[parttimer]

I'm hoping to take over my new Allotment in early April. I have bought a garlic bulb which I was intending to split up and plant when I move on to the site or would I be better leaving it until later in the year?

[johnfh]

Ideally they go in at the end of December (shortest day) but why not put them in a seed tray or grow bag and then transfer them when you get your lotty.  Worth a try, experimenting is half the fun of gardening I  find.

[Dan78]

my garlic went into the ground on Saturday

[Runwell-Steve]

Mine went in on Saturday too.

[DD.]

Depends on the variety, you can get both autumn planted and spring planted varieties. Most people on this forum, it seems, prefer the autumn planted ones, so that the bulb will get a good spell of cold weather in order to clove.

I think that it is worth more than just a passing note that one of the major suppliers, the Isle of Wight Garlic Company does not actually have any for sale at this time of year. Anything ordered now is dispatched in October, and that's the time I generally plant mine.

Were there any planting instructions with what you bought, or is it a supermarket/shop bought one? If it's the latter, it may not be suitable for our climate, most of what are in the shops are grown in Spain.

[Snoop]

Just in case you do have a bulb that you can plant (bearing in mind DD's comments), plant the cloves individually in modules in a cold frame or similar to start them off quickly and then get them in the ground as soon as you can. I planted out some garlic the other day that I brought on in the same way. Worked a treat last year too. They're the same height as the ones I planted out in early winter last year.

Don't bother trying with supermarket garlic, though. In my experience, it doesn't grow well. According to a friend of mine, shop-bought garlic is treated in some way to slow sprouting.

[JohnB47]

Just in case you do have a bulb that you can plant (bearing in mind DD's comments), plant the cloves individually in modules in a cold frame or similar to start them off quickly and then get them in the ground as soon as you can. I planted out some garlic the other day that I brought on in the same way. Worked a treat last year too. They're the same height as the ones I planted out in early winter last year.

Don't bother trying with supermarket garlic, though. In my experience, it doesn't grow well. According to a friend of mine, shop-bought garlic is treated in some way to slow sprouting.

I couldn't resist buying a large Solent Wight bulb about a month ago from a local shop. Put it in the fridge for two weeks and when I planted it many of the cloves were sprouting. I already have two over-winter varieties in the ground and looking good but I'm a sucker for an experiment.

[parttimer]

Thanks everyone for your help. I know feel slightly stupid because there is planting instructions on the packaging, well I say instructions theres a 1cm box with a trowel on it with NOV-APRIL in the top corner. Unfortunatley there isn't any variety on the packaging I have looked honest.  

[JayG]

I'd definitely go with the idea of planting the cloves up into a reasonably deep tray or pot; they'll then be off to a good start when you can finally plant them in your allotment (can't see them being in very good condition come November!)

[parttimer]

The bulb only cost me a quid so if it bombs it hasn't cost me any thing on the grander scheme of things. And as the old saying goes nothing ventured nothing gained.

[digalotty]

3" pots will be ok until you get your lotty

[Katri25]

Hoping to put mine in this weekend.  I heard that putting individual cloches over each clove should result in big fat bulbs, so going to give that a try with some plastic bottles.

[DD.]

Never heard that one, I'd go the other way and say that garlic doesn't like to be molly-coddled.

[parttimer]

Update:-
All was going so well untill they went into the ground, now looking very sad leaves are still green but flopped . You win some you loose some.
Anyone recommend a reliable variety for later in the year?

Stu

[Trillium]

Katri, I'd be very leery of putting a cloche over the garlic. They're a winter plant, preferring cold to heat, and a cloche would only cook them to death. Heat is death to garlic, which is why they're usually ready to harvest by early July.