Kitchen Garden Forum

I planted loads of garlic last autumn, and have just noticed that on about half of it, the foliage is starting to get yellowed, not streaked, but creeping solid yellow from the tips of the leaves down. Have I got a problem?

I've previously planted my garlic in the spring, so don't know if this may be normal autumn garlic behaviour; but the rest of it seems to be all green and growing strongly now.

One of mine did the same. I thought it was dying and started to dig it up, but the roots were fine, so I left it. Now it seems to be putting up new green leaves. But I would be interested to know what the experts think...

I had the same problem last year and put it down to a lack of magnesium. I gave the garlic row a dusting of dolomitic lime and this cured the problem in a couple of weeks. If you haven't got any dolomitic lime, watering with epsom salts would have the same effect. Worth a try as it certainly won't do any harm.

John

A quick search has found this guide to yellow leaves:

Yellowing leaves, stunted growth, older leaves die and fall…nitrogen (N) deficiency

Young leaves yellow, paler at the margins….calcium (C) deficiency

Young leaves yellow, bright green veins…iron (Fe) deficiency

Yellowish margin to older leaves, pale green between veins…magnesium (Mg) deficiency

Good little guide here:

http://www.crocus.co.uk/alanshowto/usingfertilisers/

I would be inclined to give them a feed with something like fish blood and bone or growmore.

HTH

Jerry

Thanks chaps, will feed as you all suggest.

Yes, mine have been going yellow at the tips for a few weeks now.

However I have three different varieties and only some seem affected, so I wonder if it really is just mineral deficiency or something more more fundamental like the dry weather (up until a week or so ago!)?

Colin

My garlic went like that so I shoved on a couple of handfuls of calcified seaweed. Seemed to do the trick as they're no longer yellow.