Garlic 2021 season

JoshW

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Given the success of the Italian purples I planted last season, I decided to have a more serious attempt this year.

I sought 5 additional varieties (mixed bags from The Garlic Clinic), not sure I planted all 5 as some of the bulbs were too small to bother, but that's OK I'll munch those.

All together I planted 275 cloves, just a few more than the 35 I threw in willy nilly last season.

For soil preparation I followed advice from Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic. I added composted cow manure blend, some Seamungus pellets and some blood & bone (with potash).

I soaked the cloves overnight in seasol, powerfeed and bicarb/baking soda (2 caps each and 1 tablespoon of bicarb into 4L warm water).

Planted in rows of 5-7, spaced 10-15cm depending on clove size, rows 25cm apart (long, thin bed) - see spacing here (Tas GG).

Mulched with nice layer of sugar cane mulch.

7 days later the first bits of green found their way through. Now every time I go outside there seems to be more and more garlic the longer you look.

I'll try and keep this updated (good or bad) throughout the season, but please feel free to share your own garlic crops in here, methods and cultivars used etc.

I'll come through and add pictures when I get some time.

Thanks, happy gardening
 
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BackyardG

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I have just planted my garlic from Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic a few days ago. This is my first time growing garlic so here's hoping it all goes well.
Did the soaking with 5% alcohol solution as advised by them.
Planted about 80 cloves, some were small but can't hurt to try.
Spacing of around 15cm apart with 15 cm rows. Curious to see how big they will grow in a more compact spacing.

Different climate to yours (cold south east Melbourne here)

Happy Gardening :)
 

JoshW

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I have just planted my garlic from Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic a few days ago. This is my first time growing garlic so here's hoping it all goes well.
Did the soaking with 5% alcohol solution as advised by them.
Planted about 80 cloves, some were small but can't hurt to try.
Spacing of around 15cm apart with 15 cm rows. Curious to see how big they will grow in a more compact spacing.

Different climate to yours (cold south east Melbourne here)

Happy Gardening :)

I think your spacing is ok. I planted around the same (perhaps a bit tighter even) last year to great result. The only reason I went so wide on the rows was to line them up with centre of a brick. I was going to do the vodka soak, but couldn't bring myself to buy a cheap bottle that I'd have to suffer through, maybe next season :)

Tasmanian GG indicates 15 x 15cm spacing will result in medium to large bulbs - I've linked in original post
 
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Grandmother Goose

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:heart: That's the sort of garlic bed I aspire to have in another year or so.
 

Grandmother Goose

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Same! Though I'm afraid my temperatures are too warm (tropical to sub-tropical climate)
I'm fortunate, semi-arid desert in a temperate zone here, we get all the temperatures.
Just have to figure out the right times to grow everything, know how to safely use greywater, and have plenty of rainwater tanks to store that rare elusive wet stuff when it falls from the sky.
 

Mandy Onderwater

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I'm fortunate, semi-arid desert in a temperate zone here, we get all the temperatures.
Just have to figure out the right times to grow everything, know how to safely use greywater, and have plenty of rainwater tanks to store that rare elusive wet stuff when it falls from the sky.
My only source of water is actually groundwater! So it's actually already not too bad to use I think. Or I hope, hehe...
I'm still learning myself as well, I've had my garlic grow and then suddenly rot away because of the humidity in the air. I grew it in mostly sand so it was fairly dry otherwise. Ah well, grew something else in it instead :p
 

Texas1836

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Your garlic looks great!!! Green and healthy.
 

JoshW

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Harvested a couple of bulbs yesterday, have approximately 5 or 6 that have had secondary shooting (aka witches broom, hairy tops). Now if I let these go, the bulbs will be smaller and they won't store well so I decided to have a couple fresh. If I do have any make it through till harvest I will dehydrate them for use as powder. Which means I finally get to buy a dehydrator.


 

Texas1836

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The secondary shoots may be the bloom stem. If the stem is tubular you can eat them, called Scapes.

It would be interesting if you can grow the garlic in a cluster like the photo.
 

JoshW

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The secondary shoots may be the bloom stem. If the stem is tubular you can eat them, called Scapes.

It would be interesting if you can grow the garlic in a cluster like the photo.

Hey Tim,

These definitely aren't the scapes.

You can see the ones have shot from each clove and regrown partially after I trimmed them just overnight and not the central stem.

Can eat them at any stage whilst growing and will grow to completion just with a smaller bulb due to energy going into additional growth.

Storage isn't as good due to the additional thickness of the neck apparently but these won't last that long to find out.

Our scapes last year we cooked in butter and put on rice - dang they were good. This year we will be dehydrating, and making scape salt.

I do have some experiments growing though, I have some "twins" that sprouted 2 shoots from one bulb that I will be leaving to harvest for the scenario of growing 2 essentially on top of each other. Will it be like beets and knock each other out of the way? Or like a tomato taht can foem multiple flowers into one fruit?
 

Texas1836

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Gotcha, I misunderstood. I would be interested in the outcome of the experiment.

Scape salt sounds mighty good.
 

JoshW

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Gotcha, I misunderstood. I would be interested in the outcome of the experiment.

Scape salt sounds mighty good.
All good Tim, I am notoriously bad at explaining things in written format so if it was unclear for yourself it would likely be the same for others.

The scape salt is from a new YT channel we've been binging - Acre Homestead. Goes into a lot more of the preservation of the harvest rather than how do you like Mark - so complimentary
 
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