garlicmania

[patandchickens]

Uh, you know what, planted every 6" (or maybe closer, I was starting to get desperate) fifteen heads of garlic, mostly with medium to smallish cloves, take up a LOT of garden space.

Just thought I'd pass that newsflash along.

Doh!




Pat, who next year will maybe do the math *before* committing to plant that much, at least in order to make sure that an appropriate amount of ground is prepared to plant into (none of this "oh I'm sure that'll be enough room")

 

[Rosalind]

Did you plant a corresponding amount of mint and parsley?

 

[me&thegals]

I guess it's all relative. I plant all my garlic and most of my garden in 5-foot-wide beds with everything closely spaced. That way it takes up WAY less space

me&thegals--who planted 850 garlic cloves today

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Sometimes I just tuck garlic cloves in around the edges of garden beds. Actually I put some next to my raspberries because I was having some sort of bug problem . . . can't remember now because it seemed to take care of it.

 

[curly_kate]

Too funny, Pat! I do the exact same thing every year! I did like Drake this year & just stuck them in along the edges. Good way to keep the vampires out of the garden!

 

[patandchickens]

I was kind of hoping the vampires would help keep the rabbit population down...

Pat

 

[DDRanch]

Hi garlic lovers,
I just bought some garlic at my feed store to plant. This will be my first garlic as I have never grown before. They told me to separate the cloves, plant them about 2 inches in the soil, about 4 inches apart, cover with dirt and water.

Is this your recommendation too?

Can you tell me how long it will take to mature? And how will I know when it is ready to harvest? I am excited about planting this.

Garlic Newbie

 

[patandchickens]

The directions I have followed are more like 6" apart, but otherwise same.

It's ready to harvest when the bottommost leaves start to yellow or turn brown (but only the top 6 or so leaves are still green). For me here that was in July but dunno about your climate. Before that, you may want to cut off the flower scape as it starts to form - either compost, or eat

This past year was my first year growing garlic and I was blown away by how easy it was. I think I put a total of 15 minutes into my garlic, planting to harvest -- and most of that was planting time I shoulda listened to my mother and tried it years ago <g>

Have fun,

Pat

 

[DDRanch]

The directions I have followed are more like 6" apart, but otherwise same.

It's ready to harvest when the bottommost leaves start to yellow or turn brown (but only the top 6 or so leaves are still green). For me here that was in July but dunno about your climate. Before that, you may want to cut off the flower scape as it starts to form - either compost, or eat

This past year was my first year growing garlic and I was blown away by how easy it was. I think I put a total of 15 minutes into my garlic, planting to harvest -- and most of that was planting time I shoulda listened to my mother and tried it years ago <g>

Have fun,

Pat

Thank you Pat. I am looking forward to this.
Anne

 

[greycoop]

I followed the same instructions except my instructions also included mulching with 4 inches of straw for the winter. I'm on 3 years of growing garlic here in the northeast. I plant every fall for late July harvest. I pull the straw off in the spring when the daffodils are 3 inches out of the ground. You're right pat it, it is easy and awesome to never have to buy garlic in the store again! They multiply unbelievable. I plant lettuce in between which makes a very pretty spring garden after a long cold NE winter.

BTW- new to the garden site today- hi everybody