The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: deepinthewoods on July 14, 2012, 02:37:27 pm

Title: poor garlic harvest
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 14, 2012, 02:37:27 pm
the average bulb size is way down on last year but theyll swell a bit as they dry. i grew 35 last year and that lasted till a month ago, this years wont last so long. these were out of a 3ft x 2ft deep bed.
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: MAK on July 14, 2012, 03:16:15 pm
Do you usually pick them green? maybe they still had some growing left in them.

Ours dried off in the sun last month and I gathered them almost dry , I had them on a table ( for about a week) so that I could lift outside whenever the sun appeared. They are now strung up under cover.
I am quite pleased with the crop - I bought a violet garlic as I prefer the flavour ( quite large) and I planted on the 22nd Dec in a bed that I had turned over and fed with manure in early November. It was too dry then and I watered the empty bed to get the manure broken down a bit.
unfortunateley I don't expect to be able to plant any of this crop for next year but plan to buy a lot more next year. i will try and take a photo of the garlic and shallott seller and post here - quite a sight. He comes up from the south once a month to sell as the most massive livestock and growers market.
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 14, 2012, 03:27:59 pm
they had all fallen over, theyre not as green as it looks in the photo. the problem has been total lack of sun for the last 6 weeks. i planted these in october. at least ive got another bed free for the winter stuff,psb.
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: Mel on July 14, 2012, 06:08:48 pm
Mine were the same though some had started to bolt,when I lifted them the bulbs were weeny in comparison to last years though they are still perfectly usable,I had around 30 this year but what with it being so wet like you say,no sun is ruining some crops. :'(
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: MAK on July 14, 2012, 07:24:30 pm
Yes the lack of seasonal weather is playing havoc with crops. we have had a lot of rain ( not as much as parts of the UK) and I now have tomato mildew. I pulled up 3 plants today before it spreads.
I cleared weeds from the shalllots today in the hope that sun will get to the large bulbs. We eat mussels once a week and shallotts are a must  ;D . Onions are looking good but again I have had to clear weeds so that they get some sun and start to dry off. If we were not forecats some warm days I would lift the onions and shallots and let them dry in the covered hanger. Otherwise they are near to wet rot.



 
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 15, 2012, 01:27:35 pm
I've only lifted a couple of our garlic but was quite happy size wise, the others are still really green so leaving them a little bit longer. Considering the rain, we've been very lucky with garlic, shallots and onions so far  :fc:
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: allotmenter on July 24, 2012, 12:36:25 pm
I tried garlic for the first time this year, but didn't know it needed to be planted so early.  I planted in late February -  in rain soaked Shropshire.  The ground is heavy and claggy and turns to "cracked concrete" when dry, but I've manured it well for 3 years running, so getting better.  I raise my beds about 9 or 10 inches to improve drainage and to give more depth as we hit rock before long. The garlic has grown OK and now started to wilt and change colour, but when I yanked one out of the ground (sorry - hadn't read the article then - now I know better) it was quite small.  I'll give them a bit longer and see if the return of summer will help.

If the bulbs are a bit stunted would they be no good for reseeding next year?   :fc:  It's quite expensive to buy bulbs for planting, even with allotment holders discount.

I've just found this site and think it's great.
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: xillent on July 24, 2012, 08:07:48 pm
re the "cracked concrete" clay: Keep hoeing, even if there are no weeds and the fine tilth created (eventually) keeps the moisture in and stops the cracking.
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: Greenerlife on July 29, 2012, 07:03:45 pm
I planted lots of varieties between October and March, and some have done really well - good size and colour and firmness - others have been useless - seem to be a single fat clove!  sadly, because my indelible marker wasn't, I have no idea which ones did well.  :(   The only one I can tellis the elephant!
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: Red on August 07, 2012, 08:37:05 pm
I planted elephant garlic again this year from a 2 year old crop now, trying to reduce costs etc but it totally failed - its more like a harvest of squirrel garlic than elephant! it just didnt get warm enough and was too wet! might try the green house next year if the long term forcast looks bad again >:(
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: Blonde on August 14, 2012, 02:27:50 pm
Pig manure is a great manure and works wonders on garlic.    :farmer:
Title: Re: poor garlic harvest
Post by: MAK on August 15, 2012, 07:39:12 pm
Yes I put pig namure on mine andlet the ground settle before using a dibber to plant - no turning of the firm ground before planting.