16 October 2016 Planting Garlic

[Durgan]

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Garlic was planted today. Two rows of bulbils (60), two rows of one year rounds (40), one row of typical cloves for comparison (20), and five rows of one year old rounds (100) which is the main crop. The bed was prepared earlier, covered with wood chip mulch. The soil is a good texture with compost and moisture. The cloves were pushed into the soil to make firm contact. The bed was heavily wood chipped and the plants have no difficulty pushing through in the Spring. The bed requires no care except maybe some water if the season is dry. Nothing attack my garlic and it is always excellent quality.

 

[headfullofbees]

Your seed looks to be of excellent quality.
You're fortunate that nothing attacks your garlic; rust is endemic on the site where I have my allotment.
Here in the UK, I too am planting my garlic this week, although I do not produce nearly as much as you.
As a result of the rust problem I mentioned, I grow all my garlic in pots.
I sow approx. 80 cloves, saved from this year's best bulbs, into approx. 12x24"(60cm) pots of compost with fish, blood and bone at twice the recommended soil level, to compensate for drainage losses, and a handful of woodash to add more pungency.
They will overwinter in my small back garden, where they should experience enough cold for vernalisation purposes.
In the spring, I will keep three pots in the garden, (approx. 20 bulbs, from which I will take next autumn's seed) and move the rest to my polytunnel at the allotment.
I will also top-dress, add another application of f/b/b and mulch with seaweed.
Come May, the garlic at the allotment moves outside, to make way for summer crops, and, although the rust WILL limit growth, by that stage they will still produce bulbs large enough for practical use. Rain also helps with the bulbs swelling in June, as I usually have a two holiday in my caravan then, and at that stage it mustn't get too dry.
I give an occasional feed of Epsom salts, to add a little more sulphur for pungency.
I expect 100% germination and 100% harvest, size being the only real variable, and 75 bulbs (plus 5 seed) fills my requirements for the year.
It is also time here for autumn planting onion sets to be sown, and I planted 50 yesterday in my polytunnel..