Steve wrote after Bob Hobden replied:
Steve wrote on the newsgroup URG via Gardenbanter

Hi all, my name is Steve and I have recently created a website based
on
my two allotments in the West Midlands, I would appreciate your views
and comments on it, look forward to many discussions with you all,
thanks Steve.

http://www.myallotments.blogspot.com


Very nice Steve, but what's all this about planting Garlic on the
shortest
day? It should be planted in September or early October.

Thankyou Bob for the advice about when to plant Garlic, is this to
allow it to put on enough growth to withstand the winter better?

It's about the hardiest plant you can grow but the old gardeners thought it
"foreign" and therefore tender so it was planted in the spring...wrong if
you want big heads like in the shops. Where the shortest day comes from
goodness knows.
If you plant in the autumn it will get it's roots down and be into growth
before the worst of the weather, then in any warmer spell during the winter
it will grow some more and be quite large by the time spring comes when it
will romp away giving you much better heads. It's had a longer growing
season.
I've tried using shop bought heads to plant (cheaper) and heads from seed
merchants like Marshall's and now always use the latter, we get a much
better crop.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK