[lentil987]

Things are moving on - I harvested my first garlics at the weekend and french pleated them before hanging in the garage to dry. We have had two or three servings of mangetout, few radishes and some spring onions. Its ever so exciting picking the veg now they are starting to ripen. We had a few strawberries but the birds got into the little gap in the netting and ate all the ripe ones :shock: . The first raspberries are nearly ready and starting to look good.

Its very exciting to go to the allotment each day and see how things are progressing, I can see differences every time I go there.

[mellowmick]

Hi Lents,

When did you plant your garlic? I planted mine at the end of Feb, but have just read in Peter Seabrook's Complete Vegetable Gardener (Oxfam, £2) that garlic planted in March won't be ready until October. Mine have been growing incredibly well, but leaves have started to yellow, even though they've never gone too long without water.

[lentil987]

I planted them in February and the old fellas on the site had a look at them the other day as the leaves were going all yellow and falling over. He said they were ready so I dug them up and he was right!

I have some more that I planted a few weeks later than this lot and they are still looking ok, bit yellow at the top of the leaves but not falling down so I have just left them in.

The chap said you should dig them up when the leaves go like that or by the end of July??

Dunno whats right or wrong as this is my first year  

[John]

Dunno whats right or wrong as this is my first year  

Neither do I, perhaps I'm a slow learner or maybe every year brings new challenges and conditions. Does make it interesting.

[shaz]

i put my garlic in late 2 wks ago 1 of 2 chances of growing. theres loads coming up. what you have said has helped loads i will wait for yellow leaves. :?

[mellowmick]

Cheers all,

I'll dig one tonight, weather permitting. Looks as if a stern missive will be winging its way to Mr Seabrook. It may only have been £2 from Oxfam, but I expect accurate gen. :evil:

[Oliver]

Garlic

My humans eat a lot of garlic so they decided to grow their own. The first time was a disaster as they knew nothing about it and it all rotted. The book said if your garlic (or onions) get this kind of rot, don't plant any alliums on that spot for 20 years!
Well, they tried again in another place.
The old boy (93) on the plot next to them said garlic should be planted in December and he gets his bulb stock from the Isle of Wight. He plants each clove about 3" down. He digs his up when the leaves go yellow and fall down (about now).
He does not water them specifically, but if the weather has been particularly dry (like recently) then he gives them a bucketfull when he remembers (same with his onions, but 'show' onions - special seed too - need cosseting - water, feed and all that to make nice big chaps) . Don't water just before harvest.
Dig them up and lay them in the sun to dry. If it looks like rain take them in. (You could also plat them like the french do and hang them up to dry. Important thing is let them get dry otherwise they will rot.
If you plant the cloves later, then harvesting is a bit later, but planting after January results in very small bulbs, if any at all. You may just finish up with the one clove you planted getting a bit bigger.
Last year they had several small bulbs. This year they hope for something better. So far things look pretty good. Harvesting very soon as tops are gowing nice and yellow. Hope this helps!
Ultimately, I suppose, it's what works for you, but the general principle helps - there are as many ways as there are old boys!