Garlic

[gasdoctor]

Hi,

I'm after a bit of help.

I want to grow some garlic and I want to grow it in a pot (as I'm obssesed with growing things in pots due to my rubbish clay soil).

Now from what Ive read so far you can plant the cloves from a shop in march but for better results plant now (autumn) using "nursery" stock.

What do you reckon, my pot is a 12" deep trough which I very successfully grew peas in last year? (the peas are now going into my new veggie patch, once ive added a significant amount of organic material)

Cheers.

[opabinia51]

Garlic is a root vegetable so, 12 inches should suffice. I would purchase the garlic from a nursery as garlic in supermarkets in generally treated such that it will not develop rootlets.

Anyway, divide the head into cloves and plant one clove per pot (maybe two). The garlic doesn't have to be that deep. Store the pots in a sheltered area over the winter such that they do not freeze solid.

[Newt]

Hi Gasdoctor,

Welcome to the Helpful Gardener! Some great advice from Opabinia. Do use the largest cloves from the outer part of the garlic head as that will give you larger heads when you harvest. You might also find these sites helpful about growing veggies and veggies in containers.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH032
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0306/plantonions.asp
https://www.ourgardengang.com/containerveggies.htm
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/potatoespots.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0802/powdery_scab.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0902/potato_skin.asp

One of the best things you can do to improve your clay soil is to add lots of organic matter. Compost is great for that. Since winter is on the way, you could do sheet (lasagna) composting over the winter and plant in spring.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0903/compost_heap.asp
https://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic_Gardening/1999_April_May/Lasagna_Gardening
https://www.bconnex.net/~carolw/lasagna1.html
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0802/green_manure.asp

I tried to use as many UK sites as I could.
Newt

[opabinia51]

YES, YES, YES! Thank You Newt! I was going to add that but forgot.

Lasagna or sheet mulching is definately the way to go. Also, before winter sets in (and before you do the sheet mulch) dig some trenches in your clay-soil and add leaves, grass clippings, manure, coffee grinds, egg shells and the like in layers like you would do for a sheet compost (mulch). Then just add the dug out soil on top.

Then, sheet compost (mulch) on to of this.

Another thing that you can do to remedy your clay soil is plant plants such as Daikon and just cut the greens (and compost them ) and allow the deep tap roots of the daikon the decompose in the soil.

Incidentally,

MAPLE tree leaves are very high in nutrients but, work better in compost if they are shredded first with the lawn mower.

APPLE tree leaves are extremely high in nutrients

Linden tree or Basswooed (Tilia spp) are also quite good.

[gasdoctor]

Thanks very much, loads of stuff to think about, fantastic.

Ill get some garlic this week and start growing.

Ive already double dug the veggie plot and incorporated the contents of last years compost bin. (the patch is only 3mx4m)

I like the lasagna idea but I'm sceptical that it will have rotted by spring.

The potato compost is going to go in the recycling bin, though some may be saved as used to mulch my shrubs and roses next spring.

Cheers

gasdoc

[opabinia51]

Hmmm, as were some of my family members. Here's the deal, if you leave maple leaves (unmulched) they will not be totally composted by spring but, will be composted enough for you to plant in and by June or July, they will be soil. Looking at my garden now, I can't even tell that I put so many leaves into last year at this time.

And I'm adding more leaves now.

If you mulch your leaves first (just run over them with the lawnmower) they will be composted even if you don't add a "green" to them.