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Plaiting garlic
We've had a mixed garlic harvest so far this year - the bulbs I planted in spring did nothing and were a total waste of time. They were probably the worst I've ever grown.
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Gardeners' World Web User
17/07/2008 at 18:29
Have just grown garlic for the first time, and bulbs are sound but very small (autumn planted). I shall persevere! Love your new book, Pippa - both practical and inspiring. Thanks!
Gardeners' World Web User
18/07/2008 at 08:57
Our garlic has flower buds on it now, is it normal to allow them to flower or should I cut the buds off?
Gardeners' World Web User
19/07/2008 at 09:56
I lifted my garlic last weekend and was delighted with the results. Out of two bulbs' worth of cloves I planted in October, I've now got 15 good sized bulbs and four smaller ones, as opposed to last year (which was my first attempt at growing garlic) when they were all rather small, though tasty. One odd thing is that two of the smaller bulbs haven't split into cloves - they're just little globes a bit smaller than a ping pong ball - even though they've had exactly the same conditions and treatment as the others!

Ah well, will just have to use them when I need a lot of garlic for a dish! :-) Oh, and Anon, I know I'm not all that experienced in the matter but I would guess that you don't want the flowers as they'll sap all the energy that the bulbs are storing. I personally would cut the flowers off and probably dig the bulbs up now - do both because even when the bulbs are out of the ground, the flowers can still draw energy from them as they're like little battery packs that don't need to be plugged into the mains (i.e. the earth)!

Gardeners' World Web User
19/07/2008 at 22:16
My autumn planted garlic is lovely, have dug up one bulb and plan to harvest all tomorrow as it should be dry weather. I always plait mine and hang it in the garage to dry. Have found that any left in ground until autumn begins to sprout over again. Also should not be allowed to flower
Gardeners' World Web User
21/07/2008 at 18:31
Hi there, I had a terrible rust problem this year for the biggest garic crop I have ever grown (we love it). SOme of the bulbs were small but other fantastic. I have been trying to dry out the garlic for ages now to plait it. The very centre of the stems are still moist, is it ok to plait them now? Also some of the crop have bulblets appearing halfway up the stem even though they are not in the ground, or are they flower buds? Just one more question does anyone have any experience of cold smoking garlic as I would love to know how to do it with a home made smoker - can't inevest in a Bradley yet? Many Thanks, Clogless
Gardeners' World Web User
22/07/2008 at 12:23
Thrilled with our crop of Solent Wight on the southern slopes of Sheffield. Planted them and a hard-necked variety last autumn around the edge of a raised bed and the 4 inch leaves took everything the winter weather threw at them, frost, hail, snow, you name it. We haven't yet lifted the hard-necked although we've cut off some scapes. The leaves are just beginning to brown and I think the bulbs are smaller, probably because, unlike the Solent Wight, they've gradually become shaded by the pole beans. We had a much less successful spring planting last year and friends who planted this spring have a relatively poor crop so I think autumn planting is the key. Will plant Solent Wight again this autumn.
Gardeners' World Web User
25/07/2008 at 08:38
I grew elephant garlic for the first time last year. I got an excellent crop. I started the cloves off during August or September of the year before, in pots outside. When I harvested them there were dozens of small off-sets round the bulbs. I tried to grow these but they did nothing.Is it possible to grow them?
Gardeners' World Web User
25/07/2008 at 09:26
We have had much better results from our garlic this year especially the autumn planted cloves. They apparently need a certain amount of cold to make them grow properly. Like Antonia we had a couple of bulbs that didn't split into cloves. I understand these are called rounds - you can plant them this autumn and get really good bulbs next summer. You should keep your best bulbs for replanting, over time you develop a garlic that is just right for you and your soil. We have found two particular garlics, a red one and elephant garlic seem particularly happy on our allotment.
Gardeners' World Web User
25/07/2008 at 18:00
I feel like I'm boasting, but I grew garlic for the first time ever this year. The variety was Solent Wight. (We look out across the Solent and see the Isle of Wight from our garden, so it was an appropriate and happy choice!)I planted the cloves from one bulb on December 2nd and last week I harvested 23 plump and flawless bulbs. The smallest bulb is bigger than a golf ball, and most of the others are much bigger. I trimmed the roots and washed each bulb, removing the first papery layer, before placing them on my sunny window-sill to bake dry. They are ready for plaiting now. I will certainly grow this variety again. They were so easy to grow and needed little attention apart from weeding. Am I just lucky or what?
Gardeners' World Web User
27/07/2008 at 09:56
Have grown more rows this year than ever, planted in the autumn. Rust was a disaster and when i lifted the bulbs last month found many had some kind of fungal rot?? The bulbs are of average size , not brilliant, and the rot seems to be progressing even out of ground. Anyone got any good preventative measures for 1/ rust 2/ fungal rot ????
Gardeners' World Web User
01/08/2008 at 17:03
I grew garlic for the first time this year and the results were small corms of garlic - but what flavour. FRESH GARLIC RULES!!!!!!!!!
Gardeners' World Web User
04/08/2008 at 12:44
How long does it take a bulb to dry out in on a window sill - does it go all papery like the shop bought ones, as I am having to nip off a thickish skin on each clove!Am really happy with my garlic harvest this year (solent wight and purple) so want to ensure it is stored correctly.Thanks for any advice.
Gardeners' World Web User
05/08/2008 at 10:12
Really interesting to see everyones comments a bit of a mixed bag I planted garlic (elephant & solet wight) in the autumn and have lifted most of the crop and have had a fair result small but very strong garlic bulbs from the solent wight but the elephant garlic no trace!!
Gardeners' World Web User
14/08/2008 at 21:55
I managed to plait my garlic afterall! It's about 1 metre long - I feel so proud of myself. The garlic wasn't drying out very well so I split the leaves to help them to dry out. It didn't seem to affect the finished product. It's hanging up in my cottage now and looks great! Rust - apparently there is no solution to rust. I did try feeding with comfrey tea but think it was too late.
Gardeners' World Web User
15/08/2008 at 09:25
So glad to here i wasnt the only one with a disastrous spring crop. I am looking at plantingsolent white for the first time in large pots on my flat roof (very Sheltered). Would anyone have any tips please? Many thanks.
Gardeners' World Web User
15/08/2008 at 09:26
So glad to here i wasnt the only one with a disastrous spring crop. I am looking at plantingsolent white for the first time in large pots on my flat roof (very Sheltered) .Would anyone have any tips please? Many thanks.
Gardeners' World Web User
24/08/2008 at 15:25
I've picked my garlic several months ago, did I pick them to early. The leaves or stems seem to of going brown, so I picked them and dried them in my shed. I still have them in there. Are they still egible and how long can you keep them for. Or did I pick them to early? First time garlic grower. Help!
Gardeners' World Web User
16/09/2008 at 12:15
I've had a lovely weekend staying with friends and at the Harrogate show we came away with lots of new ideas for next year one of which is a packet of garlic chive seeds of which I've never seen before so I will give a go and they were free so I've nothing to loose. I also got carrot seeds because I've had carrots come up all over our garden this year and we didn't plant them so maybe we'll have a good crop we can always hope.We went from Harrogate to our caravan at Hunstanton Norfolk and we haven't seen a drop of rain that must be a record 5 days no rain but I have had a message from my daughter back home saying the gardens a bog again she could do with some waders to get to the greenhouse well we can hope for a late summer can't we or just a dry spell would do me. Maybe they should bring out a seed catalouge for bog conditions.
Gardeners' World Web User
23/10/2008 at 21:31
I put in my very first crop of garlic (Solent Purple) a bit late last year in a south-facing bed. Up they ALL came this Spring and flourished despite the wind and salt gales (my name gives away my location). I treated them like all bulbs and left them until the green tops withered, turned brown and fell over. Then I lifted a beautiful crop of large bulbs made up of plump cloves. Because the tops had died back I trimmed them to about 6-8 inches and then tried to plait them straight away. The result was most impressive! I hung the two yard-long plaits to dry in the workshop but have been using the garlic since I first lifted it. I agree with sentiments expressed earlier. Nothing to beat FRESH garlic!! Two bulbs were put into the veggie drawer of the fridge until they started to sprout, then they were broken up and the cloves planted. They now have 6" stems and I've put them one to a large pot in a mix of 50-50 well rotted horse manure and potting soil. I want BIG garlic next year!
Gardeners' World Web User
07/03/2009 at 13:24
Hi All, Have been trying all sorts of tips n tricks over the past 3 years for good garlic and remembered a trick for late planting of garlic. they need a constant cold temperature for 30 days to be able to plit so just pop them in the fridge for same period and your more likely to have good garlic and not "singles"(one round garlic) which can be used or replanted the next year.
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