The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Blonde on October 22, 2011, 02:11:27 am

Title: garlic
Post by: Blonde on October 22, 2011, 02:11:27 am
garlic....when do you plant?
 when do you pull it up?
 how much water do they need?
Do they tolerate full sun?
How long do the bulbs take to form?
Do you have to fold the leaves over to make the bulbs bigge?
.
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Dan on October 22, 2011, 08:32:48 am
Have a look at: http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/ (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/)

We've got a lot of growing guides in the pipeline, and much better structured than this one, but it should answer those questions.  :)
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Sylvia on October 22, 2011, 09:02:20 am
Like shallots, plant on the shortest day day, pull on the longest.
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Blonde on October 22, 2011, 01:04:13 pm
Have a look at: http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/ (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/)

We've got a lot of growing guides in the pipeline, and much better structured than this one, but it should answer those questions.  :)
Interesting article.   I did not know that you plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day.     Tell me more aobut the Elephant garlic. 

Does it have the same flavour as the smaller varieties?.

Does it grow the same as the smaller varieties?

How many cloves in a bulb?
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 22, 2011, 01:11:04 pm
Have a look at: http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/ (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/vegetables/growing/garlic-growing/)

Quote from: DanAndOrRosemary
Plant with the flat end down the way - the new green shoot will emerge from the pointy end (a horticultural term)
Ah, now there was me thinking 'pointy end' was a yachting term?  ;) :D
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Dan on October 22, 2011, 03:09:26 pm
I did not know that you plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day.

That's a rule of thumb, I'd plant earlier if I were you, there's no harm in it and it's likely to end with a better sized bulb.

Quote
Tell me more aobut the Elephant garlic. 

Does it have the same flavour as the smaller varieties?.

Does it grow the same as the smaller varieties?

How many cloves in a bulb?

It's milder than the smaller varieties, great for roasting whole with potatoes and other veggies. It grows just the same, but obviously needs a bit more room. You'll get 6-8 cloves in a typical head.

Apparently it's not really garlic but some kind of leek gone rogue!
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Dan on October 22, 2011, 03:11:14 pm
Ah, now there was me thinking 'pointy end' was a yachting term?  ;) :D

It's a common term and all about the context! Can also be applied when learning how to shoot - direct the pointy end away from yourself.   :D
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Red on November 03, 2011, 08:21:01 pm
I bought some elephant garlic last year and it was really expensive so when I pulled it this year I kepted it hanging over the arga on the clothes creel and haven't eaten it but saved it and now this year I've got loads to plant! great way to save cash!  ;)
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Greenerlife on November 03, 2011, 09:44:24 pm
Have a look at www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk (http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk) - the shortest day/longest day isn't always the case - it depends on the type of garlic you plant.  there are tyes to plant at strange times and early and late croppers.  i would say that elephant garlic has about the same number of cloves as a normal size garlic, just that each clove is enormous!  Also think that Red has the right idea about buying it!
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: benkt on November 03, 2011, 10:45:34 pm
I've been looking at buying garlic cloves for our community farm, but we're going to need much more than the two or three clove packs that I can find for sale online or at garden centres. Anyone know where I can bulk buy?
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Womble on November 04, 2011, 09:28:45 am
Anyone know where I can bulk buy?

Sainsbury's?  ;D

OK, not really serious, but we are now on our severalth year of planting garlic that originated from 'the really garlicky company', and they work great. By selectively planting from only the biggest bulbs each year, ours are now really quite huge!!
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Sylvia on November 04, 2011, 09:46:43 am
If you know of anyone going to France over Christmas ask them to bring you back some bulbs from the shops there. The cloves will be huge and will grow happily in this country. I kept some going for years in this way but they do get smaller after time
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Rich/Jan on November 04, 2011, 10:37:05 am
Hi = Garlic really expensive now over here and not that big a clove.   I plant in October and harvest in July - dont usually see elephant garlic around where we live in the Charente.  Some of the spanish garlic over here is bigger but still expensive.
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Plantoid on November 05, 2011, 12:54:30 am
Just found " cheesmans.co.uk " they sell bags of garlic .. don't know if they would post /carrier to you .
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Plantoid on November 05, 2011, 09:12:12 pm
Just a wee bit more re the garlic buying....

 I took a diversion through the Swansea  covered in market this afternoon on my way back to the car and found one stall selling bulk Spanish garlic at £5.50 per Kg

It is a slightly pink/purple topped white variety 55 mm diameter bulbs .

I had a look round other stalls , no one else was selling it except as in the small four in a sleeve packs.

On going back to the stall holder I enquired if they would be willing to sell by the Kg and P&P it to the purchaser .. yes was the reply but the P&P will cost extra.

The stall holder persons name /proprietor is

Chris Evans    land line  0172 642 247  mobile  07974 156 470
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: supplies for smallholders on November 06, 2011, 11:42:44 am
If you are looking for Bulk supplies we offer 5Kg for £25. and we will post to UK, France Eire etc.

Just click on our banner at the bottom of any forum page to visit us.

Thanks
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Blonde on November 26, 2011, 01:06:20 pm
Well...I have harvested my garlic........and it has filled out quite well.   I have them hanging in the coolest part of the house as there is no where else to hang them.  The leaves started to dye off about 2 weeks ago so I thought it best to just pull them out.   This week end I have pulled out all the onions. I bent the leaves over around 2 weeks ago and  they have bulbed out even more and heve them hanging in the same place as the garlic.   The onions might khave gone to seed so this was the best idea.  See what they are like  when they mature.
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Plantoid on November 29, 2011, 10:28:21 pm
I used to hang the onions and garlics in the legs of Alisons laddered tights after they had been washed 
 It became the takling point to a lot of my pals  ( 24 yrs ago  ;)

 I've just  sorted out one of my raised beds , manured to 2 inches deep ade 2 inches of sharp sand and dug it all in then planted 8 cloves of Spanish elephant type garlic purchased from the veg part of th local Aldi store.
 We'll see how it grows on this soil .
Title: Re: garlic
Post by: Chrisnoel on December 10, 2011, 08:40:42 pm
Well...I have harvested my garlic........and it has filled out quite well.   I have them hanging in the coolest part of the house as there is no where else to hang them.  The leaves started to dye off about 2 weeks ago so I thought it best to just pull them out.   This week end I have pulled out all the onions. I bent the leaves over around 2 weeks ago and  they have bulbed out even more and heve them hanging in the same place as the garlic.   The onions might khave gone to seed so this was the best idea.  See what they are like  when they mature.

Garlic. plant in well mucked and dug ground while there is warmth in the soil, (about October) you should have 6 inch of green stems showing when winter comes, garlic is very hardy, keep well weeded, carefully lift mature bulbs with a fork, and dry upside down on an old metal bed frame, stems hanging thru the wires, keep dry and let wind & sun dry the roots, break off dry roots and remove rough dirty outer skins, when sorting out for storage/ next years growing stock. ( largest bulbs with the largest cloves) Garlic acclimatizes to your soil/ growing conditions. aim for bulbs the size of a tennis ball.