My Tiny PlotTime to Plant Garlic
I planted up a few garlic last week. I’m doing them in pots for now as I’m planning to have the garden re-landscaped sometime in early Jan/Feb and so didn’t want to risk disturbing them. Garlic grows fine in pots if you plant them up now and then put them in the ground around April/May time next year. On Gardeners World last week Monty was very insistent that you should only plant up ‘hard neck’ garlic at this time of year as it’s less susceptible to neck rot. So I made sure mine were hard neck by checking that there was a hard round stem in the middle of the head before I broke it apart to plant the cloves. This is the third year that I’ve grown garlic from my own stock. The books will tell you that you can create your own strain of garlic this way – one that is resistant to anything your plot can throw at it. I’m not sure if this works. I always have a few casualties each year, normally due to negligence in the weeding department.
I always go for the 3 pronged approach here in Chippenham. 1. Plant some now on my clay ridden plot, 2. plant some now in seed trays and leave to shiver by the cold frame in the side garden. And finally, 3. plant some in the late winter on my plot. The jury’s still out on which one’s best, particularly as the result’s been different each year and also the February planting this year was made well past any frosts we had. No cloves at all formed for this planting, though it’s been good previously. An honourable draw was declared between the other 2.
It’s the first time that I’ve heard the distinction made between hard and soft necked varieties re planting times. I usually grow softneck BTW. What’s veryone else’s experience on this?
I’ve not heard of it either. I think it probably depends on where you live re cold and wet. Also how well drained your plot is. I’ve always planted the ‘soft – neck’ variety in autumn with acceptable results.
Their success is more about how the summer pans out – no comment about this last one Eh!
Garlic grows fine in pots, and doesn’t mind being transplanted. What’s very important with garlic is the acidity of the soil. Garlic hates very acid soil like peat mixes or straight compost. If you use soil that’s very acid, be sure to add some lime. Garlic likes a pH of 6+.
At least your picture makes it look like the soil you’re using is very acidic.
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