[Leeds_Pete]

Evening all,

From a pure novice this time last year, I successfully grew lots of onions, garlic, potatoes and salad "stuff" in my first year in growing my own.  I was amazed I could grow so much more than just weeds.

Question folks re the garlic - I harvested all my garlic ~ mid to end August last year which has lasted up to Christmas time in the cool garage hung up.

I replanted a raised bed full of the cloves I grew back in mid to end Oct, thinking I'll try get the stuff in early.   I also planted winter onions at the same time.

Most of the onions are coming thru well, but the garlic - no sign at all.

Should I be seeing life yet or does it start sprouting very soon. 

Or should I concede defeat and get some more garlic in before the garlic planting window closes.

Thanks so much for time in responding

[mumofstig]

Mine is only just beginning to show through, and there are quite a few gaps - but I think it will be ok once the weather warms up a bit more 

If you are really worried then dig one up - you may find lots of roots but no top growth, which is fine, just replant it.
 At least you'll know whether they're rotting away or not.

[angelavdavis]

Mum's right - just wait a bit longer, they take longer to appear and need the warmer weather to get going.

[Chrysalis]

Thanks. I was wondering the same!  My "Music" garlic is up, but not the rest...

Maybe this week I'll sow something else!

[Ema]

My understand is garlic needs a cold dormant period of around 3 months before they start to grow

I have somewhat cheated and put a few supermarket cloves in (yes I know there not disease  resistant but they are UK varieties) these are all sprouted and some are 8 inch high.

[crh75]

I have somewhat cheated and put a few supermarket cloves in (yes I know there not disease  resistant but they are UK varieties) these are all sprouted and some are 8 inch high.

It's not that they are not disease resistant but the fact that thy may be carrying disease.  One of which is onion white rot, I have this and believe me it is a pain and stays in the soil for 15 years or more!

[RichardA]

I do OK with garlic but I recall one year none came up from a January planting, when it got to about May I was fed up so raked the surface and planted some salad stuff, that came and was used and I did it again. About November that bit of ground now bare showed some odd shoots pushing through, in proper spaced lines, I was puzzled a bit then I realised it was garlic. It came on progressively and probably only 1% failed to show and yielded well and was pulled the next autumn and kept well.So about 20 months from planting to pulling - weird.
It is odd stuff but tough.
R

[BabbyAnn]

A lot also depends on which variety you are growing - an early variety like Early Purple Wight and Illico can have several inches growth ahead of later ones like Music which on my plot is about an inch high. 

[surbie100]

I put Marco in at the beginning of January (tub on balcony) and it started to show in early Feb (100% germination). In early Feb I sowed another head in pots (again on balcony) and they have yet to show their faces. From reading all the threads on here about it, I am guessing that patience is the name of the game for this one!

Let us know what you find if you dig one up...

[sunshineband]

One short row of garlic is up, the elephantt garlic (a leek sort really  :blink: ) is up

But the other short row cannot yet be seen


It'll be down there somewhere, growing away and then pop up and surprise me 

[angelavdavis]

I have somewhat cheated and put a few supermarket cloves in (yes I know there not disease  resistant but they are UK varieties) these are all sprouted and some are 8 inch high.

It's not that they are not disease resistant but the fact that thy may be carrying disease.  One of which is onion white rot, I have this and believe me it is a pain and stays in the soil for 15 years or more!

White rot is endemic on our site as it was an onion field for twenty years apparently!  I am currently trialling an experiment and growing my onions in raised rows of horticultural sand to see it the drainage and sand helps to reduce the incidence (I usually lose a small percentage of onions and practically all my shallots through white rot, although it doesn't seem to affect garlic as much).