Growing garlic

[Kimbo]

Does anyone have experience of growing this and if so how successful was it?

Is it reasonably easy to grow and when is the best time to plant it?

thanks poeple

Kim

[The Chili Monster]

Hi KimboTry here: http://www.selfsufficientish.com/garlic.htm

[Kimbo]

brilliant, thank you. should have looked on the site first

[Han&Matt]

Hmm, wish I had looked at the guide before planting mine out - bought plants at a garden centre as I hadn't appreciated how easy they were to grow from shop bought bulbs; they lasted around 2 weeks in the soil before dying (appearance of over-watering rather than drying out). Have heard that they don't like to be planted in hot earth so attributed failure to time of year and day I planted them. Honestly though, they are meant to be the easiest thing ever to grow and I lost all four!

[chadspad]

I have just planted some sprouting cloves into a pot. Reading that page tho I might not have a lotta luck - still no harm in trying eh

[ina]

I planted mine late last year, and they are looking (and tasting!) very good. Want to leave them in a bit longer, to hopefully increase in size, and mature fully. I did buy "proper" plant garlic, though (through the organic catalogue), not the ones you buy for eating - but I will try that this year, too.

[greenbean]

Hi Kimbo,
I planted out some garlic cloves last year, would have been october time I think. I harvested all the garlic about 4 weeks ago, earlier than I had expected, all the tops dropped and according to my Monty Don hero that's when to dig up. I have lots of huge juicy garlic bulbs, they are absolutely beautiful and yummy, although not as strong tasting as shop bought garlic (I know it varies) - anyway I would recommend growing it from cloves in autumn.

[Smooth Hound]

I plant mine in Feb and am just digging them up now, I live in Scotland so I dont Know about down south, I would guess autumn.

[Shirley]

Hi Smooth Hound

Welcome to the site - whereabouts in Scotland are you??

[Smooth Hound]

Nr Turriff

[Shirley]

The north east are taking over ISH! LOL... Do you post on NEEPS! too??

[Smooth Hound]

My girlfriend uses that one, well we both do but in her name, as we only have one email address it will only let one of us join, which is unusual as other forums allow us to both be on seperately but with the same email address, but never mind, see if you can guess who she is, a clue is she is from the area where I live.
Mike

[Shirley]

That's odd... I'm not sure if there is a way around it... apart from setting up a hotmail email address or something. I reckon you must be pictishpunkgirl's boyfriend :) - I'm Shirlz - aka wildgarlic on NEEPS! and one of the freecycle recipients of the alpines YAY!!

[*stuffed*]

I have heard garlic needs a cold period to form cloves, I planted mine just before a cold snap early this year and although small they did all seperate unlike some I have grown previously from spring plantings.
Will be trying planting in October this year to see if they grow any bigger.

[chadspad]

Ah-ha, that would explain it then! I planted some sprouting cloves about 3 weeks ago and nothings come up yet.