Too late?

[Peasticks]

I have found some garlic, shallots and autumn planting onion sets that I didnt plant in the autumn

Is it too late to get any of these in now?

I have raised beds and a greenhouse if that gives me any more options..

[Peasticks]

[pumkinlover]

Not sure but I know when I had some left over alliums when I went to look at them the middle bits were missing! just an empty shell ???
Any way you've nowt to loose if they are ok!

[pigeonseed]

Some people plant garlic in spring, so why not?
And yes, the shallots won't last till Autumn anyway, so might as well bung them in I think. Or perhaps wait till Feb? That's when I do the spring-planting ones.

I'm fed up that I ordered Autumn-planting shallots from Tuckers and they still haven't sent them! It's so annoying, I could have bought them somewhere else  >:(

[Robert_Brenchley]

Put them in straight away, and garlic and shallots will be fine. Garlic needs cold to split the bulbs, and some varieties need more time to develop a good root system than spring planting allows. Shallots are traditionally planted on the shortest day, and you're only ten days late for that! A neighbour just gave me a tray this afternoon; he grows them for show, and plants them at this time. I'm not so sure about the onions, but try them and see.

[Chrispy]

Some people plant garlic in spring, so why not?

I though they needed the cold spell to from the cloves, but there are variaties that you can plant in the spring.

Please do say if this is wrong, I have just put some garlic in pots in the window sill, but am wondering how to give them the cold spell without killing them.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Put it out in the cold and let it suffer! The stuff originated in central Asia, where winters are far colder than they are here.

[Mr Smith]

I put  some garlic in today I bought in Spain at Christmas, last October I planted several varieties which have all come up apart from the Solent Wight but on inspection they have a very good root system, just provesthe point that they won't grow till they are ready, :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

The idea of planting in autumn is precisely so that they can develop a root system ready for the spring. It gives them a head start when they most need it. The problem is, of course, that we can't see the root, so we tend to think it's not growing if we can't see the shoot.

[Suzanne]

I was saving my Garlic now till late Jan/early Feb. But on the lottie yesterday I was weedding the asparagus bed to find that I have some spears starting to poke out of the ground.  :o So just wondering whether it is mild enough to plant garlic now!

Needless to say I mulched my asparagus over with compost to try and hold them back a bit.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you can get a spade into the ground, it's mild enough. The stuff's almost indestructible.

[Peasticks]

Thank you all very much for your replies, I appreciate them :)

I have told my husband that being in the garden would be so much nicer than being hooked to the XBox tomorrow

He isnt so sure  ;D