OK guys, so how do I tell when the garlic is ready? I pulled one up for a look-see and it was still uber-tiny though it smells nice. Growing it round my roses in nice, fertile soil. Any advice?
When the tops start to flop over and go brown.
I dug my early stuff a few weeks back and the late stuff last week.
I'd have thought NOW!
Wowsers Aqui, that was a quick reply. Thanks!
And mine may be ready in 2-3 weeks?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/garlic1007.jpg)
Down here in deepest darkest Somerset, we do many things according to old wive's tales. On garlic the local philosophy is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day. It worked for me ;D
I have pulled all mine up, mainly because I couldn't bear to look at all the rust! Did it last week and have a great crop. :D
Quote from: dingerbell on July 11, 2005, 14:40:43
Down here in deepest darkest Somerset, we do many things according to old wive's tales. On garlic the local philosophy is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day. It worked for me ;D
I'll try that next year - I wasn't too far off it this year, without realising! Comes from not being a local...
I pulled my shallots at the weekend and they are
drying off nicely. How long should they be left to dry?
and how long can they be stored.
Apologies, this is my first successful shallot year!!
Debs ;D
A couple of days in this weather?
Till next Spring - if you don't eat them!!
Thanks everyone! Dingerbell - that old wive's tale or whatever sounds worth a try. I will try to remember that one!
I pulled one of my garlic this week as the leaves were turning brown, the bulb was fairly big but it was not in segments (just one big bulb) did I pull it early?
Bumble - no. It means the plant didn't get long enough cold weather in the winter to make it split. Loads of mine have gone like that. They are lovely slow roasted whole!
That sounds good Aqui - whole roast garlic :P
Here's hoping mine don't separate into cloves!! ;D
Debs
But you still do it if they do!!
I most certainly do Tim! roasted garlic is one of my most
favourite things, especially mixed into creamy mash :P :P
The thought of having one HUGE roast garlic is sheer
heaven ;D
Quote from: aquilegia on July 12, 2005, 10:13:13
It means the plant didn't get long enough cold weather in the winter to make it split.
How long is long enough? Mine were planted late sept last year, I thought that would be long enough, can you plant them much earlier than that? Perhaps the winter was a mild one, didn't feel like it though when I was planting my raspberries in the cold! ;D
Ours went in 3 Feb & had at least 3 severe frosts. Early pots went in 10 Mar & were twice frosted.
Can't ask for more??
This is one of the runts of the litter, which we've been using 'wet' - just testing. Hope the others will be much bigger.
I went up the Lottie today and noticed one of my Elephant garlic's had a seed head, is this bad news? my nieghbour lottie told me to snap it off so I did :o Should I have? ???
Roy,
Yes
On lifting on the longest day, that would appear to shorten the time some varieties need to transfer the "contents" of the leaves to the bulbs. When nature provides such a good indicator (the tops going brown and going over), why stick to the calendar when the weather (apart form the daylength) doesn't?
Phil
Tim - your photo looks almost identical to the one I pulled up earlier this week. Yes, a runt I suppose. Ah well, there are several others in that location, I hope they grow a bit bigger yet. :) I shall be watching for the leaves to go over!
mubgrub>> you may have planted the cloves too deeply. the garlic needs to feel the cold in order to put on growth and split into segments. you can plant between 1 and 4 inches deep.
I think it must have just been too mild then. I left the tops just peeping out because my soil was uber heavy at the time (getting better though, slowly ;D).
Here's my first homegrown bulb of garlic
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/bunnycat/DSCI0229.jpg)
The leaves have only just started going over, so I pulled one just to see what was happening as I've never grown garlic before, and these are in tubs ;D
From the outside, it looks as if it might have split into cloves but I suppose I won't know for sure until we're ready to eat it.
I'm not at all disappointed, as I had no idea whether they'd be okay in tubs or not.
Quote from: dingerbell on July 11, 2005, 14:40:43
Down here in deepest darkest Somerset, we do many things according to old wive's tales. On garlic the local philosophy is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day. It worked for me ;D
Doesn't that only work if you have a Mediterranean-type climate? I tried it here (the West of Ireland) a couple of years ago and it was a total failure. Planted in spring this year, when we're more or less guaranteed a cold spell, and it seems to be doing a bit better - though nowhere near ready yet. Mind you, I do wonder whether it's worth attempting at all when we don't get much heat or dry weather!
In the West of Ireland, who cares if you can grow Garlic?? You lucky people!!
Thanks for those encouraging words, Tim! Have just spent a weekend in Herefordshire, which is looking particularly lush and pretty (and 'English', I suppose) at the moment, and came back feeling very jealous. But I suppose I should be more grateful for what I have! (Which may or may not include garlic this year ...)
Well - beggars, they say............!!
At least we missed the dreaded rot this year, in the beds.
But when, after such a good showing to date, they all flopped over today, I thought that their time had come. But very unnaturally. So I dug the best of the 30 or so. Oh, well!!
One thing I have noticed is that I got the wrong mix of soil for the beds.
Does rust do any harm to the garlic anyone? I'm looking after a bloke's lotty and his garlic is covered in rust and is next to his shallots. Shall I pull them or leave them (garlic that is)?
Wardy
Others will probably know more, Wardy but my garlic was absolutely covered in rust and fine when I harvested. How long is your friend away for? I'd leave it so he gets the fun bit of pulling it up. ;D
Looks good Tim!
Rust is more cosmetic, altho if it is very bad, it does make them poorly. I wouldn't worry about it Wardy.
Better than rot, Emma, but not properly 'cloved'.