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I am zone 7A, and still want to plant garlic. Can I still plant it now, or is it getting too late? I am making a raised bed this weekend, and want to plant my cloves next week.
Plant!!!!! I am in Richmond and I planted in October and will be planting next set in 1-2 days. I have 30 cloves in now and will plant about 20 in next planting. I have 5 different types that I am trying. Read this link :
for some REAL GOOD info on how to prep your cloves before planting. You can get the liquid seaweed at Southern States Garden store and I just picked up a cheap bottle of alcohol at WalMart. If you do not want to do all of the soaking you can still plant it.
Just in case link does not work here is what they say to do:
Some Planting and Growing Tips To Improve Your Crop
We soak the cloves overnight in water containing liquid seaweed and either apple cider vinegar OR baking soda, but not both (you can use either but if you use both, they will neutralize each other) at the rate of one tablespoon each per gallon of water to inhibit fungal growth and stimulate rooting. Next we soak it for 3 to 5 minutes or so in rubbing alcohol in order to kill any mites or other hitchhikers, and plant immediately. This may seem a little draconian, but many pathogens that affect garlic present few or no symptoms until it is too late, and the soaking eliminates most problems before they develop. For long term soil health, it is best not to plant anything but healthy cloves.
Growing garlic in rotation with other crops which we fertilize with old cow and chicken manure as well as compost means we don't have to fertilize the garlic very much, just so the soil stays loose and soft to make planting go easier. Every two weeks during the growing season we give the garlic a foliar feeding using the same formula that we use for inoculation, but adding a tablespoon of molasses as well.
Stop feeding once the bulb begins to swell and grow, but continue to water. We discontinue watering a week or so before harvesting to let the soil and the garlic dry down some as late watering can cause bulb wrappers to split as the bulbs swell up too rapidly. Excess water during this time can also lead to fungal and other disease problems.
DL, which ones are you trying? I asked for garlic that would do well in the south, and got Burgundy and Ajo Rojo, buth Cajuns. I plant today, after finally remembering to start soaking the night before...
Those are 2 of the garlic I purchased. I also got German Porcelain (hardneck) and Music and Russian Red from another seller (Territorial I think). They told me that hardneck do not always do well in warmer places but I wanted to try them just to see. I tasted two cloves from each head they sent me and right now Burgundy is my favorite. I tried one raw and baked the other just to see how they tasted. The German Porcelain which is usually grown in New York is really good and easy to peel.
I am in zone 8b, and I have had good luck with several hardneck garlics, a Porcelain type and an Asiatic. I have heard that Rocamboles do not do as well in my region, and therefore have not tried any.
Okay, my garlic garden is now about 8-10 inches high. The first freeze didn't seem to phase them one bit, but a colder (20's) night is coming. Do I protect them, or leave them be?
Thanks
Hi Catmad, so long as your soil dont freeze, your garlic should be fine, it is one member of the onion family that actually likes a tough of cold for it to be happy which is why early winter is the better time for planting it, good luck, hope you have a great harvest. Weenel.
