garlic

[straush]

hi

read it is soon time to plant garlic. (very new to this - not even cleared allotment ) can i just buy some organic ones from supermarket ?

thank you

[straush]

[Hyacinth]

I think Oct/ Nov's about the time, so you're perhaps a bit early. :-\

This year I'll be sowing saved cloves and also cloves from bought organic ones. Yes, there's a slight risk of importing a virus,  but I'm not inclined to buy from The Garlic Farm any more.

[ninnyscrops]

Hi Straush - don't sow mine till late October time.

You can sow from supermarket ones - but sow the largest cloves.

Ninnyscrops

[kt.]

This one you can sow up until Nov / Dec time, not tried it myself as yet though:
http://www.kingsseeds.com/kolist/1/1/31616.htm

[tim]

You are OK into Jan & Feb.

[Mr Smith]

I will be planting cloves which we bought to eat from the I-O-W Garlic farm sorry 'AM', they advised us that they would not be suitable to plant but they are going in, the Garlic we grew this year came out of a supermarket shelf in Lanzarote and very nice they are too :)

[Mr Smith]

Over the winter would garlic and onions benefit from being in a raised bed with a poly frame over the raised bed?

[pigeonseed]

don't garlic need cold to split cloves? So I would have thought best to let them get cold, not in a polyframe (Is that like a poly tunnel?)

and overwintering onions I thought were hardy enough to leave to their own devices. But I tried them when I lived in London so it was quite mild. Maybe they would like some comfort!

[Hyacinth]

I agree.....garlic needs cold and is hardy, so there's no need to give it any special protection. Raised bed? Up to you but as long as the soil isn't heavy water-logged clay (like mine atm ;)) there's no need.

[Mr Smith]

The idea is to have my allotment covered in muck for the winter but I would like to use my raised beds thanks for the advice leaving the beds uncovered saves meknocking the frames up :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Plant it in October, as you're quite right, it does need cold. Diferent varieties need different amounts, and some can be planted in March successfully. But October planting gives you the biggest bulbs. Plenty of people use supermarket garlic successfully. When you lift the crop, save the biggest cloves (not the biggest bulbs - I just pull off individual cloves) for replanting, as the bigger the clove you start with, the bigger the bulb at the end.

[Paul Dee]

Garlic is one of the things I've decided not to bother with anymore.

Of course if you insist on growing all your own veg, then all power to you, but when you can buy a clove so cheap, which tastes just as garlicky as homegrown, I'd rather use the space for something else where I can taste a difference.

[tim]

79p for a 2" bulb at Tesco - cheap?? Robbery!!

These were from a 2m x 1m raised bed last year.

[lottie lou]

Wyevales sell garlic for planting.  Don't know what variety but they gave me a great crop this year.  Tried supermarket ones a couple of years ago but they weren't up to much - you don't know whether they are suitable for British weather and they can have been kept in cold storage for a year or so before going on the shelves.

[grawrc]

Garlic is one of the things I've decided not to bother with anymore.

Of course if you insist on growing all your own veg, then all power to you, but when you can buy a clove so cheap, which tastes just as garlicky as homegrown, I'd rather use the space for something else where I can taste a difference.

I must say that I find the taste and pungency of home grown quite different from shop bought. Plus you get the scapes which are quite delicious.

Agree with Tim on price as well. I suppose it depends how much garlic you use.

[thifasmom]

i have to agree garlic prices are highway robbery :o, and we do use them alot, so i wanted to grow them this year as i did last year but the crop failed, i'll sow some for october november though.

[gardencarer]

Can anyone tell me how long garlic stays in the ground for after planting

[Eristic]

I plant mine at the end of October and harvest at beginning of July.

[Ishard]

Whenever I see my bought garlic sprouting I plant it despite which month it is, so far so good.  :)

[tim]

Mine are often as late as February - lift August.