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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: debster on March 24, 2008, 20:41:58

Title: feeding garlic
Post by: debster on March 24, 2008, 20:41:58
i trawled through all the veg advice sites and marked in my diary what i should be doing and when, well  i wrote that this week i should be feeding my garlic but what should i be feeding them?
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: betula on March 24, 2008, 21:11:40
Garlic only normally needs fertiliser in the ground a few weeks before planting :)
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: debster on March 24, 2008, 21:21:57
oh ok dont know where i saw that then
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: grawrc on March 24, 2008, 21:27:32
I think garlic appreciates potash and also a quick burst o nitrogen to get it going in the spring time.


Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Sparkly on March 24, 2008, 21:32:12
Can you recommend exactly what to add and the quantity? Our garlic is looking slighly yellow on the tips? Is this nitrogen deficiency?
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: grawrc on March 24, 2008, 21:44:32
errm ... I think it's potash...
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: redimp on March 24, 2008, 21:48:03
Chicken poo at the end of March, early April to give it a nitrogen boost so it throws up lots of leaves and then potash in the summer so the bulbs get big - or alternatively, let the weeds grow in summer to rob the soil of excess nitrogen from the chicken poo.
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Sparkly on March 24, 2008, 21:49:30
I have never used any fertilisers before, but I thought potash was potassium salts? I was thinking about a source of nitrogen? What about organic options?
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Sparkly on March 24, 2008, 21:50:33
thanks, redclanger!
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: betula on March 24, 2008, 21:51:46
If you apply too much Nitrogen all the energies of the plant will go into the production of the leaves.
A well manured soil should not need too much potash.Only my opinion of course :)
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: grawrc on March 24, 2008, 21:53:49
Yellowing leaves? suggests not all is well
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Ant on March 24, 2008, 22:17:29
Just had a quick mooch and found here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC7317.html (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC7317.html)
that it definitely looks like a nitrogen deficiency.

Looking at our pictures, the garlic in the areas where the peas and beans were are fine... the ones where the spuds were are suffering a bit.

Ah well, will get some fertiliser on it in the next couple of days  :)
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: wiltshire lass on March 25, 2008, 05:08:50
did nt know you were ment to feed garlic.i planted mine in jan and they have come up.i think they look ok.
at what stage should you feed them?
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on March 25, 2008, 07:37:18
Wait till it warms up and the plants are growing again.
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: springbok on March 25, 2008, 07:41:16
I fed my garlic growmore last week as it was suggested in Garden Amateur magazine.
They suggested growmore too.
Maybe thats where you read to feed them :)
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Truffle on March 25, 2008, 08:42:06
We grow ours in a sandy bed and feed with blood, fish and bone and they grow huge... seems like a good combo?
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Deb P on March 25, 2008, 10:34:35
I used the pelleted chicken manure on mine last year, can't use blood or bonemeal as our site's many foxes go bonkers digging where you have put it.... ::)
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: tim on March 25, 2008, 11:10:52
http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/garlicgrow.asp

Funny - thought he used to use Potash?? I took his advice!
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: djbrenton on March 25, 2008, 11:27:26
I've always considered garlic and onions to like potash around this time of year.
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Barnowl on March 25, 2008, 12:40:12
I sprinkled sulphate of potash around mine in late February this year - must have read somewhere to do that. 
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on March 25, 2008, 13:44:13
I'll be using bonfire ash on mine, a little later in the season. I don't see any point before the plants are growing strongly.
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Tee Gee on March 25, 2008, 15:54:01
Week 12-13; Boost growth by hoeing in nitro-chalk or sulphate of ammonia at a rate of 1oz (30g) per sq m to, or alternatively, 3oz (90g) per sq m of growmore.
Title: Re: feeding garlic
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on March 25, 2008, 18:12:00
No good gardening by numbers though; if you use it when the plants aren't growing, then some of it at least will leach out and be wasted because the roots aren't busy taking it up.