hi,
can someone remind me how i was meant to prepare the ground for garlic please?
thank you
lbb
http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/garlicgrow.asp
ok so i have no hope in my wet clay
:'(
No such thing as "no hope". Try several things like loads of lime, planting deep, or planting shallow until either your soil changes or you hit the right conditions for you.
Remember it can't hurt to try.
Good luck.
Bill
hi bill thank you, do i need to lime the soil before i plant and dig it in or top dress like for cabbages?
lbb
I'm on wet clay LBB and not a problem for the last few years.
Poke them in and just cover with netting - or old net curtains if necessary to stop the birdies pulling them out!
Ninnyscrops
In my first year I got a great crop of garlic without too much work on my clay soil. My Italian allotment neighbours grow huge garlic on their soil, but they've been at it for years.
I'm learning the benefit of crop rotation though... in last 2 years the crop has been very poor... small & the cloves not packed together. I think it's because I've planted in the same place, though may be due to the damp summers we've had.
All my garlic had split into seperate cloves before I had lifted it... too much rain I think. ::)
Blimey Tim. Is that the right price to buy garlic. Seems to be expensive :o I have grown some cloves I was given last year but came to nothing so intent to buy some for next season. Surely them prices are high or is that the norm for garlic.
Quote from: ktlawson on September 21, 2008, 08:44:56
Blimey Tim. Is that the right price to buy garlic. Seems to be expensive :o I have grown some cloves I was given last year but came to nothing so intent to buy some for next season. Surely them prices are high or is that the norm for garlic.
Garlic Farm prices do seem high. I buy mine by the lb - £8.00 per lb for 1lb or more; £7.50 for 5 lb or more - and you can mix half lbs of different varieties.
I'm reading this post with interest because my bulbs were quite small this year.........
sooo, i dont need to do any real soil prep?
well except making sure no weeds
lbb
Quote from: hopalong on September 21, 2008, 10:37:13
Garlic Farm prices do seem high. I buy mine by the lb - £8.00 per lb for 1lb or more; £7.50 for 5 lb or more - and you can mix half lbs of different varieties.
Where do you buy from?
Quote from: Sparkly on September 21, 2008, 14:55:25
Quote from: hopalong on September 21, 2008, 10:37:13
Garlic Farm prices do seem high. I buy mine by the lb - £8.00 per lb for 1lb or more; £7.50 for 5 lb or more - and you can mix half lbs of different varieties.
Where do you buy from?
Jennifer Birch, Garfield Villa, Belle Vue Road, Stroud, Glos GL5 1JP (phone/fax 01 453 750 371). No email or website. She supplies long dormancy and short dormancy varieties and I have found them to be of very good quality.
Garlic's easy to grow, though in a season like this one the skins tend to discolour or rot if you're not very fast lifting it. You need good soil, and it needs to be in early to give it a long growing season. the real key is only to plant the biggest cloves. Take them off the bulbs and eat the rest.
Raised beds can help a lot with drainage in heavy soils - excess rain water drains away quicker and this is really useful in the winter. Garlic is not that fussy about the soil type but poorly drained soil will rot most overwintered plants.
My raised beds are just piled up earth (including the topsoil of the paths) surrounded by turf walls. Does not cost anything and they are self-sustaining.
I got good sized cloves on my clay soil this year and I bought my cloves from T&M but I think they get them from the Garlic farm anyway. Previously I bought some from wilkinsons but got much smaller cloves...tiny in fact.
Don't bother with Wilko's. If you've got decent bulbs plant the biggest cloves and save your money.
From saved cloves, I'll say no more except they'll be in the ground in a few weeks time ;)
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1289.jpg
Totally jealous Ninnyscrops! Mine were a bit of a disappointment this year. But hey here's to next year....
I've read (somewhere) that garlic likes ash. As I have access to lots of ash (wood) is it best to dig it into the ground now or wait until spring and give them a dressing?
Thanks
Hi 1066,
I personally don't use ash - some say wait until spring as it washes away over winter.
Why not experiment and try half now and half in the spring?
Ninnyscrops
1. Yes - wood ash leaches out very quickly.
2. Funny - The Garlic farm used to recommend Potash, but now seem to go for N & Sulphur?
I grew Music last year, and had brilliant results. I'm on clay but was advised to plant the bulb on mounds about 4 inches high. I had to dig a trench in freezing February, slightly downhill from my rows, to draw the water away from the bulbs. I managed various sizes, big plumptious 7 clove jobbies and some smaller 5 clove ones. All harvested July time.
In addition I got to cut of the flowering stems (scapes) towards the end of May, and they were fab in a stir fry, or as added flavour in a slow cook pot.
If my stored bulbs last me through until next May, I will be one happy bunny :)
We managed Garlic on our clay soil by planting them on ridges .It worked really well all the Garlic formed.But with the wet they haven't stored well.Also grew elephent Garlic. Now thats a serious Garlic but very mild.
Thanks for the replies, as I have a fair bit of ash I'll sling it on the garlic beds anyway - probably as and when I remember (not very scientific I know :-[ )
1066
No point using ash this time of year, it washes out quite fast. Use it when plants are growing strongly.
Re-reading the replies I think it would be best if I wait till spring to spread the ash - thanks for all the replies
1066