Growing garlic

@Kath948381

Kath,

You need to winterise garlic which needs a cold snap to segment but not essential, it may if planted now grow as a whole bulb. Put them in well drained soil about a good couple of inches in.

Watch out for moles out here as last year my crop was decimated, they would take the whole bulb and plant down the burrow. Im assuming it was a mole but not sure we get many critters where we are. i now plant them in a large planter with a mesh bottom so far so good.

Rgds,

Ozzy

Thank you Ozzy , I've split and planted mine just now.  Its warm in the village during the day but a lot colder at night so I light my bedroom fire.  This is the first year I've lived here and I've seen mole hills in the garden for the first time someone who lives further inland than me says she gets them but they tend to move on after a while. Thanks again .

@Ozzy183a

You can winterise garlic in the fridge, and I find it less hassle to grow mine in pots - along with peppers and tomatoes (in separate pots, of course)

Moles eat worms and insects, not plants. The critters eating plants are more likely to be voles, who use the mole tunnels and chew on plant roots and stems. Either wire based planters or a few good hunting cats let loose at night can take care of the problem.

The other problem with garlic and shallots is because they're planted shallowly, birds can tug them up when looking for nesting material if they see the white or brown papery outer poking out the ground.

Ideally garlic should be planted in late autumn. It will grow when planted now, but may not form full bulbs. If you leave a few in the ground over next winter, you can end up with a perennial garlic patch. Mine here in the UK only produce small bulbs but lots of them.

I was so excited to see garlic and shallots pop up in my Bulgarian garden last spring, unfortunately my lovely neighbour got someone to strim the weedy garden while I was away to "help" me. and they destroyed them, as well as the strawberry patch, and all but one of the hazelnuts I'd planted the autumn before. I'm excited to finally get back next week and see what's growing.

I like using the green tops, which can be harvested carefully one from each plant once they're growing well. They add a spicy garlicky flavour chopped up into salads or cooked food.

Well it's raining here in the village now for the first time in many weeks so hopefully it will help move things along.

Our area has been quite dry, too. Rain is forecast for next week.

It's been raining up here for the past week or so.

Fill a 6-inch deep, terracotta pot that has a draining hole with light, soilless potting mix as garlic needs an airy soil to prevent root rot. Plant cloves pointy side up, 1 to 2 inches deep, and about 2 inches apart. Place potted garlic in a south-facing or west-facing window for the most optimal light.

@janemulberry

Jane, Must have been an army of voles lol, they took most of my planted area some 30 plants were gone. Luckily a stray cat has moved into an outhouse so hopefully we wont have the same problem this year.

Rgds,  Ozzy

Then hopefully Ozzy I'll be ok as I've got five kittens soon to be cats living rough in or around my garden. I will not take any of them in because I'm expecting to have to go to the UK at shortish notice and as I live here by myself it wouldn't be fair to them. But if they can contribute to keeping pests away from my garden and outbuildings.

Bear in mind that mole crickets are endemic here - is it possible that they're to blame?  They tunnel like moles but they don't usually leave "hills" of soil.

Oh, wow! Those are amazing looking crickets, and huge, too! I heard cricket song at night last summer, so my garden probably has them. I will need to look for their burrows.

I think in my garden, I definitely have moles as well, there are plenty of mole hills.

@janemulberry

They're not really "crickets"; they live underground and don't sing, so it wasn't them you heard - but the blighters do damage plants, by destroying the roots or even chomping on the plants themselves. If you're not used to them they're quite a sight...

@JimJ

Not seen any yet but would have come across them by now as have been clearing the garden for past few years and digging it over by hand no sign of grubs they prefer lawns and grasses so reckon its voles or something like that the neighbours insist its a mole but who knows, luckily this year we have a cat and have planted them off the plot near the house in planters so fingers crossed.

Rgds, Ozzy

From what Wikipedia says about mole crickets (it seems a well-written, well-referenced article) I suspect my unirrigated garden might be too dry for them to complete their life cycle - the nymphs need damp soil. But I'll look out for the burrows.

Ozzy, moles don't tend to eat plants, except uprooting things by mistake when tunneling. They eat worms and insects (including the crickets!). But vegetable-eating rodents like voles tend to make use of the mole tunnels to get at your tasty veggies and other plants!