Kitchen Garden Forum

The garlic is growing nicely I am pleased to report. Shoots are 5/7 centimetres high already! And no signs of slugs.
Feeling happy about that.
Nothing much else growing in the garden apart from stones and fallen leaves...

I purchased 4 garlic bulbs, two varieties, from our local Allotment Trading shed. Planted out 46 cloves on 9-10-16
As yet, zippo, not a thing. Not even a sign of anything.

I planted twenty cloves three weeks ago they are three inches high the elephant garlic I planted three days before has not shown yet

That's because the elephant has a longer gestation period

I only got around to putting mine in today as planned spot had been encroached by raspberries which I had to dig out and one very stubborn spiky blackberry given to me by the birds.

I had 2 rows left in the bed from the bought garlic, but luckily I have a patch of garlic growing under the pear tree which were a few inches high so filled the bed with them. (It was where I had a chicken wire frame about about 4 years ago to dry the onions & garlic & obviously lost one or two). I let it grow as snip the tops & use it like garlic chives, but was pretty impressed with the size of some of the cloves when I dug it today and excellent root growth. Fingers crossed they liked the effort put in to this bed.

Westi

Hi,

The ones I planted in the allotment are just starting to show as are the ones in pots in the cold frame (always grow a few in pots for in filling and companion planting). They went in mid October.

Pawty

My oak smoked garlic in the veg bowl is also sprouting! What's that about?? Tough little blighters or just waved over the oak chipping's before Mrs Mug came along?

Westi

Question on garlic growing... Mine is still growing strong and hopefully the tortrix caterpillars will not be interested... But I have a question on how will the garlic become a head of garlic? Does it happen naturally or do we need to do something special to it? My mother said that at some stage I should tie a knot with the leaf and that will trigger it. I think it is an old woman's tale though... Any thoughts?

Sorry Oscar's mum, but definately don't tie knots in the leaves! I've always been told that it is the cold that trigggers the division of the bulbs Oscar, hence the best garlic often comes with autumn planting and after a good, cold winter. I often find that some of my spring planted garlic refuses to divide and I end upw ith one large bulb. Still very tasty, but not really what we are looking for!

Otherwise just keep it growing steadily next year and let nature take its course.

Thanks, that's what I thought... I'll break the news to her gently (after Christmas). Or maybe just a little white (green!) lie and I will tell her that I did tie knots