Garlic

[tim]

Forgive a slight dissent? I believe that the Garlic Farm recommend leaving the tops on for longer storage? And for plaiting!

And don't overdry, as I did last year. The tops should still be supple when stored.

Later - in case of misunderstanding - I mean the stems - not the flowering heads.

[tim]

[wivvles]

I think mine might be thinking of flowering - there is a central spike which is about two feet tall, with a slightly thickened red area about three inches from the top.

What do you reckon - whip them off?

[Mrs Ava]

I have on mine Wivvles.

[wivvles]

Right - off they come!  Tomorrow night -I've got a meeting tonight, and I'll look a bit odd going down there with a torch and a pen-knife...

[smudger]

 :)Many thanks everyone for all your help. I think I've reached the conclusion that my garlic is doing everything that it should!I'll take off the flower heads and wait for the final results.Will keep you informed.
Smudger.

[tim]

Notice how it's now doing a leap forward with the approach of the Summer Solstice?

[Bun]

I've cut off the about to be flowering stems of the stragely (is that a word?) shop garlic planted last year.
I also planted proper garlic & elephant garlic earlie this year. When are those going to be ready for pulling?  ::)

[Svea]

actually, a lot of the garlic and onions on our allotment site seem to be 'going' over - they are starting to have yellow leaves and some have started to keel over. they are still rooted and there doesnt seem to be a problem with rot or any kind of disease. this is all the autumn planted stuff, btw.
would that be ready to get up? i am not asking for myself, but for a friend whose garlic bed looks like a storm has gone through it - they are mostly lying flat now with significant amounts of yellow leaf.

[tim]

I would start looking at it &, dependent upon what is found, do 'the appropriate thing'!!

Several types of garlic are ready in June.

[Mrs Ava]

My purple wights are up as of today, and most are a very good size, some have rot, and they all have rust!

[aquilegia]

Right - that's one job for the weekend then - check the garlic. I hope it's better than the spuds I checked!

[busy_lizzie]

Have been reading this with great interest as we planted garlic at the beginning of the year.  We bought it from our Lottie Shop.  It looks very sturdy with strong onion type shoots which have started to go yellow now.  My OH carefully cleared the soil away to have a look at the bulbs beneath but we just came across one firm white bulb, no cloves.  What do we do now?  As you can tell this is the first time we have grown garlic and are not sure what the bulbs  are supposed to look like.   :-[ busy_lizzie 

[aquilegia]

BL - garlic needs a certain length of cold weather to make it split into individual cloves. Sounds like maybe yours didn't get enough. You can still eat them (yummy roasted whole - and much less peeling!)

[Mrs Ava]

Here are mine dug today BL.

[Marley Farley]

 ;D nice harvest EJ  ;D

[shirl]

Gosh well done, how jealous am i!!!

[redimp]

That looks superb EJ  ;D  Hope mine comes out looking like that.

[Garden Manager]

I might be leaving mine as some other space is becoming available for the courgettes (though that should be in the singular as that is all i now have! ::) - Still one is usualy enough  :)).

The garlic have a stay of execution it would seem. I can still use the space they are growing in for some late salads, so no great inconvenience.

[Hot_Potato]

Emma - they look fantastic - so, what are you cooking tonight to 'try them out'?.....H.P.

[tim]

Not bad for a little 'un!!