Growing Garlic

Robm1955

I recently bought some garlic from a farmers market, so it's not your supermarket type that has been treated. I put a clove in a little water, and it has roots on it, after a couple of days. I want to plant this, and more, but I haven't had much success previously. I planted some last year, in a standard multi-purpose compost from the garden center, in a pot. Nothing seemed to happen all year. It didn't die, but I didn't get any garlic bulbs from what I planted. I could plant some in the garden, but I can't really tell what type of soil I have. I wouldn't say it's brilliant, possibly clay type, although not by colour. I would rather grow in pots, but need advice on what it best. Thanks in advance.

d0nkeyk0ng

I grew garlic last year from the supermarket. Not ideal as they can come from abroad and bring diseases with them, but seemed to work well.


I planted cloves about six inches apart. Before doing so, I used sieved compost, made a well, placed some seaweed fertiliser, covered and packed down. As it was Autumn, they got plenty of wet weather. During the spring and summer we had, I made sure they got decent water and fed with liquid feed weekly.


Of the 12 cloves I planted, I got 10 bulbs.

Robm1955

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

I grew garlic last year from the supermarket. Not ideal as they can come from abroad and bring diseases with them, but seemed to work well.


I planted cloves about six inches apart. Before doing so, I used sieved compost, made a well, placed some seaweed fertiliser, covered and packed down. As it was Autumn, they got plenty of wet weather. During the spring and summer we had, I made sure they got decent water and fed with liquid feed weekly.


Of the 12 cloves I planted, I got 10 bulbs.

So you planted in ground, not pot?

Mojisola

Robm1955 wrote: »

I recently bought some garlic from a farmers market

I would rather grow in pots, but need advice on what it best.

Info on growing in pots at bottom of page -
https://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/growing/tips-and-advice

d0nkeyk0ng

Mojisola wrote: »

Info on growing in pots at bottom of page -
www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/growing/tips-and-advice

Great website and I ordered my garlic from them this year. Hope it will grow well next year.


OP, yes I planted in the ground. What size pots did you use?

alanobrien

Garlic needs plenty of drainage to avoid rot setting in. I plant in pots and use a mixture of horticultural grit and perlite with a multi purpose compost mixed with growmore. Works way better than any result i have had at the allotment.

pogofish

I grow mine in a trough outside. After a weak first year, I've go a good yield every year since.

Robm1955

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

Great website and I ordered my garlic from them this year. Hope it will grow well next year.


OP, yes I planted in the ground. What size pots did you use?

It was a large planter, and I only planted about 4 cloves, but none of them evolved into bulbs.

d0nkeyk0ng

I might have missed it but where did you get the cloves from last year?


As above, add perlite to the compost and make sure there are holes in the base of the planter for drainage.

-taff

You can grow supermarket bulbs if you want to, they may not be as good but they will still grow.
Garlic loves feed, if you plant it somewhere and don't feed it, it won't like it. A clay soil that's had a bit of compost mixed in would be perfect. I had spectacular results with that [forked soil in raised beds with homemade compost added]

It also needs cold to split the clove, so leave it outside to grow.