breezing in...

[pongeroon]

...after ages not posting, as if nothing had happened
Hello.
Anyone else got rubbish garlic? Ours are undersized (very) and some have gone rotten (neck end, not roots). The ground grew fennel last year, I think, and was well dug over and fertilised with garden compost and blood fish and bone, and the garlic was watered properly. Dunno what went wrong. Any ideas?

[Motherwoman]

Hi Pongeroon,

Possible over-feeding? Compost and FBB could have been a bit much for it and caused some rot. Don't know about the undersized bulbs though, did you use 'proper' seed garlic or just split a grocer's garlic? Some of the chinese bulbs around don't seem to do well in our climate.

Anyway, welcome back!

MW

[Westi]

Mine were actually quite good - over wintered well! BUT had taken advice from IOW garlic at New Forest show last year which was just put it in your ground as is & not fed & leave it be & then in spring give it a bit of a feed. So soil not particularly good over winter but a little burst when warming up makes it swell!

(Unfortunately didn't go to show this year & person I asked to get some more bulbs for me said not there but will give their advice another go just to test on bulbs I get from lottie shop!)

Westi

[pongeroon]

Thanks for your help, MW and Westi.
The bulbs were from IOW, which was one reason why I was so disappointed in the result. I think maybe in previous years I have not been so conscientious about preparing the ground, and maybe that suited the garlic better. So I will revert to my more usual laissez-faire attitude next year and hope for good garlic

[Motherwoman]

That's it, just give a gallic shrug and poke them in!

MW