[Iecabus]

Hi all. I have just ordered Garlic 'Provence Wight' Hardy Bulb Cloves and Garlic 'Solent Wight' Cloves. I'm a little confused on the sowing. When is the best time to sow? The place I brought them off said they are ready to grow, I'm not sure what that means.
Last year I grew garlic from 27th July 2018 and harvested them 24th May 2019, they grew ok. They fared well over the winter months. Research has shown that garlic is generally sowed in Autumn and can be sowed in spring, it is so essential I follow that or should I sow them when they arrive? What would everyone else do?
Thanks all.

[Nobbie]

I think I would leave it until autumn or you run the risk of the bulbs rotting if we have continuing wet weather before they start growing. Also save taking up unnecessary space or having to weed carefully. I've got garlic that I've left in the ground from one year to the next and it seems fine though, so probably won't make a lot of difference.

[Paul Plots]

I could be wrong but I think garlic might need a period of cold weather - may have made that one up!! (But I don't think so)

Most garlic is planted either in early spring or in autumn. If your soil is likely to become water-logged then plant in spring especially if you have heavy clay soil where the garlic might be soggy and rot before growing begins.

I've not done this but maybe it is possible to start it off in small pots or large cells and then plant it out once it is showing signs of growth.. Might be worth a trial. I have certainly done this many times with shallots and it's worked very successfully... if you want the fuss that is

[hasbeans]

Put the bulbs somewhere cool, dry and dark until october and grow something else in the garlic bed that finishes by then (owt but brassicas and alliums?).

[Iecabus]

I could be wrong but I think garlic might need a period of cold weather - may have made that one up!! (But I don't think so)

Most garlic is planted either in early spring or in autumn. If your soil is likely to become water-logged then plant in spring especially if you have heavy clay soil where the garlic might be soggy and rot before growing begins.

I've not done this but maybe it is possible to start it off in small pots or large cells and then plant it out once it is showing signs of growth.. Might be worth a trial. I have certainly done this many times with shallots and it's worked very successfully... if you want the fuss that is

I think ill split the batch up in two, half direct sow and half in pots. Many thanks