Planting Garlic

Need to know the best time to plant?

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Westi
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I normally plant my garlic with the tips just showing, but watched Gardener's World' & Monty, who I find hugely irritating mostly as I do the whole show as it is so out of anyone's realistic price range. Anyway Monty said he planted his garlic quite deep and they were bigger bulbs when ready.

Anyway has anyone got any thoughts or experience? Do you need to plant the cloves a bit deep to affect the end result. I only ask as the last 2 years I have been very disappointed with the size when harvested.

Thanks in advance.
Westi
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I often mix how deep I plant things, just to see what happens
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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Geoff
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But do you remember at harvest time?
I don't get huge garlic but it keeps us going. I plant much like many ornamental bulbs, covering them by their own depth. Planted mine on 15th September, two own saved varieties (Germidor and Marco) and one fresh (Messidrome).
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I tend to plant them deep enough so as they can't be seen keeps the pigeons off them
Monika
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I plant mine just deep enough not to be visible. We checked on our today (planted last week) and the anti-pheasant netting seems to have worked. He had walked around on our allotment, padding down along the fences, but there was no damage, other than that by the weekend winds which had brought down all the Jerusalem artichokes.
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Primrose
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I generally plant mine a couple of inches deep if only to prevent them being disturbed by squirrels who often steal peanuts from the bird feeders and then to bury t(em in the vegetable patch. I think planting them too close to the surface risks them being expose if heavy rains wash away the soil in esrky stages before the roots have been established,
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I planted mine a couple of days ago (lautrec wight) along with the electric and radar onions curtacy of kitchen garden mag and dt brown seeds. planted them as per dt browns instructions 1" covering of soil.
Westi
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My instructions said 1" deep as well, but they were huge cloves & stood proud of the hole at one inch so they did get planted deeper. Will wait & see then.
Westi
jeff64
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westi, i took my instructions as meaning plant and put 1" covering on top, sorry if i misled.
PLUMPUDDING
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I plant mine in pots with the tips just peeping out and keep them in the cold frame until the worst of the winter weather is past but before they're pot bound.
Westi
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Sorry jeff64!

You can see why I need this forum! Goodness I read that as 1" deep not 1" over the top of the clove. I did plant mine deeper because of their size luckily!
Westi
PLUMPUDDING
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I've looked at your question again Westi and don't think the depth makes much if any difference to the size of the bulb. I think it is more dependent on the weather and soil nutrients. The deeper ones may be more firmly planted and be less stressed by wind rock or at risk of birds pulling them up. Because mine have already got good roots and a shoot when I plant them out it isn't a problem.

Mine were a very good size this year but I lost quite a few because it was so wet when I was waiting for the tops to die down and they went rotten. In hindsight I should have lifted them earlier and dried them indoors. Last year's were smaller but kept better.
Westi
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I'm inclined to agree PP!

I do prepare the bed, not too much mollycoddling but I have sandy soil & it always needs a bit of a boost or a lot of a boost depending on the crop. I don't recall reading that garlic are too greedy so hopefully I'm right on that. I'll tell you something for nothing I would have been dead proud if my garlic looked like those that I received. They are in now & will have to see but weather will be the deciding factor for sure!
Westi
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Pa Snip
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Israfilhaque1230 wrote:I for the most part plant mine two or three inches profound if just to avoid them being irritated by squirrels who regularly take peanuts from the winged animal feeders and afterward to cover t(em in the vegetable fix. I think planting them excessively near the surface dangers them being uncover if overwhelming downpours wash away the dirt in esrky organizes before the roots have been built up,



Is there something missing here as this post is just a copy and paste, not even a quote, of Primrose's earlier post

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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It does say profound instead of deep. Quite why, I don't know.
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