I'm sure this is a daft question, but I'm new to growing veg & would
appreciate some advice. I have some garlic to plant (3 bulbs) ... looks
just like the garlic you'd buy for cooking ... but it's not. Do I plant
the bulbs just as they are, or do I separate them out & plant each clove
individually ?

Many thanks
--
Judy

http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

Hi

Seperate them out and plant like Onions, But Im sure I will be corrected but
you are a bit late Garlic likes to be overwintered and have a few hard
frosts., Dont know why but thats what I have been told so have done that
and have over 100 healthy looking garlic plants growing awy..

Good luck

Ian

"Judy Rigby" wrote in message
...

I'm sure this is a daft question, but I'm new to growing veg & would
appreciate some advice. I have some garlic to plant (3 bulbs) ... looks
just like the garlic you'd buy for cooking ... but it's not. Do I plant
the bulbs just as they are, or do I separate them out & plant each clove
individually ?

Many thanks
--
Judy

http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

Separate them and plant the larger cloves 4 to 6 inches apart. Use the
smaller cloves in cooking. They are best planted in September and allowed
to stay in the ground over winter, but you may get something by August. If
you dig them up and find that they have not split into cloves, replant them
and leave them another season.

I have also taken garlic that I bought at a store, separated the cloves at
the right time, planted them, and had a nice crop of garlic. No promises,
but I plant it between my cabbage, cauliflower, borccoli, and Brussels
sprouts to keep the rabbits from enjoying my garden more than I do.
I have done it twice with no rabbit damage, after not doing it the first
time and loosing almost everything I had planted in the cole line.

Good luck and have fun. Dwayne


"Judy Rigby" wrote in message
...

I'm sure this is a daft question, but I'm new to growing veg & would
appreciate some advice. I have some garlic to plant (3 bulbs) ... looks
just like the garlic you'd buy for cooking ... but it's not. Do I plant
the bulbs just as they are, or do I separate them out & plant each clove
individually ?

Many thanks
--
Judy

http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

IP writes
Hi

Seperate them out and plant like Onions, But Im sure I will be corrected but
you are a bit late Garlic likes to be overwintered and have a few hard
frosts., Dont know why but thats what I have been told so have done that
and have over 100 healthy looking garlic plants growing awy..


Thanks Yes, I thought I was slightly late ... but I'm working on the
assumption better in the soil than the plastic bag at this stage. The
plastic bag being particularly unhelpful, suggesting at the same time
that I start planting in February, and wait until danger of frost has
passed (huh ?).

I've reclaimed a patch of land in the garden 15' x 15'. It's never been
cultivated, but I've had garden waste on it for 15 years, & it did grow
a lovely crop of nettles & brambles (now dug out, fingers crossed) so I
figure the soil must be fairly OK & this is the year to start *doing*
something with it. Given the amount there was to shift off it though
it's a small miracle I'm ready (and fit) to start planting anything this
side of August bank holiday ...
--
Judy

http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

"Judy Rigby" wrote in message
...
IP writes
Hi

Seperate them out and plant like Onions, But Im sure I will be corrected
but
you are a bit late Garlic likes to be overwintered and have a few hard
frosts., Dont know why but thats what I have been told so have done that
and have over 100 healthy looking garlic plants growing awy..


Thanks Yes, I thought I was slightly late ... but I'm working on the
assumption better in the soil than the plastic bag at this stage. The
plastic bag being particularly unhelpful, suggesting at the same time
that I start planting in February, and wait until danger of frost has
passed (huh ?).

I've reclaimed a patch of land in the garden 15' x 15'. It's never been
cultivated, but I've had garden waste on it for 15 years, & it did grow
a lovely crop of nettles & brambles (now dug out, fingers crossed) so I
figure the soil must be fairly OK & this is the year to start *doing*
something with it. Given the amount there was to shift off it though
it's a small miracle I'm ready (and fit) to start planting anything this
side of August bank holiday ...

How about planting maincrop potatoes? That is what I intend to do with
newly dug over bit of my garden. I know the experts here will advise you
better than I can and I will be awaiting their response

Ophelia
Scotland

Judy Rigby wrote:

IP writes
Hi

Seperate them out and plant like Onions, But Im sure I will be corrected but
you are a bit late Garlic likes to be overwintered and have a few hard
frosts., Dont know why but thats what I have been told so have done that
and have over 100 healthy looking garlic plants growing awy..

I usually find I miss enough bits of garlic to get free crops the following year.
Best planted in November.
My home grown ones are small but very strong. Same for onions mostly.

I've reclaimed a patch of land in the garden 15' x 15'. It's never been
cultivated, but I've had garden waste on it for 15 years, & it did grow
a lovely crop of nettles & brambles (now dug out, fingers crossed) so I
figure the soil must be fairly OK & this is the year to start *doing*
something with it. Given the amount there was to shift off it though
it's a small miracle I'm ready (and fit) to start planting anything this
side of August bank holiday ...

Go for annuals until it is cleaned up. Spuds in the roughest bits. Onions in the
sunny dry spots.
Green beans in the most fertile spot and a couple of courgette or marrow as
ground cover.

All of these are vigorous enough to take care of themselves once established -
though you will get a better crop if you do your best to keep up with hoeing
between the rows. Weeds tend to recur for the first few years - there will be
lots of seeds in the soil awaiting their chance to go for it. Nettles are a good
sign of fertile soil.

Others may have different favourites for breaking new ground but these work for
me. YMMV

Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin Brown writes

Go for annuals until it is cleaned up. Spuds in the roughest bits. Onions in the
sunny dry spots.
Green beans in the most fertile spot and a couple of courgette or marrow as
ground cover.


It's all fairly sunny ... & very sheltered. Bordered by 2 walls facing
south & west & a north-facing fence. I can't cultivate all of it this
year because one wall needs repointing & the fence needs mending, & I
have no wish to see my tender plantings trampled by builders boots. A
couple of rows of onions are in, & I'll do tomatoes in grow bags on the
path against the west wall. Still considering potatoes ...
--
Judy
http://members.lycos.co.uk/bluelotusrising/index.html
http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

"Martin

I usually find I miss enough bits of garlic to get free crops the
following year.
Best planted in November.
My home grown ones are small but very strong. Same for onions mostly.


If you plant in Oct or Nov you should get good sized Garlic, sounds like
your soil is lacking in something.
Isn't it Sodium that members of the onion family like?

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote:

Isn't it Sodium that members of the onion family like?

Sulfur. But that's just for the flavor.
Garlic is the worst of both worlds: A heavy feeder and a lousy competitor.
Lots of N while it's growing foliage, P while forming bulbs. And clean
weeding and/or mulch. Took me a while to figure out the weeding bit; it
doesn't come natural to me...


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G