GROW YOUR OWN GARLIC THIS AUTUMN A
utumn is the best time to clear your allotment after the summer season, and garlic is an ideal herb to have in the ground overwinter. Once you try your own garlic, you won’t want to go back due to the strong, spicy allium aroma that’s unbeatable when harvested fresh in May to July. Supermarket garlic isn’t suitable for your soil, so please don’t plant it. It can carry pests and diseases such as white rot, which if introduced to your soils could be fatal for allium crops in the future for around 15 years. It may have also been treated with chemicals to prevent growth, and the end results will most probably be disappointing.
Planting time for autumn garlic is between October and November Planting time for autumn garlic is between October and November, starting with good quality seed garlic from a reputable supplier. This ensures the best results and seed garlic cultivars that are suitable for growing in the UK climate. All garlic requires freedraining soil to prevent rotting in winter; adding sand and grit to heavy clay soils will help the soil drain and prevent the garlic from sitting in a cold, soggy bath.
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The most difficult part is deciding whether to grow soft neck or hard neck, so what’s the difference between them? Hard neck garlic produce a delicacy called scapes, which is the flowering spike. Snip these off so the plant’s energy goes into producing Big cloves, rather than flowering and producing seed. Hard neck garlic is often hardier and stronger in flavour too. Soft neck garlic is good for drying, plaiting and storing due to it’s soft neck, but you don’t get the flowering spike which will mean no delicious scapes. Seed garlic usually comes in bulbs, which you then split into the individual cloves. Each individual clove is then planted 3-4cm deep, 15cm apart. Water when the weather is dry and feed with sulphate of potash every six weeks from February until harvest, to maintain healthy growth. So lift your spirits outside in your growing space by starting your next year’s growing season here with this easy and fun herb.
Kelly-Jane @dirtygardenhoeuk