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My Garlic look more like shallots

tattiannatattianna Posts: 182
in Fruit & veg

 After watching Friday's Gardeners World I took Monty's advice and harvested my garlic as the leaves were looking rather bedragled & limp and well as the title says my garlic looks more like shallots. It's my first attempt at growing garlic and to be honest I'm impressed that I've managed even to grow anything that remotely resembles garlic (one of the bulbs has divided into 3 cloves image) so I'm not too disappointed....well perhaps just a tad!

I will have another attempt in the Autumn but in the meantime if anyone has any suggestions on where I possibly went wrong they'd be greatly appreciated.

 

Posts

  • grannyjannygrannyjanny Posts: 34

    I think Monty said it was a hungry plant. Was the soil rich enough & did feed it at all? 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Hi Tattianna,  Garlic, like onions, are really hungry plants, so I always mix a couple of handfuls of fish, blood & bone into  bucket of compost and trowel-in a handful of that mix into each planting position.  Even so, my garlic wasn't as good as usual this year either;  I'm putting it down the the weather - all of that rain probably washed a lot of the nutrients away and garlic does need some good hot sunny days towards its harvesting time..

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • tattiannatattianna Posts: 182

    Thank you both for your replies.

    I grew the garlic in pots and although I did feed it often perhaps I didn't give it enough. I also I seem to remember someone saying garlic needs a very cold spell to help it develope and as we had an exceptionally mild winter. Like you say BobThe Gardener that along with the rain and lack of sunshine.....

    Ah well perhaps I'll have better luck next year!

  • quercus_ruburquercus_rubur Posts: 334

    I grow mine in pots these days as I never had much success growing them in the ground. They are hungry plants, but having dug a couple out yesterday that were suffering a bit, well they're ok but as one of them is Elephant Garlic let's just say it won't be killing anyone of it decides to stampede. 

  • tattiannatattianna Posts: 182

    Ha Ha Ha oh you did make me laugh at the thought of stampeding elephant garlic. 

    As I said it is my first attempt and I realise now where I possibly went wrong but we learn by our mistakes (or so they say!) and I will give it another go. 

  • quercus_ruburquercus_rubur Posts: 334

    I always get a similar thought when I see the roadworks sign that says "Heavy plant crossing"image

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