Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi there all you experienced gardeners. I planted garlic for the first time last autumn. The seed packet says to harvest after the leaves have turned and started to wilt. Ok, happy with that. But today I was inspecting my veg patch and trying to catch up following all the wet weather and noticed that about 1/4 of the garlic plants are bolting. So I have pulled the 2 largest plants and have quite nice garlic bulbs about 1 1/4" diameter. So my question is: What do I do with the rest of the plants? how do I prevent bolting, or should I harvest now? OK so that is 3 questions, but you get my drift! I was lucky enough to learn quite a lot from an old countryman, but cannot rember him ever growing garlic. Used to grow amazing globe artichokes though! Also another question, do I use these fresh or should I put them somewhere to dry? Thank you in anticipation!

I always dig mine up when about half the leaves have turned yellow. If you leave tham too long after this the bulbs start to split apart. You can use the garlic straight away, but if you intend to store it then leave the bulbs somewhere warm, dry and airy to dry off.

Hi RBC

Sounds as if your garlic are ready. Don't bother trying to prevent bolting. Dry the bulbs for storage, but do eat a few fresh - they are so much better than dried and are definitely only a seasonal treat.
I bet a lot of forum members wish they could grow garlic as successfully as you seem to have done.

Cofion gorau - Best regards

Alan

Not to contradict the advice above, but I regularly get a seed stalk growing (happens more with some varieties than others).

The general advice is to just remove it. Unlike onions etc, the stalk doesn't affect the growing bulb as much since the cloves grow around the outside of it. If you snip these stalks off early, you can minimse the effect on the developing bulb and hold harvesting until the plant's ready.

Having said all that, the bulbs on mine are getting quite large so it could well be time to dig yours. Lets hope you have a few warm days while you're drying them.

Good luck, Colin

I planted my garlic in November and they haven't really started forming bulbs yet - the're just thickening out at the base. Is this to be expected?
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Granny

Hi Granny, it may be, as different varieties take different times to mature. Also, considering some people don't plant their garlic till Spring, that won't mean their garlic will be ready 6 months later than one planted in the previous October.

Your supplier may have provided some guidance in the expected pulling time. However it's still best to be guided by:
- when all the leaves start becoming very droopy
(some outer ones will droop much earlier, especially if the plants are drying out)
- when you can see (or feel) the bulb getting big enough.


Colin

ps Since many people are trying (and asking questions about) garlic this year, I wonder if it's worth us putting together something in the "Technical Data" section?

Thanks Colin. I was wondering as other people's seem to be ready already. My supplier didn't tell me anything - I used last years that I grew myself which originally came from Wisbech market! I'm sure they were ready in July last year but can't remember and am very bad at keeping notes. I start off well but then start to lose track.
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Granny

Thank you for the useful though slightly conflicting advice!

This is what I have done: I pulled the other ones that looked like flowering too. I have used the stalks in stir frys and stews and the fresh garlic. Very good. I have semi-thined out the rest, and I am drying (well trying to) the bulbs still on the stalks. The remainder are still green and flower free, but I notice today that the outside leaves are starting to wilt. I do seem to have a bumper crop and I am very pleased. Will definately grow garlic again next year. Have had a very good harvest of onions, leeks and garlic, but I have to say I cannot find the variety of garlic to recommend it. If I do I will post it on the forum. Very dissapointing Parsnips, Sprouts & Brocolli though and I have given up growing carrots!

I've had the best garlic crop ever this year - currently drying out before attempting to plait.

What did I plant? Cloves from bulbs courtesy of Lidl.

RBC

Dont give up growing carrots thats what they want you to do!! Its a conspiracy.

I like you couldnt get them to germinate so just left them alone and went away, weeks later there they were - cheeky blighters.

This year I had sporadic germination but now they are all flying along.

One old un on our patch went along his row and trod them in, telling me that it got their attention and then they would germinate.

I think carrots are one of the very best for giving us a flavour that the shops cant match.

David

I too am growing garlic for the first time my question is how do ya know if they have bulbed. They look healthy some the top leaves have started to whilt and go yellow and from all i have read i think its about time I pulled one. Trouble is I have been talking about the ones I planted in the autumn. the ones I planted in spring are in the same condition but not as large, the former are about 3 feet tall. should I just pull them now or do I wait until august as thats when they instructions say i should do it.

Mad Dad wrote:should I just pull them now or do I wait until august

Why not have a gentle explore around the base of one of the stems to check? You needn't disturb it enough to stop it growing if it's not ready. My garlic usually starts to poke above the soil surface by the time its getting ready.

Finally, I'd be surprised about leaving it in till August. Watch out for the leaves increasingly turning yellow and the whole plant starting to droop, rather than wait for a specific date (since weather conditions & watering can affect what happens to your crop).


Good luck, Colin