Kitchen Garden Forum

Just been up to the plot and some of the garlic is dying back. I lifted 3 or 4 plants and noticed that there is secondary growth of mini cloves sometimes just above the bulb and on other plants a few inches up the stem. What has happened?

Hi, When did you plant your garlic? If it was winter planted you may have delayed harvesting a bit too long so the bulbs have started re-growth. The old saying with garlic is 'plant on the shortest day - harvest on the longest'

a-a

Sounds like you have garlic pips you could try growing from these mini bulbs


viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9509&hilit=leek%2C+garlic+pips

A-a, yes it was winter planted so I guess that may be the reason. My usual practice of adding on 2-4 weeks because we are so far North seems to have backfired this time.
NB - pips will be taken off and sown in pots in greenhouse!

Thanks for your replies.

I've read [from the Garlic Farm?] that it is better to be too early harvesting than too late. I also suggest that the maxim of shortest and longest days applies to later rather than earlier varieties.