Garlic bulb question

[Low Gear Guy]

I'm glad you said that. I planted a load of garlic bulbs in a recycling box at the end of last year and was wondering why they are all top and no bottom, as it were. I am clearly just being impatient.

The tops will lean over when they are ready. You can then dry the bulbs by hanging the whole plant up in your kitchen. I hope you like the smell of garlic.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I reckon this crop will last me for ages.

Yep - you get a lot from not that many plants.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

The garlic crop is now ready. There may be a slight odour while it hangs to dry.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I’m sure it is well known and probably mentioned upthread, but part of the reason you plant in autumn is because garlic needs a prolonged period of very cold weather to ‘split’ into several nice tight cloves.

Mind you I quite like the idea of one massive bread roll sized chunk of garlic to chew on all day.

 

[Dave7]

And they will only grow if you plant them on the southern slope while wearing a striped jersey and a beret.

 

[Tim Hall]

And they will only grow if you plant them on the southern slope while wearing a striped jersey and a beret.

<bof>
<shrugs>

 

[lazybloke]

If I was only allowed to grow one thing, it'd be broad beans.

As an allotmenteer i grow and like many foods, but in my queue for Room 101, broad beans would be well ahead of bindweed, mares' tails and even "allotment association politics". Sorry.

 

[Reynard]

Most, if not all, supermarket garlic will not be UK grown.

Virtually all of the garlic available for sale in the UK comes from China.

I really ought to start growing my own again, given how much I do use. Love pickled / preserved in oil.

 

[Reynard]

You sure about that? I've just looked at what we have in the kitchen - from three different big supermarket chains - and none of it is from China. It's all from Spain (which is the EU's largest producer).

A significant proportion of what is available is from China - but that's very different from 'virtually all' - particularly as there are the growing imports from Latin American countries.

I don't buy my garlic in the supermarket - use various markets as they're way cheaper.

The last three kilos or so I have bought has come from China.

 

[Reynard]

Mmmmok, that's fair enough.

Suppose from that, we can infer that the spanish stuff goes to the supermarkets and the chinese stuff to market stalls. There may be exceptions, of course...

Used to grow my own, no reason I can't again. But I do go through rather a lot...

 

[Tail End Charlie]

As an allotmenteer i grow and like many foods, but in my queue for Room 101, broad beans would be well ahead of bindweed, mares' tails and even "allotment association politics". Sorry.

Just thought of another use for broad beans, sow in autumn, overwinter, then dig in in the spring, in effect a green manure. Convinced you yet?

 

[Dave7]

<bof>
<shrugs>

Well thats really onions but they grow garlic as well

 

[lazybloke]

Just thought of another use for broad beans, sow in autumn, overwinter, then dig in in the spring, in effect a green manure. Convinced you yet?

yes, I'm all for burying them.


Back on track - the last garlic harvest was v disappointing compared to previous years, and elephant garlic is rather bland.