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7:07 pm
Improver
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Tue 8-Dec-09
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Does anyone grow garlic? Although we have lots of wild garlic nearby (ramsons), I have to admit that we do use the bought stuff as it is convenient and available all year round. This year I had some bought cloves that were sprouting so planted them out, it being nice and warm (though in my defence I grew them in some big thick walled polystyrene containers that my friend who has a fruit shop gets some things delivered in and which otherwise go in the bin! They are about 16 inches deep and about 18 inches by 12 inches - a couple of holes poked in the bottom and you've got a free insulated growing container!) " they have thrived and have big healthy looking leaves like an onion now " my question is, now that they've grown well, how do I know when they have been in long enough to grow more cloves and when to pull them up?
Presumably they are a warm weather variety (I seem to recall they are Spanish), so if they need to grow longer I'll bring them into the conservatory as we've had a couple of cold nights now, but I have absolutely no idea when is long enough " do I wait until the tops begin to die off?
Meus terra erro est frigus
7:14 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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No help from me I'm afraid, I've never been able to grow it. Has it flowered yet?
I'll try that again!
7:22 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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All I know is that our neighbours are digging theirs up now and will be replanting in October
. One of our neighbours said she will give me some this year.
8:04 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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I've grown garlic several times & you wait till the leaves/stems start to look a bit wilted or start curling up a bit, then gently dig them up & dry them off under cover (here in the UK) on a rack (so the air gets to them). I usually plant mine in October but last year lost the lot over the winter. They usually thrive, they were fine the winter before. You could start yours in your greenhouse in small pots & transplant in Spring. The Autumn started varieties seem to keep better & mine usually last right through to the next crop.
If in doubt about whether yours are ready just excavate very carefully round one plant & have a look. I have often done this as I love the very fresh young garlic so I steal some/ I also use the green parts in salsas etc¦¦.delicious.
Good luck. 
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
8:11 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 7-Jun-10
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Dig one up and have a look...you can always replant. Mine are up and strung, small but perfectly formed....and again...mine are due to go in again in October...with the broad beans....and all covered before the snow comes...
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
9:46 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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You can lift them now one by one as you want them and eat them as 'wet' garlic,leaves and all or wait until the tops fall over ( like onions do when ready to lift) then dry them and use. Almost time to be planting next year's crop....if you have grown them from bought culinary cloves rather than from cloves purchased for growing, best to lift them/eat them soon as they will probably be more tender varieties and will be more susceptible to diseases/rots as the weather cools..
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
9:59 pm
Councillor
Wed 30-Dec-09
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I have some garlic in the garden (which I can't remember planting last year so it might have gone 'feral' from previous years) and recently I noticed the leaves had started to dry out. I haven't got around to lifting them yet because I still have plenty of shop-bought garlic waiting to be eaten and the home grown garlic is always small and disappointing.
Good luck with yours, Glen, I hope it turns out better than mine.
Visit my blog for food, drink, photography and hamsters.
11:29 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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lost all mine over winter and didn't bother re-planting. But agree with others, wait till tops fold over then lift and use
9:26 am
Improver
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Tue 8-Dec-09
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Thanks for all that. Seeing that people plant them in October I did not realise that they overwinter and have such a long growing period . These ones were planted on a whim when I saw them sprouting 3 months ago so are probably utterly confused by being planted in June! (not to mention being Spanish so probably nowhere near a hardy enough breed for Northumberland!) It sounds as if they may come to nothing. I'll put them indoors though and see what happens. It cost nothing to try and it might be interesting actually to use the greenery in salads if nothing else.
Meus terra erro est frigus
11:01 am
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I thought you might be interested in this article, Glen.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/200.....ape_1.html
I also found this page with a lot more information plus links to other recipes etc.
http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsatoz/a/What-Are.....Scapes.htm
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
11:20 pm
Improver
New members
Sun 21-Aug-11
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Hattie,
Thank you for those links. Most useful for me, too. I am going to plant some garlic soon. I didn't realise either that it was planted in the autumn. That might explain my very limited success so far. The info about the garlic scapes is really interesting. They are sold here in Japan in big bunches, and used in stir fries. What I didn't know was that if you cut them off, the bulbs will be bigger. Thanks again,
Sansho
10:48 pm
Senior Class
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Sat 5-Mar-11
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Hello everyone - been away for Summer!
We've had some lovely big garlic this year - planted in the Autumn last year. The really huge ones were in a bed with loads and loads of horse manure. I don't believe that they particularly hate the cold... in fact I think I recall that they need to go through a frost. So I wouldn't advise keeping them indoors or in polystyrene. My mate Mike bought me a goft of a garlic as he didn't know I had so many and his were even bigger than mine! Gunna ask him what he did.
Just look at his great ears flapping about.
3:48 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Good to see you again Andy, but what is a goft of a garlic?
I'll try that again!
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