Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: juliec on February 15, 2011, 10:57

Title: garlic bulbs
Post by: juliec on February 15, 2011, 10:57

Ive bought some garlic bulbs and having never grown garlic before would like to ask.

They are as big as the bulbs you can buy to eat in the shops, so what will happen to them when I plant them will they just get bigger or do I separate the whole  bulb into the smaller pieces and plant them and they grow into whole bulbs again?

many thanks

Jools

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: DD. on February 15, 2011, 10:59

Divide them into cloves and plant them individually.

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: juliec on February 15, 2011, 11:33

Thanks DD that sounds like it would work better.
 :blush:

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: justviolet on February 16, 2011, 18:49

Can I add to the garlic questions please?

Is it true that if you plant them this time of year they are best stored for a few days in a fridge?  And, this may sound stupid but can you plant it in the rain/drizzle or is it better to wait for a dry day? Just thinking of soil compaction and rotting. Another weekend of rain forecast, frustrating! Whenever I'm free it seems to rain!  ???

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: mumofstig on February 16, 2011, 18:52

put a placcy cover over where you want them to go, leave to dry for a bit and next time you go, you can plant them  :)

I put mine in the fridge last year, they yielded ok, but couldn't say if the fridge made them better or not  :unsure:  :blink:

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: justviolet on February 16, 2011, 22:25

Thanks mumofstig, that's a great idea.

Title: Re: garlic bulbs
Post by: galen on February 16, 2011, 23:24

I read a couple of years ago on this site (can't find the link I'm afraid) about keeping them in the fridge for a couple of weeks if you can't get them planted in late autumn to ensure they get their "cold units". After splitting them into cloves I did that to mine this year, roots started growing whilst they were still in the fridge  :ohmy:

Anyway, planted them out a month ago and they are poking through the soil now. Must report back on the yield when I harvest them