Allotments 4 All

OK, I got scared and lifted a bunch of them just now as I'm away over the weekend and didn't want the forecast persistent rain to get to them before I got back.

Q1 - did i read somewhere that you shouldn't wash before hanging to dry ?

Q2 - what happened to the burst bulbs - (second pic) ?  Inconsistent watering (never watered them since the day they went in - I just relied on our good old west of Scotland weather).

I'm quite chuffed tbh.  As far as I can see not a bit of rust or rot in sight.





I've left a dozen or so of the smaller ones in the ground to take their chances over the weekend.

The patio reeks and I'm going to have to rig up a washing line in the shed for hanging.

All advice and tips gratefully received as always (next year I hope I won't have to ask).

;D

Looking at those tops Mrs KP I would have left them a lot longer. There was still some scope for increased bulb size, at least you will know better for next year.

Do you have any slatted shelving? I find it is best to lace them through laths and leave them upside down until the root system dries off then they are easier to clean for storage.

When cutting the stem down I grasp the stem so that my little finger is touching the bulb and cut the stem where it comes through my fist (forefinger & thumb) and this gives me sufficient stem to string them up.

Same like some of mine - see under Tesco's. Seems to be the purples that do it more?

I don't think that there was any need to lift yet. They are not that over & rain will only spoil them if you try to push them to the limit in size when they should be ripening.

There is no need to wash. When they are nicely dried - not fried - the outer skins will peel of leaving a pristine bulb. On the other hand, I have washed - where we've had rot, & they have kept.

PS  Acknowledging TG's post which crossed.

Oh, & even later - no dispute, but is it not better to leave a longer stem for storing?

The reason I lifted now is that all I've read about is rust and rot and with the rain that we're due to have over the weekend while I'm away got me running scared.

I've actually left as much in the ground as I've lifted, so I've covered all the bases.   ;D

Re the slatted shelves (which we don't have), I'm about to go in the shed and construct some sort of suspended line technique up in the roof.  It's really the only place I can think of  as we're definitely not going to get any sun.  So by "upside down" we're talking, roots at the top ?

foreverly grateful.

I've just lifted my earlies today; they were pretty rusty, but the bulbs are massive. I had a lot of the 'burst' bulbs; I think it's pretty standard. Wait till they start to flop over next year.

Quotebut is it not better to leave a longer stem for storing?

With onions yes but not garlic after all the stem is fixed to the base plate and the cloves are fixed to the base plate so the stem does not play any part  other than as a means to tie them up (in my opinion)

Whereas the onion stem (for want of a better term) is part of the onion and must be allowed to drain.

What do you think?? Have I got wrong all those years  ;) ;D

Just learning - but I know that all mine that I trimmed close last year for some good reason (?) are long defunct.
And thought that I had read it somewhere.

I take your point Tim, but it promotes the question;

Why does supermarket/greengrocer garlic not have stems ???  ::)

It has been stored somewhere ??? a cool room I guess, so temperature may play a larger part than the stem for storing qualities.

Just a thought!!

And when was it lifted & how long need it last when bought?

This doesn't answer much, but is food for thought?

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/growing.htm#anchor17762009

blow me if the sun hasn't come out this morning !   :-X

Still, our friends who were gifted the first born still on the stem last night were mightily pleased, even if it did stink out the house.   ;D

The CCTV has caught us on plenty of occasions transporting strange items between our two houses (5 mins walk), sofas, a bath, suitcases, dozens of bags of old milk and pop bottles and now me waving a garlic stem around with gay abandon.  I like to keep the monitor operator entertained.

Thanks for all your comments.  I will studiously ignore the ones still in the ground until they're ready and see the difference in size between the two liftings.

Cheers chaps.

They are looking great!  Garlic is on my list for next yeat!  ;)

Found it, TG!  The Garlic Farm's quote:


The garlic bulb, exposed to sufficient heat, will dry and go into deep senescence, prior to reawaking in late autumn or spring with thoughts of propagating itself and pushing out a green shoot. By drying the bulb thoroughly and causing the minimum of shock to it by leaving the stem entire in a plait, we delay the onset of regrowth as long as possible. Plaits and grappes are the best way to store your garlic.

Like this I guess (see extreme right of picture)

Sorry for quality of picture.

All spikey like!

Those look mighty FAT strings. I do mine in6' ones with only 3 to a row. They hang from a beam in the kitchen..

Despite the constant warmth, they last well.

Also in Glasgow, I think that my garlic has a few weeks to go yet, before I lift it to dry on wire racks in a cold frame.