Garlic Falling Over?

[Mortality]

I planted out some Garlic cloves not long ago and they have been growing nicely about 3'' shoots on them now, weird thing is nearly everytime I go out there one or two of them has been moved out of place. I just pick em up and push em back in, but what could be causing it?

[Mortality]

[:(]

Birds pull them out, I net garlic and onion sets until they have rooted enough that the birds cant pull them out any more.

[saddad]

Birds will pull up onion sets when they have sprouted (and before) my garlic is usually too deep to pull up... is your soil light?  :-\

Snap!

[Mortality]

Ah that explains it, surprised that they would go for it cos of the taste..
Not sure what you mean by light soil..but I planted them pretty deep, almost seems like they've risen up the soil a bit.

[Robert_Brenchley]

The roots are probably pushing them up. Make little holes with a dibber and drop them in. Then there will be space underneath.

[guerriero75]

Hi all,


Garlic pulled off.......................the hole.............

Only one bird can do that ...that I love to eat.....WOODPIGEON...they pull out the garlic and onions to see if worms are underneath them.

I saw them late at night what the buggers do...mind you next day where in my pan...yummy

[Vinlander]

I've been using a technique for years that should prove even more useful on light soils because it will solve the pushing-out problem too.

Just put a plain sheet of glass over the row when you plant the sets/bulbs. It doesn't matter if they are broken sheets as long as they cover the row.

I find this particularly useful when I plant sets just before going on holiday.

Even after two weeks of good weather (often is while I'm away), when I come back I find the sets have normal length leaves except they have pushed along the soil under the glass.

I take the glass off and within a day the leaves are up and looking exactly like any other onions/garlic the same 'age'.

Simple, effective and foolproof (but put some slug pellets under the glass just in case).

Cheers.

[saddad]

 

Not sure what you mean by light soil..

Hi Mortality... sandy type soils, rather than clay... are much lighter if you have ever dug both you will know the difference!!  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

'Light' soils don't hold moisture well, so unless it's rained heavily in the previous 24 hours or so they're easy to dig without breaking your back. 'Heavy' clay soils hold much more moisture, so they weigh a ton on your spade.

[Mortality]

Oh I see, well it's not a heavy clay soil (we had that in Exeter) I dont think it's particuarly sandy either, it drains slowly, but isn't waterlogged.  ???