[fletch]

I have just "harvested" my garlic and it was very disappointing. I managed 4 big bulbs out of about 20 plants. There were a few tiny ones, but way too small to bother with.

Any idea what I did wrong? I bought proper bulbs (i.e. not from a supermarket), planted them at the right time and left them alone until the foliage died down. I would like to try them again as I love garlic but would prefer a better harvest than that.

[goose]

when did you plant them? my autumn down garlic was harvested about a month ago and is only half as good as last year ...however last year was the best in ages...i think it is the luck of the draw with the conditions.

dont give up on it.  if you have the space, garlic is a very cheap and easy thing to grow....just disappointing some years.

[WirralWally]

Fletch, I share your disappointment.
I had a lousy garlic and onion harvest.
I've put that down to the fact that the bed they were in was too wet.

As Goose says, don't give up.
Next year will always be better, with the right preparation.  

[Trillium]

They both quite like lots of moisture during growth, but they really need very rich soil as they are heavy feeders. I heap the manure into my garlic soil in the fall before I plant. And yes, some cloves will rot over winter due to heavy rain or standing water. Only actively growing plants like lots of water. I also find that sometimes birds will pick out the young shoots so it's a game getting the cloves tucked back into the soil and netted for a while. If the cloves don't split into heads, then there wasn't enough growing time allowed. Most garlic types require the bulk of their growth time before summer solstice (June 21),  and they'll finish most of their growth by mid July. You can only try your best as sometimes nature is fickle in these matters.

[Aidy]

think its the weather, everyone I have spoken to has said the same, mine were pretty dodo this year compared to other years.

[fletch]

Thanks for the replies, I'm glad that it appears to have been weather related and not anything I have or haven't done.

On the up side, even at 4 bulbs, at least I won't have to buy garlic for ages!!!

[DD.]

On the up side, even at 4 bulbs, at least I won't have to buy garlic for ages!!!

So, that's next week, then.

Mine also are nothing like what they have been in the past. Useable, but nothing to shout about. Must be the weather!

As a garlic aside - I have a small patch at home where I planted some years ago - less than a foot square. Whatever it was must have distracted me & it never got harvested.

It still thows up shoots & I use that as a sort of green garlic early in the the year. I just use the shoots, leave the bubs & it comes again.

[Sadgit]

god I have used 1 bulb in dinner tonight..... we must use 4 bulbs a week easy

[DD.]

god I have used 1 bulb in dinner tonight..... we must use 4 bulbs a week easy

That's why you don't get many visitors!

[fletch]

When I say 4 bulbs, thats at least 10 cloves per bulb..... you lot must eat a lot of garlic!!!!

[Sadgit]

When I say 4 bulbs, thats at least 10 cloves per bulb..... you lot must eat a lot of garlic!!!!

yup had 4 cloves of porcelain garlic in risotto last night

[andtiggertoo]

I just ordered 4 different types of garlic for autumn planting, was very excited about planting it (veg growing still new to me). I'm a bit put off by your experiences this year.

Did all of you who had a disappointing harvest all plant them last autumn ?

How many of the cloves would you normally expect to rot over winter. I intend to put a net over to avoid bird damage.

[Bombers]

I just ordered 4 different types of garlic for autumn planting, was very excited about planting it (veg growing still new to me). I'm a bit put off by your experiences this year.

Did all of you who had a disappointing harvest all plant them last autumn ?

How many of the cloves would you normally expect to rot over winter. I intend to put a net over to avoid bird damage.

Don't be!
This was my haul from an 8feet x 4feet bed.

As trillium said, just pile in the well rotted manure. Mine were planted 11/11/07 and I just gave them some general purpose fertiliser in the spring.

[wighty]

Just to make you feel better I was given a bag of garlic grown at The Garlic Farm here on the Island.  Spent an hour last night turning it into lazy garlic.  I had to throw away quite a few cloves as they were black. Many more had brown bits on.  So it would seem that even the professionals have had a problem this year.

[gregmcalister]

I was out at the allotment yesterday and harvested all the garlic. Almost every bulb was perfect and that was planted the previous autumn. Conversely all my autumn planted onions rotted over the winter and I got about 6 onions from 100 sets. The garlic bed is a bit higher than the onions so it may be the better drainage has prevented the rot. At the moment I'm drying the bulbs for storage and also smoking a few as well.