what's next with my garlic???

[fairygardengirl]

I planted garlic last fall for the first time, and it is coming up. What should I do next and when should I harvest? Thanks!

[rainbowgardener]

It's only just now coming up? Usually when I plant garlic in the fall, it sprouts in the fall. takes it just a couple weeks to start germinating. It grows for awhile, then it goes dormant for the winter and starts growing again in very early spring. Then it gets very big and starts making scapes (blooms), then the plant is finished and it is time to harvest, sometime maybe mid - July-ish.

If yours is just now sprouting after all these months, I have no idea what kind of time table it is on. Are you sure it is the garlic, not a weed that happened to sprout where your garlic used to be? I'm just having trouble imagining how your garlic cloves sat there for seven or eight months and didn't sprout, but didn't rot out and suddenly sprouted now....

[fairygardengirl]

Thank you for your answer! I didn't see it coming up in the fall, could it have something to do with me planting in the late fall or is that what you did too? I didn't think I saw it coming up in fall. it didn't just come up, it started came up in early spring like you said.

[gumbo2176]

A common problem for giving advice is many posters, like yourself, don't put any information as to where they are located. Advice depends a lot on where you live and what your growing conditions are for that time of year.

Add your location to your posts or to your sig line and you will get more pertinent advice that is consistent with the climate you are gardening in. Big differences in the deep south and they north in the fall.

[fairygardengirl]

thanks! I will do that right now!

[Peter1142]

I doubt it is garlic coming up now. My garlic will be done next week, and was growing in February. Even in the far North most garlic is scaping by now. Most likely it is weeds and your garlic failed to germinate... sorry. Can you post a picture so we can say for sure whats going on?

[fairygardengirl]

I'm sure it is the garlic because it is in straight lines where I planted them. Also, they came up in early spring.

[rainbowgardener]

It is still odd that it was so slow germinating. In terms of what next, a picture would still help, Garlic when it first comes up is very slender. What size is yours? If all goes well, it will get thick and two feet tall. Then the top part of the stem starts growing around in spirals, which means it is getting ready to flower.

[applestar]

If you are growing hardneck -- and you probably are since you are in the north, they will start to grow scapes/flower stalks, which are delicious. If they haven't grown scapes yet, you could still side dress with fertilizer. I think you want something with same three numbers. If you haven't mulched them, do that after fertilizing.

Garlic won't grow in the fall if you plant late or if you get an early hard freeze. Since they didn't get that chance to make a head start they may not grow as fast or big as they could have. There are variety differences, too. I've mostly given up growing garlic that make lots of small cloves -- too much work.

[fairygardengirl]

I think you are right applestar. they probably just have a late start. they are starting to get a little thicker. Thank's everyone for your help again!