I usually plant cloves of garlic between roses to discourage pests; seems to work pretty well.
However, when the foliage dries out and droops and I dig up the garlic, it's never a full head with cloves. Just one Tiny.
What am I doing wrong?
Or is this the way it's supposed to be?
HB
To grow big heads of garlic you need to start with a big clove as the "seed" and then feed it moderately without too much competition.
How long is it in the ground before you pick it?
D***Duh... haven't kept good track, but it could be 6 mo (?) because ISTR planting the cloves about the time I prune, which is 3rd week in January.
Didn't realize size of clove governed side of head! Why is that? Incidentally, ISTR that cloves were reasonable size.
re: Feeding, I didn't. Mea culpa? All I did in that bed of roses was feed *them* as they started to leaf out again. I'd have thought some of the fertilizer went to the clove of garlic? What was I supposed to feed it?
HB
r
Roses like a lot of nitrogen, which does not help garlic produce large bulbs. Both like phosphorus. For phosphorus to work, however, it must be placed where roots will find it since it does not disolve easily. Thus, you should dig bone meal or superphosphate into the bottom of the planting hole before planting garlic. Cover that fertilizer with a little unfertilized soil and then plant the garlic.
--->
****That's what you also advocate for planting new roses; I still have the printout from your rose regimen.
I will try this next time I plant cloves between roses.
Note that below post from Brooklyn 1 (tanks, pal) includes the following passage:
"Garlic grows well with many other plants and help protect them from fungus and pests. Scientists at Newcastle University have shown that a barrier of garlic oil is an effective slug and snail repellent. There is also evidence that garlic can help protect people against mosquito bites."
Knock on wood, I haven't had problems with slug and snail lately. Few years ago, I had occasion to deal with them; I used THAT'S IT! rather than the usual Sluggo, etc.; works much better.
TIA
HB
Don't know where you are - but in the Pacific NW, we generally plant the garlic around Oct 1.
HTH-
I am downstate from you. I guess I thought "mild, Mediterranean climate" would signal So. Calif. coastal.
I have been coordinating garlic planting to pruning the roses. Do you do that as well? Should I be doing it? Following David Ross's comment, maybe I should NOT. Because after pruning roses, I would not feed them. But I would, selon lui, need to feed the garlic. Sounds like I am slowly thinking myself into planting garlic earlier. Yes? No?
HB
I would treat garlic as a spring bulb, planting it around the second half of October.
By the way, my earlier comment about fertilizers is that garlic -- and many other spring bulbs -- should not get a lot of nitrogen. One feeding with a general fertilizer around early March should be sufficient. Roses on the other hand require repeated feedings. I feed mine monthly from the time new growth starts until the end of October. I only stop in October so that I won't be pruning new shoots in December and January.
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