[RJR_38]

My garlic bulbs arrived today - early purple wight and Provençal. How do I know when to put them out? My boos give the range sept-Dec and the packaging the bulbs arrived in said as soon as possible upon reciept...

[sunshineband]

Tomorrow?

Anytime soon will enable them to grow decent roots before the soil gets really cold

[RJR_38]

Haha! Ok then, it will be my weekend job. I wasn't sure if putting them out early would be a bad thing down south as the range in books was so big I wondered if it needed to be colder than it is here at the moment

[sunshineband]

No, it is about right and with the extra rain we have had recently the ground will be good to go too 

[bravemurphy]

I put a full row of elephant garlic in tonight and the rest will go in over the next few days, weather permitting.

[Sparkyrog]

Haha! Ok then, it will be my weekend job. I wasn't sure if putting them out early would be a bad thing down south as the range in books was so big I wondered if it needed to be colder than it is here at the moment

you are not down south 

[vanessa.xx]

Would garlic do well in largish modules in an unheated greenhouse over the winter and then planted out in the spring, I ask this because I planted them out last year and they really suffered with rust and then white rot, I'm just wondering if this would save them from the worst of the weather  I already put some over wintering onions in my greenhouse border

[RJR_38]

Haha! Ok then, it will be my weekend job. I wasn't sure if putting them out early would be a bad thing down south as the range in books was so big I wondered if it needed to be colder than it is here at the moment

you are not down south 

Not as south as you granted - but only 70 miles from the southern most bit of coast this side of the country so pretty south. Being so close to London we are much warmer than those closer to the coast this time of year as well. We had blackberries 3 weeks before my parents who live on the south coast for example! And everything here crops earlier.

[al78]

I thought garlic was supposed to be planted late October onwards.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/Garlic

RHS suggests late Autumn-early Winter.

[mumofstig]

Well.................... it certainly feels like early winter here 

Mine will get planted as soon as they arrive 

[goodtogrow]

Would garlic do well in largish modules in an unheated greenhouse over the winter and then planted out in the spring, I ask this because I planted them out last year and they really suffered with rust and then white rot, I'm just wondering if this would save them from the worst of the weather  I already put some over wintering onions in my greenhouse border

I've suffered in the past the same fate, but not every season.  It depends on how wet the winter is, I suppose, especially on my clay.

Given that garlic is believed to have originated in Central Asia, it may just be that our soils and climate don't really suit it over winter, but it does ok in certain circumstances.

I think it's a good idea to bring them on in modules, and then to transplant them in Spring when conditions are more favourable. 

Best wishes

[Nobbie]

Would garlic do well in largish modules in an unheated greenhouse over the winter and then planted out in the spring, I ask this because I planted them out last year and they really suffered with rust and then white rot, I'm just wondering if this would save them from the worst of the weather  I already put some over wintering onions in my greenhouse border

I don't think it would help much with rust as this usually develops in spring and by leaving them in modules the garlic won't develop as good a root system as they would in the ground. Plus it's a lot more hassle.

[Kristen]

I think it's a good idea to bring them on in modules, and then to transplant them in Spring when conditions are more favourable. 

I believe they need the cold of the winter as that is what causes the individual cloves, which you plant, to "split" to form the clump of new cloves in the bulb that you will harvest. If I've got that right then don't put their modules anywhere too comfy for the Winter!

[Fairy Plotmother]

I think it's a good idea to bring them on in modules, and then to transplant them in Spring when conditions are more favourable. 

I believe they need the cold of the winter as that is what causes the individual cloves, which you plant, to "split" to form the clump of new cloves in the bulb that you will harvest. If I've got that right then don't put their modules anywhere too comfy for the Winter!

That's what old Joe tells me. Don't plant garlic until the cold so that it settles in the warm earth to set up good roots. If it's planted when warm weather could be, it could start growing its top growth. No good says Joe!!!!!

[sunshineband]

You have indeed got that right, Kristen. Garlic does not need cosy  But planting it now allows it to grow some decent roots before that cold sets in.

A watering in of Sulphate of Potash will help them fight off rust, and another dose around March will do no harm