[campanologist]

I am growing garlic again this year as I was pleased with what I got last year. More luck than management. I have read that now is the time to start them off in pots in an unheated greenhouse and transfer out about March. Is this adviseable. I am in Lancashire. Also, when using pots, how deep should they be and do I wait for them to start sprouting before I put them in the pots.

[Trillium]

Get the deepest pots you can, set the individual cloves one per pot into the pot soil so that they are covered by about an inch or more. This will be the future soil level of the forming bulb. Water lightly from time to time and keep them cool until planting out time. Spring planted garlic will always give you a yield, but not as large a yield as fall planted garlic.

[egg]

I put mine in pots last year - the only problem I had was that the mice dug them up looking for my broad beans! They obviously dont like garlic!!

[Sheila]

Is it ok to use garlic bulbs that have started sprouting in the kitchen? or do i need to buy specific  bulbs ?

[Trillium]

Welcome Sheila. Perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself on the Welcome forum

You can use garlic which has sprouted but it won't guarantee good results as it could be a garlic that normally doesn't grow well in the UK. You've nothing to lose by trying. Hopefully you'll be ready to plant good seed garlic, which is free of any diseases or viruses, in fall for the best yields. Garlic likes a very cold period during growth so it can divide into the cloves.

[elibump]

The main rule with garlic - the locals around here tell me  - is that it really does not like wet or damp conditions, freezing cold is OK but wet & damp lead only to rot.

Hope it helps.

Eli xx

[Janeymiddlewife]

anyone else dug theirs up yet to check    ?

My broadies (next to the garlic)  are OK, just 1 or 2 frosted & black on the tips, but no signs of the garlic. So I "checked" yesterday - they haven't rotted, but not rooting yet either - think the cold had held them back so hoping they get going soon. Last year I mistakenly buried them under compost, so those plants might get going as well - here's hoping 

[viettaclark]

Been out today in this wonderful sunshine to tidy up the strawbs and see how thing are going.
Planted garlic, onions and shallots in raised beds at the end of November. Most of the onions have 2/3" shoots and although the shallots haven't sprouted the bulbs are hard and plump. The bestest thing was noticing the garlic shoots just pushing through!
They didn't mind the hard frosts, snow and monsoons at all.