When do you plant garlic?

I am interested in the practice of growing garlic, I mean real garlic not elephant garlic etc. Around here some have planted already (late summer) and others will not plant for more than a month (autumn). There are commercial offerings of "seed" which say plant also in spring but that also says 16-20 weeks to maturity.

I will be planting in a few weeks about the equinox and expect to harvest in spring about 24-26 weeks away. This works very well for me being in the southern hemisphere (so it grows though winter) in a warm temperate climate, about zone 9b.

So if you actually grow garlic (compared with reading about it) when do plant and harvest? What is the relationship to your seasons? What is your climate like?

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott
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First of all, where are you? I'm guessing from the seasons stated that you're in the southern hemisphere?

I grow a number of varieties of garlic in the northeastern U.S.; mostly hardneck, but a few softneck. I plant in late October into early November, which is a good month before the ground freezes to any degree. Winter lows hit -10F to sometimes -20F or lower. One point: unless you have pretty cold winters (substantial time below freezing), many hardneck garlics will not do well; they need that dormant period. It's always best to get your planting stock from as close to home as possible. You're welcome to look at my personal web page, in the .sig below for spreadsheets and what information I've posted.

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Reply to
Gary Woods

In the part you snipped I said

"I will be planting in a few weeks about the equinox and expect to harvest in spring about 24-26 weeks away. This works very well for me being in the southern hemisphere (so it grows though winter) in a warm temperate climate, about zone 9b."

So you also plant in Autumn but your winter is much colder than mine so in mid winter you would get no growth, whereas here it grows all winter long.

When do you harvest?

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

He said that he was in the southern hemisphere - you snipped that out.

Reply to
FarmI

Here, south of you, the old adage is to plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest day of the year. In reality, this should be interpreted to mean spring or late winter planting.

Reply to
FarmI

I saw that after I posted, along with the moderate climate, which means looking for varieties that don't need very cold winters.

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Reply to
Gary Woods

As you can imagine much depends on the variety and soil/climate. It is much different an approach in the cool, wet, clay acidic soils of the Pacific Northwest than your climate. ours here are mostly softneck varieties.

But to your questions I planted several different varieties in various parts of the yard in the mid to late fall, Try to get them in before the rains come at Duck season. but not necessary, just as long as I get them in before Mid December I have some to use the next season. Most of these I let go native, some are companions, some are just green sprouts left too long in the veggie bow that I plant among the flower boxes. I even have a little patch near the marjoram used for garlic chives now, came up same time as the crocus, the other patches along with reds and shallots will grow to maturity in a corner of the garden.

This is probably on your reading list:

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This is from OR, a more southern and dryer climate than here in the Puget Sound/ Mt Rainier swirl but good background info:

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tricks/tips for the PNW:
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Reply to
Gunner

thanks

Rather superficial.

Quite interesting, starting to develope the relationship between climate and planting times.

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

Sorry, I tend to group all our allium together. I thought the Canadian link contained in the forum was pretty good info, especially from a G/H view:

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Reply to
Gunner

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