question about Garlic and winter

GWN 3/7/2017, 1:36 pm

I have been growing garlic for a few years, and done well, but this has been a very unusual year. I planted in October, and then there was a very long warm weather spell (unusual up here) The garlic all came up. This was followed by a very cold spell before the snow (the great insulator) fell. We then had a thick bed of snow over winter, but in places where the snow has melted the garlic has come up, and now we are having it somewhat cold again. Does anyone know just how much abuse garlic will take?

**donnainzone5** 3/7/2017, 2:22 pm

I'd say that garlic can take quite a bit of abuse!

I've never lost any to inclement weather, and I don't even mulch their bed.

CapeCoddess 3/7/2017, 2:42 pm

Same here...no mulch and no loss with crazy weather...so far anyway.
CC

GWN 3/7/2017, 2:56 pm

Good to know, they just look so dreadful today, and the poor things have been through SOO much. Good to know others have suffered and survived. Thank you

**sanderson** 3/7/2017, 3:19 pm

GWN!!!

GWN 3/7/2017, 4:32 pm

GWN!!!

THANKS.....just checking to see if I still know how to use this site.

I planted about 1300 garlic last fall with HIGH HOPES for next summer and have been cringing all winter, hoping all was not for naught

GWN 3/7/2017, 4:35 pm

GWN!!!

OK NOW I think I got it

**Kelejan** 3/7/2017, 5:03 pm

I did quite well with garlic for a couple years, planting them in the fall and seeing them through the winter.

Except that last year we had a very wet spring and a lot of the garlic rotted so I had only a very small harvest last year, and not enough to eat myself and only enough to plant last fall. I even had to buy some garlic from the local farmers' market to be able to plant enough.

I am hoping that it will not be so wet this spring and that I can harvest an increased crop this summer.

GWN 3/7/2017, 6:31 pm

I am hoping that it will not be so wet this spring and that I can harvest an increased crop this summer.

DITTO

question about Garlic and winter 2027012869

On that.... Mine were not wet last year, they were just small, I did not put in enough compost I think, so this year I put in TONS

**donnainzone5** 3/7/2017, 7:47 pm

This year, I'm also worried about wetness, especially in my garlic squares. So far, they've been sprouting normally. Perhaps I should temporarily cover them with vented plastic to limit the amount of moisture in that bed?

Thoughts?

**Scorpio Rising** 3/7/2017, 8:38 pm

I hi have not a lot of experience, but it wasn't the weather that did mine in. I planted my first years garlic in a plastic container. It just froze too hard, and thawed too hot....this year, I put 3 squares in the 4x4, and they are up. I am letting it ride!

happy hi

GWN!

GWN 3/7/2017, 9:19 pm

I have found in years that the garlic is too wet there is a tell tale sign with rings of black around the stalk near the ground. I found pulling them early dealt with that.... and being diligent with the drying process.
The key is to get them out of the ground if they are too wet, even if it is not the best time.
I study them and watch for signs of fungus.

**sanderson** 3/8/2017, 2:59 am

donnainzone5 wrote:This year, I'm also worried about wetness, especially in my garlic squares. So far, they've been sprouting normally. Perhaps I should temporarily cover them with vented plastic to limit the amount of moisture in that bed?

Thoughts?

Wouldn't covering with plastic, even vented, trap in the moisture?

**donnainzone5** 3/8/2017, 12:27 pm

Thanks, Sanderson; I later had the same thought.

**llama momma** 3/9/2017, 8:04 am

GWN wrote:I have been growing garlic for a few years, and done well, but this has been a very unusual year. I planted in October, and then there was a very long warm weather spell (unusual up here) The garlic all came up. This was followed by a very cold spell before the snow (the great insulator) fell. We then had a thick bed of snow over winter, but in places where the snow has melted the garlic has come up, and now we are having it somewhat cold again. Does anyone know just how much abuse garlic will take?

I have all kinds of weird weather temps going crazy up and down then heavy wind just yesterday. Think garlic is very tough. Here is a picture of some from this morning.
question about Garlic and winter Untitl11

question about Garlic and winter Untitl11

GWN 3/9/2017, 9:29 am

Here is a picture of some from this morning.

They certainly look great. mine look the same only frozen solid. I have read on some forums that some people have noticed that the start stop kinds of winters tend to produce large garlic heads, I am hoping for that.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/9/2017, 10:24 pm

GWN wrote:
Here is a picture of some from this morning.

They certainly look great. mine look the same only frozen solid. I have read on some forums that some people have noticed that the start stop kinds of winters tend to produce large garlic heads, I am hoping for that.

Kinda makes sense. The foliage suffers for the bulb!

ralitaco 3/10/2017, 12:14 am

GWN wrote:I planted about 1300 garlic last fall with HIGH HOPES for next summer and have been cringing all winter, hoping all was not for naught

WOW!!! That's a lot of garlic!!! I'm guessing you will not see any vampires

GWN 3/10/2017, 8:50 am

WOW!!! That's a lot of garlic!!! I'm guessing you will not see any vampires

Yes, well in retirement, we are trying to earn a little extra money growing the things we love growing the most.
Did not make much on it last year, because the bulbs were so small. last fall I put 25 bags of various manure composts... so hoping for BIG year

Kinda makes sense. The foliage suffers for the bulb!

If I DO get big bulbs, I will never know if it was the difficult year, or the manure..

recoush 3/19/2017, 6:34 am

based on the Garlic feedback last year from the forum i planted about 50 garlic in both the low bed and the high raised bed watered covered with with soil and then the white foam board and tarp (drainage is good so no worries about rot. i checked them once and was amazed even with out sunlight many things still grows plan is to remove the tarp and foam this week as that freak snow storm 6 inches set me back a little Smile

good to know that the Garlic are very hardy as this is my 1st year for garlic went with the artichoke, and purple stripe

GWN 3/19/2017, 10:41 am

based on the Garlic feedback last year from the forum i planted about 50 garlic in both the low bed and the high raised bed watered covered with with soil and then the white foam board and tarp (drainage is good so no worries about rot. i checked them once and was amazed even with out sunlight many things still grows plan is to remove the tarp and foam this week as that freak snow storm 6 inches set me back a little

good to know that the Garlic are very hardy as this is my 1st year for garlic went with the artichoke, and purple stripe

Sounds like all is well. Smile

Things are warming up here a lot, and more and more garlic showing each day as the snow recedes.... Some look great and some look like they have been through a bar fight.... But I am banking on the bulbs being fine. TIME will tell

SwampTroll 7/2/2017, 2:59 pm

GWN wrote:GWN!!! THANKS.....just checking to see if I still know how to use this site.

I planted about 1300 garlic last fall with HIGH HOPES for next summer and have been cringing all winter, hoping all was not for naught

1300???!
Wow, and I thought I loved garlic.

GWN 7/2/2017, 3:10 pm

Wow, and I thought I loved garlic.

Hi there..... I LOVE TO GROW garlic, but to be honest, I am also selling some of it and also building up my stock of seed garlic with the hopes of being a full fledged garlic farmer one of these years.
AND my garlic is HUGE. I have started harvesting this week and am thrilled.

**Turan** 7/2/2017, 4:04 pm

GWN wrote:AND my garlic is HUGE. I have started harvesting this week and am thrilled.

O good to hear that despite (or because of) the trial of last winter they have come through well!

Mine are just making scapes. The plants are 2' high. I have high hopes. Last couple years I had some rot show up so I got some new bulb stock from a friend. Planted in an area where I have no records of growing garlic or onions. ANd I put some nematodes there in case that a maggot was the source of the rot. Fingers crossed.

Good to see you, GWN!

GWN 7/2/2017, 4:13 pm

Hi Turan
Hey...that is weird that you are just making Scapes now. Mine started the first week of June, which is odd because it was a cooler year in many respects.
I cut them right away this year because I left them last year and my garlic was SO small, it really made a difference ... or so it seems
I have SFG beds, and BTE beds and they did very well in both, as they are well drained...
I have forgotten what zone you are in Turan?

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