garlic

[shirlton]

 I'm only just able to plant my garlic and could do with some advice. Last year we got  a lot of rust on ours and I think I remember someone saying that it's better to lime the soil. If this is so then can I put the lime on and plant straight away or would I be better sprinkling the lime in between the cloves without actually getting any on the cloves

[shirlton]

[Tee Gee]

A couple of things;

I'm only just able to plant my garlic and could do with some advice. Last year we got  a lot of rust on ours and I think I remember someone saying that it's better to lime the soil.

Are you planting it in the same spot as last year??

Providing you have cleared away all affected plant material you might be OK

If not who is to say you will catch it (rust) again ?

Rust generally appears on a plant/s lacking in Potassium so a feeding regime (at the right time-Spring)might be the better option.

If this is so then can I put the lime on and plant straight away or would I be better sprinkling the lime in between the cloves without actually getting any on the cloves

Do you know if your bed requires Lime or not?

If it does I would go for the latter method, i.e. between the cloves and let it weather in, after all; initially your garlic has no roots to take it in, whereas when the roots appear the lime will be dissipating into the soil from the surface meaning the roots can collect it.

That's my view for what it is worth but then again I don't use lime on my garlic bed as such.

I always consider that my rotation programme caters for that i.e. when I put it on my brassicas that's it until the next time I put brassicas in that bed.

Sorry if this answer is a bit vague!!

[shirlton]

Thankyou so much Tee Gee. Knew I could depend on you. We have only had the plot for just over 2 years and it hadn't been worked for many years so there are only the places where the greens have been that have been limed . They will have the root veg in next year. I am not planting the onions or garlic in the same place as last year. The area wher they are going has had potatoes in. When we first took the plot on I did a soil test and it was acid. I think I will take your advice and sprinkle the lime around the plants.

[BAK]

I am not sure that I would want to apply lime in the vicinity of the garlic, even between the rows ... and I do not think that lime will help with rust anyway.

I agree with Tee Gee that potash, applied in the spring, is the accepted method of combating rust ... although it has never really worked for me.

I get rust every year. In my experience the degree of rust appears to depend on how wet the soil is. For example, the garlic that I planted in autumn 2006 spent most of the winter surrounded by water - it was on a raised bed with the water on the surrounding path. In contrast, last winter was not as wet in these parts and I saw no rust at all until late May.

Similarly the very wet August this year seemed to bring on the rust on the leeks.

[hopalong]

I agree with Bak. A nitrate-rich soil is often said to be the cause of leek rust, which also affects garlic, and the cure for that is an application of potash in the spring. But I'm convinced from personal experience that excessively wet, poorly drained soil and planting the cloves too close together are also major contributory factors.  I'd suggest you ensure your soil is well drained and that you plant the cloves 15-20 cm apart.

[Hyacinth]

Well Shirl I was going to post just now agreeing with TeeGee and Bak - but now I'm agreeing withhopalong as well. ;D

Apart from the potash sprinkle in the spring, I'm wondering how waterlogged your site is now? I've been squelching around all morning..Erd or Sutton any drier? Remember, peeps get good results from early-spring planted garlic too..

[Tee Gee]

I didn't expect the response this article has had but it has made for interesting reading.

There is one aspect that I broached on but didn't develop on, and that is a 'host plant/s and debris for the rust spores to dwell on over the winter months.

When I mentioned; Providing you have cleared away all affected plant material I meant this fetches prevention rather than cure in to the equation, and this is one reason (not just for garlic ) that I like to 'winter dig' and get rid of host plants (generally weeds) that create winter quarters for pests & disease.

So plot hygiene is all important and generally beneficial to most things that we grow.

In the end it also works out cheaper in the long run because you don't have to apply insecticides/fungicides as often.

The other aspect of winter digging is;when the digging is done there is no panic in spring to prepare beds for planting out, particularly if we get a foul spring and you are unable to dig and prepare the beds for all those plants sitting on your window sill etc.

Just thought I would put these thoughts into the melting pot for you all to think about.

[BAK]

Tee Gee,

I like to think that I am reasonably on top of plot hygiene ... and I am also an early winter digger.

Rust is widespread over our site and after 18 years here I have come to the conclusion that the main driver appears to be how wet an individual season is. As previously mentioned, I have tried applying potash but without success.

Fyi - we are on a sandy soil which is close to neutral with respect to ph level.