[Growster...]

I didn't ever realise that there were so many varieties of garlic, and reading all this here, I should get out more!

The types we grow are from our local garden centre people, who are good chums, so we don't stray much, but the results from last year were well worth replicating, simply because the bulbs like our soil!

I do like the sound of Edenrose though, and looking at Babbyann's pics makes me wonder for next year...

I've planted 120 bulbs now, and that really is far too much for us so they get 'spread around' family and friends!

[mumofstig]

Edenrose did well for me last year, in the garden, cos there's no white rot there  and I just planted and forgot about it 

So the biggest cloves are getting replanted soon (when I remember  )

[Growster...]

Edenrose did well for me last year, in the garden, cos there's no white rot there  and I just planted and forgot about it 

So the biggest cloves are getting replanted soon (when I remember  )

I'll remind you next year Mums!

[Ema]

I was looking at garlic in the supermarket, its all from spain or mexico at the moment. I don't usually go to the expense of buying garlic from seed catalogs as I don't think its worth it for the amount of garlic you get! I haven't got a bed ready for garlic either at the moment.

[gypsy]

This thread stirred me into going to the local nursery for some to plant. The only ones they had left were White Casablanca so I bought a couple of packs. Anyone any experience of this variety?

I did Casablanca last year and was disappointed with them. Most of them did not even grow so maybe you will want to shop around for something else as back up if they fail as miserably as mine did.

[BabbyAnn]

This thread stirred me into going to the local nursery for some to plant. The only ones they had left were White Casablanca so I bought a couple of packs. Anyone any experience of this variety?

I did Casablanca last year and was disappointed with them. Most of them did not even grow so maybe you will want to shop around for something else as back up if they fail as miserably as mine did.

interesting - I was very late planting Casablanca and opted to planting in pots until I could move them to the plot in spring.  Not one grew yet the cloves had looked in excellent condition.  I presumed perhaps they needed cold to break dormancy as it had been very mild last autumn and I had put the pots somewhere sheltered.  I just put it down to my own fault

I was looking at garlic in the supermarket, its all from spain or mexico at the moment. I don't usually go to the expense of buying garlic from seed catalogs as I don't think its worth it for the amount of garlic you get! I haven't got a bed ready for garlic either at the moment.

buying garlic from catalogues is expensive and admittedly if you eat everything from the harvest it probably is not worth it but ... save the biggest cloves from the best and healthiest bulbs and plant those and then it is "free" - with the added advantage that the garlic you grow will adapt to your soil conditions.  And you also get to try fresh "green" garlic which you will never experience with shop bought.  I try different ones to see how they perform on my plot (as my earlier posts mentioned that some varieties don't do so well but some do better than expected)  Any that I like, I would rather use as much of the saved bulbs for growing to bulk up for a bigger crop the following year than use them in cooking - it might take a couple of years but eventually become self sufficient thereafter.  Also, for garlic conniseurs, each variety has its own unique flavours - some are more pungent (strong garlic flavour) than others, some best suited for different dishes.

With regards to bed preparation, I'm only just getting mine set up and planting up - most autumn planting garlic can be planted from about now until mid-late December but some can go into the ground in January/February - the Garlic Farm has a handy calendar for planting suggestions of different garlic varieties - http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/growing/calendar if interested

[Steveharford]

That's what I do BabbyAnn. I have just replanted almost all of one unnamed variety which I bought from a French supermarket lasted year, as they have done really well, producing big bulbs of large fat juicy cloves. I wasn't intending to grow much next year but decided that I need to keep the garlic going particularly as it doesn't take much looking after.
Incidentally, do you add any fertiliser at this stage? I have given mine a good dose of chicken pellets but have read that a low Nitrogen fertiliser is in order. So I'm wondering what brand would be suitable.

[BabbyAnn]

Incidentally, do you add any fertiliser at this stage? I have given mine a good dose of chicken pellets but have read that a low Nitrogen fertiliser is in order. So I'm wondering what brand would be suitable.

as I want healthy root development, I add phosphorous - initially superphosphate with a smattering of growmore but these days go for bonemeal or FBB.  In early spring I do a top dressing and been looking into dried blood which has had good results after reading up on it, then switch to potash in mid-late spring (about mid-May) for bulb development. 

[Steveharford]

That's great. Just what I needed to know. Thankyou.

[surbie100]

Incidentally, do you add any fertiliser at this stage? I have given mine a good dose of chicken pellets but have read that a low Nitrogen fertiliser is in order. So I'm wondering what brand would be suitable.

as I want healthy root development, I add phosphorous - initially superphosphate with a smattering of growmore but these days go for bonemeal or FBB.  In early spring I do a top dressing and been looking into dried blood which has had good results after reading up on it, then switch to potash in mid-late spring (about mid-May) for bulb development.

Just what I wanted too  thank you. 

[Growster...]

I used a few handfuls of bone meal, as last year, we noticed that for some reason, the Cristo romped away, but the soft-neck Thermidrome took ages to show!

They all finished up the same size though...

Perhaps plants growing steadily through the winter just like slow release fertilizer - I know I would!