Did you grow garlic when you were doing the veg growing? I don’t watch Gardening Australia, but I caught the end recently and Costa said something about soaking the garlic cloves overnight before planting. I’ve never heard of that for bulbs. I know about it for some seeds, although I rarely do it. I’ve grown garlic successfully just by planting the shooting cloves, although the last couple of seasons have been poor. Probably weather related.

buffy said:

Did you grow garlic when you were doing the veg growing? I don’t watch Gardening Australia, but I caught the end recently and Costa said something about soaking the garlic cloves overnight before planting. I’ve never heard of that for bulbs. I know about it for some seeds, although I rarely do it. I’ve grown garlic successfully just by planting the shooting cloves, although the last couple of seasons have been poor. Probably weather related.

I’ve never done that either. but I do have damp soil with rain forecast most days this week. and I don’t think the bulbs even need to be sprouting.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Did you grow garlic when you were doing the veg growing? I don’t watch Gardening Australia, but I caught the end recently and Costa said something about soaking the garlic cloves overnight before planting. I’ve never heard of that for bulbs. I know about it for some seeds, although I rarely do it. I’ve grown garlic successfully just by planting the shooting cloves, although the last couple of seasons have been poor. Probably weather related.

I’ve never done that either. but I do have damp soil with rain forecast most days this week. and I don’t think the bulbs even need to be sprouting.

Thank you. I did get a few cloves last season and I noticed they are starting to sprout in the middle. I just cut one up to use for tea. So I usually take that to be A Sign that it’s time to think about putting them in the soil. I’ve found a few leftovers in the beds that are sprouting leaves and I’ve put them into neat places rather than them being all over the place where they ended up when I’ve dug over. I used to get good garlic in the sandy soil at Casterton when I pretty much neglected them. I used to get self seeded leeks for some years there too, but I’ve had to buy some seed this year!

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Did you grow garlic when you were doing the veg growing? I don’t watch Gardening Australia, but I caught the end recently and Costa said something about soaking the garlic cloves overnight before planting. I’ve never heard of that for bulbs. I know about it for some seeds, although I rarely do it. I’ve grown garlic successfully just by planting the shooting cloves, although the last couple of seasons have been poor. Probably weather related.

I’ve never done that either. but I do have damp soil with rain forecast most days this week. and I don’t think the bulbs even need to be sprouting.

Thank you. I did get a few cloves last season and I noticed they are starting to sprout in the middle. I just cut one up to use for tea. So I usually take that to be A Sign that it’s time to think about putting them in the soil. I’ve found a few leftovers in the beds that are sprouting leaves and I’ve put them into neat places rather than them being all over the place where they ended up when I’ve dug over. I used to get good garlic in the sandy soil at Casterton when I pretty much neglected them. I used to get self seeded leeks for some years there too, but I’ve had to buy some seed this year!

I used to plant the best biggest bulbs. And all the sprouting left overs.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

I’ve never done that either. but I do have damp soil with rain forecast most days this week. and I don’t think the bulbs even need to be sprouting.

Thank you. I did get a few cloves last season and I noticed they are starting to sprout in the middle. I just cut one up to use for tea. So I usually take that to be A Sign that it’s time to think about putting them in the soil. I’ve found a few leftovers in the beds that are sprouting leaves and I’ve put them into neat places rather than them being all over the place where they ended up when I’ve dug over. I used to get good garlic in the sandy soil at Casterton when I pretty much neglected them. I used to get self seeded leeks for some years there too, but I’ve had to buy some seed this year!

I used to plant the best biggest bulbs. And all the sprouting left overs.

Yes, pretty much what I’ve done over the years. Every now and then I pick up some new stock from Diggers. Always get the ones they claim to be the hottest. Although I’ve also bought gungy garlic from the supermarket, let it sprout and then planted it out. Might be my imagination, but the stuff that I’ve grown that way seems to be stronger than the original supermarket “stock”.

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Thank you. I did get a few cloves last season and I noticed they are starting to sprout in the middle. I just cut one up to use for tea. So I usually take that to be A Sign that it’s time to think about putting them in the soil. I’ve found a few leftovers in the beds that are sprouting leaves and I’ve put them into neat places rather than them being all over the place where they ended up when I’ve dug over. I used to get good garlic in the sandy soil at Casterton when I pretty much neglected them. I used to get self seeded leeks for some years there too, but I’ve had to buy some seed this year!

I used to plant the best biggest bulbs. And all the sprouting left overs.

Yes, pretty much what I’ve done over the years. Every now and then I pick up some new stock from Diggers. Always get the ones they claim to be the hottest. Although I’ve also bought gungy garlic from the supermarket, let it sprout and then planted it out. Might be my imagination, but the stuff that I’ve grown that way seems to be stronger than the original supermarket “stock”.

i gave up on supermarket garlic sourced from china.

I recently read someone who said they did the soaking garlic overnight before planting experiment last year, and it made no difference, the soaked and unsoaked grew the same. I can’t remember where I read it though.
Perhaps the forum gardeners can also do the experiment.
Did the man who needs a visit to the barber say what he soaked the garlic in? Just plain water, or something else?

ruby said:

I recently read someone who said they did the soaking garlic overnight before planting experiment last year, and it made no difference, the soaked and unsoaked grew the same. I can’t remember where I read it though.
Perhaps the forum gardeners can also do the experiment.
Did the man who needs a visit to the barber say what he soaked the garlic in? Just plain water, or something else?

He didn’t say, so I presumed water.