Spring Planting Garlic

 Hi All,
I just read a website about onions and garlic.
On it it says Garlic should not be planted in the spring because the garlic
needs 2-3 months of temps below 0c (32f) in order to initiate bulbing . It
also says "bulb formation occurs in response to the lengthening days of
spring and maturity are considerably hastened if temperatures are high."
The site was a US one so I am asking about garlic here in the UK.

So my question now is this:
Is it to late to plant the garlic? If I do it now when do I expect mature
bulbs. Do Spring planting make for Autumn bulbs of good size or should I
just scrap this years and start in the fall for next year?

Thanks a Bunch.:-)
Julie
N.Ire

 

I'm not an expert on the subject, by any strech of the imagination! -
however I have been told the following from different sources.

1.  From an elderly friend of my Mum, I was told to plant garlic on the
shortest day of the year ie: December 21 (?).  This I did and they are
growing quite well.

2.  In one of my gardening books, by Dr Hessayon (?), it states that garlic
should be planted in March (ie: after any frosts) - however if it was
planted earlier, then plant extra bulbs where there are gaps - the bulbs
should be 6 inches apart from each other.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,


Andrew

 
: I'm not an expert on the subject, by any strech of the imagination! -
: however I have been told the following from different sources.

: 1.  From an elderly friend of my Mum, I was told to plant garlic on the
: shortest day of the year ie: December 21 (?).  This I did and they are
: growing quite well.

Much common advice is to plant in the autumn - October - or probably
November now. Remember when October was considered Autumn?

: 2.  In one of my gardening books, by Dr Hessayon (?), it states that garlic
: should be planted in March (ie: after any frosts) - however if it was
: planted earlier, then plant extra bulbs where there are gaps - the bulbs
: should be 6 inches apart from each other.

Why after frosts? Garlic is as hardy as old boots.

see this site for some advice

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/garlicgrow.html

or

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_april_3_garlic.asp

 
:
: : I'm not an expert on the subject, by any strech of the imagination! -
: : however I have been told the following from different sources.
:
: : 1.  From an elderly friend of my Mum, I was told to plant garlic on the
: : shortest day of the year ie: December 21 (?).  This I did and they are
: : growing quite well.

My Dad, who was an old gardener, told me, when I was a kid, in the 1930's,
that you should plant shallots on the shortest day, and lift them on the
longest day.
He never grew garlic it wasn't very popular, in England, in those days.

 TedR

 

That was it!

Although why these particular days I don't know - old wife's tales!?

All the best.

Cheers,


Andrew