Garlic

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Brendan,

I grow my own and I found that bigger clove gives you bigger bulb. I buy the Chinese one and leave it in the kitchen and when the top is a bit green I then separate the cloves and plant them.

I accidently discovered that the pot (I added lots of lime 6 months before growing garlic) had the biggest bulbs. It could be the case that the soil in the pot was worn out and too acidic at the time.

I sometimes buy Australian garlic if they are on special and grow it. I give it some potash every now and then.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Brendan,

I only grow garlic in Autumn around April when the weather getting cooler.

This year I follow instructions from the following webpage which said I only need to give my plants nitrogen. I tested one the other day and I found not much of a bulb just like a young leek so I added some potash and see if it helps.

http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/5251.html

Good luck with your garlic growing project.

amanda says...
Hi Brendan - Pete Cundall says that spuds love potash and not too much nitrogen - I grow mine like this and get lovely spuds (potash also helps keep the soil slightly acidic and thus less scab) He also says not to give onions too much nitrogen as they develop a bull neck and it reduces storage life? I would have thought garlic the same - but there u go!?

They do like sweet soil and I read somewhere that u plant garlic on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day of the year..this has never worked for me! They (allium) are one of the slowest crops tho' .. they muck up my rotations as I can't clear the bed for ages while the are in there :-(

Diggers club has a great selection of garlics!

amanda says...
Hi Julie - must pH test it! I assumed that as it was potassium sulphate that the sulphate would make it more acidic.

Brendan says...
Hi All,
Is it true that the 'best' time to plant garlic is the 'Autumn Equinox'?, which this year is 21st this month (March).

We had 1006mm rain last month (Feb), and it's way too wet to think about planting anything. Maybe rice?

Itdepends says...
Garlic needs winter chill- so planting in late Autumn is a good idea.

Daniel

Brendan says...
Hi Amanda,
Yeah, planting the garlic in pots is a good idea, only problem, I'm planning on planting ~ 120 garlic cloves, and I don't have that many pots. I eat a 'shipload' of garlic (wife does too, lucky hey :)

The 120 bulbs might be enough to last the whole year, but then I need another 120 cloves to plant the following year :-(

Jantina says...
Hi Brendan,years ago my then husband and I grew garlic as a business and did some research before starting out. Basically (remember this is for the southern states) garlic gets planted around the autumn break (when the rains come)grows it's leaves during the colder weather, then bulbs up during the warmer months and is ready to harvest about January. Prior to this (at least a month) you stop watering so the bulbs mature better (and keep better). Also late watering can result in discoloured bulbs which doesn't have any real effect for the home grower but is disasterous for a commercial grower.
Apparently they grow good garlic up near Swan Hill where it gets fairly hot in the summer, of course they have cool nights in winter too. Nonetheless if I can get a rollinia to flower down here, you should be able to grow garlic up there.
Last winter a patient gave me a few huge garlic bulbs (not elephant garlic)and if it is not breaking quarantine I will send you a few cloves if you like. Of course they may just be big because he is a good gardener.

Brendan says...
Hi Tiggerbow, Jantina & Amanda,
Thanks for all the info about garlic.

Tiggerbow, do you know if that garlic you grew was Chinese or Australian? Or from somewhere else?
Graham Ross (?), on Better Homes & Gardens, reckons store bought garlic must have the roots on it to grow. I've seen some Chinese stuff that has no roots :-(

Amanda, yeah, no hurry for the tropical lima beans. Thanks.
Not many people up here grow garlic, it's been said that garlic won't grow above the Tropic of Capricorn(?), well I've proved that theory wrong, I've been growing garlic here in Mackay for ~10 years :-)

Jantina, yes, I would love you to send me some of your garlic. Please send to:
Mr B Higgins
51 Pyms Rd
M/S 895
Mackay Q 4740

Thanking you in advance:-) Brendan.

Diana says...
Picture

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Brad says...
Garlic doesn't need roots to grow BUT it does need a little bit of the brown stub that the roots grow from. Sometimes a clove can snap off the bulb without this and those cloves will not grow new roots.

If I use store bought garlic (I try to only do this with local produce), I wait for at least some of the cloves to sprout and then put them in the ground. Orientation doesn't have to be vertical, as long as the sprout isn't the lowest height.

Tiggerbow says...
Hey Brendan,
I am pretty sure it was Chinese garlic. It probably wasn't a very good idea but the results were great. I am going to try some really good Australian garlic this year. Hoping it will do as well.

Julie says...
That happened to me amanda, when I experimentally grew some in summer.But I wasn't really surprised, I didn't expect them to divide up. I just cut them in halves and put in the freezer.

I have been told imports are treated to stop them sprouting, but I've never had one that didn't grow. I do try and use my own, but I never seem to plant enough. Brad has the right idea!

j says...
amanda,nothing to do except for separating the cloves - just freeze in a plastic bag. Goes a bit soft, but that's OK. One good thing about frozen garlic - the skins just slip off with no fiddling! I used to peel each one till I realised this.

Brad, can't find your post where you said you were planting 120 - good for you! But you won't need another 120 bulbs next year. Each bulb should give you half a dozen cloves at least, so you should only need around 20 bulbs.

Brad says...
Julie - thats because it wasn't me :)

I never seem to grow enough... I was given a bag from a grower last year, planted what I thought was lots, gave some away and yet I've no seed garlic leftover for this year because we ate it all :)

amanda says...
I found these 4 shelf food storers for $10 at a camping store and was thinking of using them for storing onions and drying fruit...? I wanted something bug proof - would they work for drying tomatoes also? I go mad for sundried tom's!

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Julie says...
Hi Phil. I've had no problems with pantry moths for years, though they used to appear every autumn.

I think it's because I freeze all grains for 48 hours when I get them home. This kills the eggs. Be sure not to open till it has returned to room temperature, to avoid condensation. I freeze bean seeds the same way, to kill off weevil eggs.

Jantina says...
Hello Brendan, sent your little package off today, hope it's what you were looking for.

Jantina says...
Thanks Brendan, I already have some purple type of garlic. I really hope it's what you wanted though and am looking forward to hearing how it goes up there.

Julie says...
I have been growing garlic for years and never seen it flower, apart from the giant variety.

Anyone else had flowering garlic?

Brendan says...
Hi Jantina,
That garlic you sent me is ~ 300mm high already, and it's only been in a month.
How high does it grow normally?
I ended up planting ~ 200 of my own, and my brother has put in over 500!
I can see us at the markets later on in the year, flogging all this garlic :-)
Thanks again.

Brendan says...
Hi Jantina,
Are those peppers what we call chillies? I know the yanks call 'capsicums' peppers.
Thanks for the offer, but we have lots of different varities up here, and some I reckon are heat 10 on the 1 to 10 heat scale:-) The birds up here spread birds-eye chillies (hence the name?) everywhere in the bush. They are rated heat 9, boy they're hot! Do you want any of these seeds?

Yeah, chillies up here do grow into a bush, and I'd say they last at least 5 years. After that, I just give em a good prune, and off they go again.

Yeah, that garlic you sent me is towering over my normal purple garlic:-) I'm glad I planed it where I did.

Your friend hasn't got any Australian White garlic has he? :-)

snottiegobble says...
I planted my garlic ( purple) a month ago & away it went. The ones in broad sunshine are about 10 cms high, but the row shaded by other plants is much slower. Seems to be the important factor of getting them growing strongly before the sun gets too low in June.
Never planted garlic this side of June before, they were always very slow & tended to have the roots push the cloves out of the soil which was a nuisance & easy fun for the magpies to play with.
Amanda, you say you freeze lemongrass & I wondered which part of the plant you save for cooking?

Brendan says...
Hello Jantina,
Glad you got the chilli seeds. They are supposed to be 'birds-eye' chillies, or the old locals here (older than me!), call them 'Nebo chillies', supposedly they were found at Nebo, a smallish town west of Mackay.
They are very hot.
That big garlic you sent me is ~500mm tall at the moment! The same type of garlic that someone grows around here doesn't seem to be Russian Giant (elephant), as it has fairly hot taste.

I have planted some Aussie White garlic bought from the shops and it's growing real well, so hopefully I might get enough 'seeds' to plant next year :-)

Diane says...
Hi Brendan,i am researching growing garlic, is there a problem with russian garlic or do you just not like it? Diane

Rev says...
Hi Brendan

Im in Townsville and id really like to talk to you about getting some garlic starters, or stock for next year
or this
i dont mind getting rounds
what you are doing is great. pushing the envelope on garlic. it may acclimate over time

ive been wondering because it originates in cold dry central asia
but its popular in places like Indonesia, Malaysia and southern china

i expect they grow it in the highlands, but still it must be more tropically adapted

Brendan says...
Hi Rev,
Yeah, no problem. I've taken note of your email address, so I'll get back to you after I pick mine. That 'could' be Sept or Oct or Nov this year.
The 'big' garlic takes longer to mature :-)

Charles cant spell says...
Isn't it sow bulbs shortest day of the year?

I put my garlic in in start of July in Perth I imagine its the same for you but I am no expert.

Wayne says...
Very impressive quality just the same Brendan.
Poor Brendan has to compete with wallabies, scrub turkeys, possums and a vast variety of birds and other critters to get something to eat out of his garden.

Brad says...
I do about the same russ. I find it hard to keep mine moist when it warms up so sometimes harvest sooner (unfortunately). I've already got some browning...sand...

Brad says...
Hi Julie. Yes, once I decide the plant is yellowed off by about a third, I let the bulb dry in the soil. I've felt like my garlic did this earlier than other people as this happens as soon as we get warm weather. Maybe lack of humus built up in the sand?

adamus says...
I have tried everything to grow garlic. the first year, all I could afford was the cheap stuff in bags from China or somewhere. It all grew, and grew well. I planted it on the Autumn Equinox, it was the weekend after the full moon in March. It grew fine, and from 2 dollars worth of horrid white garlic I grew enough for 7 months or so, plus I kept the best ten or so heads for planting the next year. Garlic will acclimatise to your area if you keep some to replant the next year. I sprinkle lime, and it grows really well. Bigger than the store bought stuff, and I save a fortune. I should mention hat I use three heads a week. I love the stuff. Hope this helps.

Brendan says...
Hi Simon, yes, could you save for me 4 bulbs of Californian Late, I'll get back to next year.

Brendan says...
Look like you're out of luck Jimmy, as they don't send garlic to WA or Tas.?
Go to their web site, then 'Garlic Varieties', and check out info towards the bottom.

Brendan says...
Maybe Jimmy I could help? I hope to buy some next month :-)

Brendan says...
Hi vic,
Contact Simon from: www.garlicworld.com.au, he'll know. You might have to buy the garlic from there too:-)

Just preparing my garlic bed now, have added compressed coconut coir (from bunnings), to loosen up the soil. The coir on the left hasn't been dug in yet, but the small bed on the right, it has.
Yeah I know one isn't supposed to dig in mulch (because of the C/N ratio), but this stuff is potting mix/soil, with slow release fertilizer, and I've used it before with great results:-)

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Brendan says...
Hi Diana,
I've just ordered some 'Californian Late' garlic from Garlic World, $25 for 10 bulbs (plus $8.45 frieght), so that should arrive late next week, can't wait. It supposed to be the hottest garlic :-)

Yes, like you, I'll be planting in April too, as last year's earlier planting (up here), wasn't a very good idea.

Brendan says...
Hi Diana,
Don't want to swap some Glen Large for my Californian Late? :-)

See I had a little 'helper' when spreading my coconut coir!

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Brendan says...
Hi Diana,
OK, thanks for that. Don't know when mine arrives either, but should be this week.

The kookaburras move the coir around to look for worms underneath. Even I'm surprised at the size of some worms they take :-(

Good garlic site, thanks. I saved it on my pc :-)

Brendan says...
Thanks for that Diana.

My garlic has not arrived yet :-(
but I'll send you my address soon.

Boy, the weather has been terrible up here too lately, yesterday was ~35ºC, but the humidity must have been 99%!

OK, Thanks again.

Brendan.

Julie says...
simon, if you are being protective, it's wise to put your address as:
simon at ethicalstrength dot com. Saves a lot of junk mail.

Brendan says...
G'day adamus,
Can I ask what fertilizer you use to get garlic bulbs 5 inches diameter across?

adamus says...
Here's a quick pickie i did on the MAc.
This is very dry, ready to plant. So 2 heads on 1 hand.
And very heavy for size. A good year, but the size is normal. I've heard it's harder to grow in warm areas, because of the chill factor.

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adamus says...
Yeah, I've heard some good stuff about the Glen large. Good Luck. Most people I know just plant the hrrible Elephant stuff. The stuff from Simon was wonderful. I might try the red next year, but haven't ever seen it the size of the purple.
Like You, i eat a lot of garlic. Can't wait until next week.
Have you thought about the Moon Planting Guides for your region. I really was quite skeptical, but they seem to work well here. It's also a good way to keep me on track with planting I 'spose.

Steven says...
Hey everyone.

Every time i grow garlic they look healthy and strong during autumn and winter but once spring hits they begin to die back before they have a chance to produce nice bulbs.

Im thinking its either because once the weather starts to warm up they begin to develop some sort of fungi infection or its because the sun begins to get stronger.

Does anyone know why this would occur?

Thanks

Steven

Steven says...
Thanks for your help.

No its not over watering. its in the vegetable garden and is only watered rarely during winter/spring as the soil is almost always moist. The soil is also loose so it is free draining.

I read a book that states you should mix alittle lime in the soil before planting garlic as this helps prevent fungi infections i might do that and maybe even treat it with worm juice/seasol every few weeks as it grows, if it happens again ill try using a fungicide and see what happens.

ill let you know my progress

Thanks

Brendan says...
Hi adamus,
I 'sort of' use the moon planting guide, and yesterday they had it on the local ABC radio.
She said not to plant anything this weekend, cultivate only?
It's way to wet to even do that today, but the whole moon planting thing is very interesting.
Btw, did you know the full moon tonight is the closest it's been to the earth for 20 years. Should be big :-)

adamus says...
This Full Moon is called a super Moon. Very Rare. According to the planting guide, you never plant a day either side of the full moon. Something about the tidal stuff, and the effect of it to water in the soil.
Like you Brendan, I sort of use it, but with the Garlic, it always works if I plant it the week after the full moon in March. It's always a good time anyway, then I get it out and harvested just in time for my other spring crops in Late October.
I also tried the companion planting thing, but it seems to make no difference. A lot of it seems to be about preventing bad insects and stuff, most of which we don't get in Australia.
My Italian Uncle in Newport used to always plant on a full moon, at night. People thought he was bonkers, but he got the best tommies in the area.

Diana says...
Hi Brendan,

You garlic bulb (and extra cloves) arrived. Thanks very much, they are lovely. Just have to wait for slightly drier, cooler weather now to plant them.

I am going to write down how many cloves of each type go in and see how they go.

Shame we can't see the supermoon with the constant rain and cloud.

Diana.

adamus says...
Hi Brendan. Yep, probably way too hot yet. I just planted all mine for this year. Hope it goes well. Our temps are 3 to 19 degrees, so perfect. It's always good to plant a few days after a full moon. Probably up there it's in June or something. That garlic from Simon was enourmous, and I got a few different ones from friends, plus the thirty or so heads of mine, so, I p[lanted about 550 heads, enough for me , and some to sell at the grower's Market.
I also put in all the frost hardy things. Turnips, rocket, Kale, Silverbet, carrots, parsnips etc. I'm hoping for a bumper year, last year was terrible for production. You can still grow beans and tomatoes maybe. Gee I miss the hotter weather.

Brendan says...
Hello Diana,
Just wondering if you've managed to plant any garlic yet?
We had a 'nearly' fine day yesterday & a bit cool, so I planted about half mine.
More rain forecast today, so I'll wait 'till that passes before planting any more :-) (Lot cooler today too)

adamus says...
I hope you're all putting pickies up. I love to see all the effort.

adamus says...
Sounds fine. It's probably the best time. We use the frost to improve the flavour, But I don't think Bunbury would be that cold. I used to get good marron from Bunbury.. Yum.

Brendan says...
Hi Julie,
I use Dolomite and Gypsum, Dolomite is better than plain lime.
I remember Peter Cundall saying you can 'nearly' grow garlic in dolomite alone! (I don't think so :-)
Don't forget some extra phosphorus & potassium, that should stop them falling over.

Brendan says...
Hi Sandra,
Dolomite & gypsum are better than lime for garlic IMHO. Worm tea is excellent, and don't forget to mulch. I'd add the dolomite & gypsum asap, topped with mulch.
My garlic as of yesterday. Had a few 'misses' but have replanted. Ended up planting 285 :-)

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Mike says...
That's how garlic is grown in small plots in Thailand.There seems to be alot of types but they are usually smaller and stronger tasting than the standard garlic.I grew spring onions and shallots every year but the shallots didn't do well with it being extra warm and wet in the dry season the last couple of years.The cloves saved for this season all shot and died and the spring onions are just grown from seed packets because they don't have bulbs.
The garden will be ready.My partner is overseas with ICON printouts and dozens of clip bags with scientific names on.Some of the garlic types were at the top of the list but I reckon she'll bring no seeds back at all.

au0rey says...
Thanks Simon! Wonderful site.

Mike says...
Brendan thank you it arrived today.I did another variety from Mareeba and it is not much cooler than Mackay.I will try and seem to have a really good fertliser regime and everything is booming I have an embarrassment of riches in the fruit,herb and vegie department at the moment with many new additions.You will be hansomely rewarded and the late pepper will be included.I'll just send a selection if you won't say what you're after.

Diana says...
Hi Brendan,

I have been meaning to say that the garlic you sent last year is delicious, thanks very much. All the varieties I planted grew well. I ended up with less than I was hoping though, because during spring, the dog discovered that there was a nice sunny spot in the garlic bed and was lying on it during the day when I was at work. By the time I realised this a lot was squashed and I had to harvest early. It still had a lot of flavour (two bulbs left now).

Diana.

Mike says...
Brendan it is still in the crisper but sprouting anyway. The garlic will be planted in May and we'll find out.Because they are grown from the cloves so often getting the seeds of the smaller,stronger tasting garlic of tropical and sub tropiocal Asia is a challenge.

Julie says...
Garlic is a cool weather plant, so refrigerating would speed up sprouting. It will sprout without any help when it is ready - in or out of the ground!

Brendan says...
Yeah Mike, no worries & no hurry. We've still got 2 months to go before planting garlic up this way :-)

John says...
http://www.gardenate.com/plant/Garlic?zone=3

Wazza McG says...
Yep, Thanks mate.

I'm going to buy Rosies Garlic from here;

http://www.foodprints.com.au/Garlic---Our-Specialty.html

Rosies is a rocambole (French) type of garlic with large, evenly-sized cloves - I believe the french rocambole is the one the chefs go after.

Had to get some french shallots and pumpkin seeds off him as well ;-)