thanks folks I had been wondering...but all questions answered ..brilliant.
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hey hey...
We bought two bulbs from our Allotment Association and split them down into cloves, planting them in early November last year and we now have 22 very strong looking plants out on the lottie. They are about 50-60cm high and about 2p round. When will they start to flower or when will the foliage start to die back?
We are very much looking forward to tasting our first clove!
Ben
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Mine went in a similar time to yours FloBen and a few have shot up flowering spikes, which I have nipped off and I notice my foliage is already looking less than healthy, but then I do suffer with rampant white rot and rust on the plot, so it is always a race to dig them at the first signs. All things being equal, plan to drag the kids to the plot at the end of the week and pull my winter planted onions, half the shallots and dig some garlic to see what shape it is in.
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EJ - I had quite bad rust on most of my garlic plants last year, due to general "I'll get around to it"-edness I left them in for a couple of weeks longer than I ought, but they still harvested ok.
Doesn't seem to have affected their storing ability, thankfully. I think that we're down to about the last 2 or 3 bulbs from last year's harvest, and unlike the ropes of garlic bought in wine-runs to Calais the two or three years previous to that they haven't succumbed to mould either.
I'm eagerly awaiting my late autumn-planted batch coming into harvest. We're not that far from the summer solstice now, so it won't be long...
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Richard- should I be harvesting my garlic now as they have all started to show rust?
Thanks Andy
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Sub-zero temperatures are not necessary, a cool period (0 to 10 degrees C) is all they need. Don't put them in the freezer the fridge will do
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The rust I can live with, it is the rot I have to beat!
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EJ - yes, I'll gladly take rust over rot any day!
andyh - I don't know, I'm not an expert by any means, but I do know that the rust didn't seem to affect the harvested garlic last year. So I'd be tempted to leave them till optimal harvest point and not worry about the rust.
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I'll let you know how my raised beds work this year. Can't live without garlic!
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I've got two sorts on the go, a softneck ( doesn't flower) and a hardneck ( which does ). You can leave the flowers on, but you're wasting some really good eating. The whole shoot, if picked before it flowers, is very garlicky with the consistency of onion and is great in salads.
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Have now read these two terms a number of times having never heard of them prior to joining A4A. How do I tell whether the variety I have is soft or hard necked and is there anything else I should know about how to treat them both except one flowers and it should be removed and one doesn't so don't bother keeping an ey out for flowers?
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This doesn't answer you, does it! You need to know the variety that you have - then you can check.
http://www.garlicworld.co.uk/seedstock/index.html
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Hi All,
Just a note for those growing Garlic for its medicinal qualities, once subjected to heat its natural anti-biotic properties are for the most part lost.
It is only when eaten in the raw state that virtues of this wonderful herb enhance your health and wellbeing.
PREMTAL ;)
I read a book a while ago (I forget the title) which said that tests have been done and they show that cooked garlic has the same health properties as raw garlic. It is not destroyed by cooking.
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This doesn't answer you, does it! You need to know the variety that you have - then you can check.
http://www.garlicworld.co.uk/seedstock/index.html
I think my choice was between Elephant and French Red (Wilkinsons - they only had two) and I like my leeks to taste like leek and my garlic to have plenty of garlic taste so I plumped for the French Red. Good news then, its a hard neck and will keep well and is described as having good garlic flavour.
PS is it possible to grow garlic from seed?
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Hi PrincessPlant,
We must argree to disagree on that one. :(
I have used plants for their medicinal properties for some 30 odd years and am well aquainted with the healing qualities they provide.
No disrespect intended :)
PREMTAL
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Right - stand up the clever clogs garlic grower!! He knits as well?
dj?
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Of course they might be plastic display ones ;D
BTW has anyone else noticed the trend for artificial hanging baskets?
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1. You wouldn't??
2. What a time saver. And no more drips on your head.
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Redclanger...Yes it is possible to grow garlic from seed...and I have 50 plants on my bedroom window sill to prove it !!
One of the old boys at the lottie always grows his from seed and they are the best garlic I've ever seen. He gave me some seeds earlier this year so I could try it out. They are about 8" tall at the moment and when the weather warms up a tad I'll harden them off and plant them on the lottie. 8)
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Who does the seed and does it need special care? (probably get the white rot ayway knowing my luck)
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I'd be interested to know where the seed can be bought too - or does the chap just let his plants go to seed and save his own?
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He saves his own seeds year after year. I have looked extensively on the net but hav'nt come across anyone who sells them.
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He saves his own seeds year after year. I have looked extensively on the net but hav'nt come across anyone who sells them.
Doesn't it take longer than a year for them to bulb up though?
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I am intrigued by the idea of growing from seed too ...
Derekthefox :D
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It takes a bit longer....sow the seed in the autumn and by the summer they should be ready.
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Hiya,
I've got really heavy clay soil that I've been improving for the past couple of years. I had an excellent harvest of garlic last year. The only problem is that I had severe rust, so I chose to pull them before they were fully grown. Still had lots of fat juicy bulbs though.
I also tried Elephant garlic last year which was an incredible success. Fun to pull them because they were so ridiculously huge! Very tasty in stir fries too.
This year I have got my garlic from the the Really Garlicky Company - fab service and top bulbs. Just planted them last week into last years potato bed with extra chicken manure pelletts and a thin covering of straw.
Next spring I'm going to plant the little mini bulbs that grew on the roots of the Elelphant garlic - has anyone done this before??? Do they produce useful bulbs?
hen
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I've got some of those I'm planning on planting now and in the Spring to see the results. Surely they'll grow?
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Give them a chance Salix. I am growing elephant garlic for the first time this year too, they are looking quite happy with small green shoots ...
My other garlic (variety unknown) is also looking very healthy.
Derekthefox :D