tips for growing large(r) garlic

JohnB47 · « **on:** October 17, 2014, 15:54 »

Ive been generally pleased with my garlic over the years, various varieties. However, even the biggest ones of my harvest aren't what you'd call generous. I plant them in Autumn (I'm about to plant this year's crop -a bit late this time) and I feed them comfrey tea near the bulbing stage.

Has anyone any tips to ensure a bigger bulb, or is it simply down to the weather?

muckyboots · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2014, 19:00 »

I had similar results, a bit disappointed with my crop I don't think we are on our own . I was told by my garlic supplier to plant cloves in pots till they produce tops/roots (about 4to5 weeks) dig in blood fish and bone a couple of weeks before planting out and stand back .Seems like a bit of a palaver but I will see if this works they can't be any worse.Good luck for next year.

Gardener and Rabbit · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2014, 19:51 »

Hi John, I'm getting better at producing reasonable sized bulbs.

I replant from my own saved bulbs - just did it last weekend - and only replant larger cloves. Sometimes I find the largest cloves aren't in the biggest bulbs, but in the medium sized bulbs that have divided up less.

I don't dig the bed, or add compost, I just loosen up a planting hole for each clove with a trowel, and space them a handspan apart, about 6inches. Once they're showing a couple of inches of leaf, say end-nov, I give them some tomato food. They develop slowly over winter, so I think they may as we'll have some nutrition.

Early March I give them an ordinary liquid feed to help the foliage develop that will feed the bulb, and early April some more tomato food.

I'm feeding differently to what the textbooks say. They wouldn't give any food for Winter, and they often say garlic doesn't need much food, particularly nitrogen. But with experience I've realised my soil isn't that naturally fertile, and I've found that feeding makes a big difference. I'm also trying to get the plants off to an early start, in case rust strikes later.

I'm not sure that weather makes that much difference, except if its a wet Summer there'll be rust.

Hope this helps, G&R

JohnB47 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2014, 21:00 »

Thanks both.

Yes, I have used my own stock a couple of times but not noticed much improvenent. I'll try that again this year and will maybe feed more often.

Ive also tried pre growing both garlic and onion sets but I've found that they go from a very good start to a sudden stop. Its as if they get shocked from the transplanting and find it slow to get going again. So its straight into the ground from now on.

Ho hum.

compostqueen · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2014, 21:43 »

Some varieties are bigger than others, bear in mind.

4 Seasons · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2014, 21:57 »

I was fed up with weeding onions and garlic so decided to try and grow them under black polythene with holes cut at the appropriate spacings with irrigation pipes running beneath. Not only did it cut down on weeding but produced the biggest garlic (solent white) and onions (sturon) that I've ever grown. Once you have taken the time and trouble to cut the holes in the polythene you don't have to do it again because you can use the sheet again and again. The 4 1/2 inch diameter holes were not large enought to pull the onions through when harvesting and I had to stretch the polythene to get them out (imagine a chicken trying to lay a goose egg and you'll get the idea of the predicament). The polythene didn't tear in the warm sunshine, just stretched and then 'pop' out the onion came. With the garlic I just lifted the sheet over the top growth. The diameter of the holes for the garlic was 2 1/2 inches. Didn't get any disease either and the onions are keeping really well even though it's a bit early to judge. Elephant garlic was erm.......elephantine. Shocked a few people including me.

JohnB47 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2014, 00:11 »

Thanks. 4 seasons, did you feed at all?

marcofez · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2014, 07:36 »

I have prepared my Garlic and winter onions beds with roughly going over the top of the soil with a cultivator. Then I've chucked some potash and ground seaweed onto it. This is then raked in. Over the top of all this, I spread a layer of homemade compost. I've let it settle for a month and have now planted my onions. Will plant the garlic around Halloween, hoping to use "4 Seasons" idea of black polythene/weed suppressant (to late for the onions). In the spring will feed the plants with phostrogen or Comfrey T. Hopefully will result in decent bulbs.
Some of these ideas, I have found from http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

JohnB47 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2014, 22:53 »

Quote from: marcofez on October 18, 2014, 07:36

I have prepared my Garlic and winter onions beds with roughly going over the top of the soil with a cultivator. Then I've chucked some potash and ground seaweed onto it. This is then raked in. Over the top of all this, I spread a layer of homemade compost. I've let it settle for a month and have now planted my onions. Will plant the garlic around Halloween, hoping to use "4 Seasons" idea of black polythene/weed suppressant (to late for the onions). In the spring will feed the plants with phostrogen or Comfrey T. Hopefully will result in decent bulbs.
Some of these ideas, I have found from http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

Thanks for that link. But crikey, rows 50 cm apart for garlic? That's what I give my second early potatoes.

4 Seasons · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2014, 00:11 »

Quote from: JohnB47 on October 18, 2014, 00:11

Thanks. 4 seasons, did you feed at all?

I always follow potatoes with onions and garlic so the ground is well manured from the potatoes but I did spread some chicken manure pellets just before I laid the polythene. It is important that you don't add any fertiliser when the garlic and onions are forming as it causes them to rot I have read. So apart from keeping them well watered in dry weather I didn't do anything else. The polythene retains the moisture and heat which they seem to thrive on. But the big plus for me was the minimal weeding which I find an absolute pain with onions and garlic particularly if you follow potatoes in your rotation because you can never get every single spud out of the ground and the volunteers cause real havoc in an onion and garlic bed. The volunteers that do sally forth are met with a black polythene barrier and they either give up or have to travel horizontally to reach the light through the holes made for the onions and garlic where they are easily pinched off without having to disturb the soil for the bulbs. Eventually they give up out of exhaustion and by that time the bulbs are swelling to squeeze anything else that fancies a bit of light out of existence. The size increase was just a pleasant bonus. All the garlic was sound in appearance and only about 10% of the onions looked a bit dodgy to store so got eaten first.

Growster... · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2014, 06:47 »

Quote from: muckyboots on October 17, 2014, 19:00

I had similar results, a bit disappointed with my crop I don't think we are on our own . I was told by my garlic supplier to plant cloves in pots till they produce tops/roots (about 4to5 weeks) dig in blood fish and bone a couple of weeks before planting out and stand back .Seems like a bit of a palaver but I will see if this works they can't be any worse.Good luck for next year.

We're going to do this, Muckeyboots. We have quite a lot of small bulbs left over from this year's crop, and I think they need a boost to get them away, as they're quite small!

They worked well this year, so we'll see what happens!

marcofez · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2014, 11:51 »

Quote from: JohnB47 on October 18, 2014, 22:53

Quote from: marcofez on October 18, 2014, 07:36
I have prepared my Garlic and winter onions beds with roughly going over the top of the soil with a cultivator. Then I've chucked some potash and ground seaweed onto it. This is then raked in. Over the top of all this, I spread a layer of homemade compost. I've let it settle for a month and have now planted my onions. Will plant the garlic around Halloween, hoping to use "4 Seasons" idea of black polythene/weed suppressant (to late for the onions). In the spring will feed the plants with phostrogen or Comfrey T. Hopefully will result in decent bulbs.
Some of these ideas, I have found from http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

Thanks for that link. But crikey, rows 50 cm apart for garlic? That's what I give my second early potatoes.

Yeah seems excessive, but that's for showing. I will be planting mine out around 20cm apart.

JohnB47 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2014, 19:19 »

Quote from: 4 Seasons on October 19, 2014, 00:11

Quote from: JohnB47 on October 18, 2014, 00:11
Thanks. 4 seasons, did you feed at all?

I always follow potatoes with onions and garlic so the ground is well manured from the potatoes but I did spread some chicken manure pellets just before I laid the polythene. It is important that you don't add any fertiliser when the garlic and onions are forming as it causes them to rot I have read. So apart from keeping them well watered in dry weather I didn't do anything else. The polythene retains the moisture and heat which they seem to thrive on. But the big plus for me was the minimal weeding which I find an absolute pain with onions and garlic particularly if you follow potatoes in your rotation because you can never get every single spudp out of the ground and the volunteers cause real havoc in an onion and garlic bed. The volunteers that do sally forth are met with a black polythene barrier and they either give up or have to travel horizontally to reach the light through the holes made for the onions and garlic where they are easily pinched off without having to disturb the soil for the bulbs. Eventually they give up out of exhaustion and by that time the bulbs are swelling to squeeze anything else that fancies a bit of light out of existence. The size increase was just a pleasant bonus. All the garlic was sound in appearance and only about 10% of the onions looked a bit dodgy to store so got eaten first.

Curious about you saying not to feed when the bulbs are forming. I thought that was precisely when you should feed with, say, comfey tea. No had much rot myself.

4 Seasons · « **Reply #13 on:** October 19, 2014, 20:41 »

If I had a choice between rot free but small bulbs over large bulbs but lack of keeping quality then I'd prefer small bulbs without a doubt which you have achieved. Size isn't everything. I was just relating my experience as you did ask.

JohnB47 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 19, 2014, 21:42 »

Quote from: 4 Seasons on October 19, 2014, 20:41

If I had a choice between rot free but small bulbs over large bulbs but lack of keeping quality then I'd prefer small bulbs without a doubt which you have achieved. Size isn't everything. I was just relating my experience as you did ask.

Yep. Fair point.

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tips for growing large(r) garlic

JohnB47

tips for growing large(r) garlic

muckyboots

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