My garlic harvest

I just dug up my garlic today and cleaned them up. They are in mesh bags in the garage for storing. I had a good harvest, but the bulbs are smaller than in the past. What advice does anyone have for me to enrich the bed for this fall? I have a great location and amend the soil regularly with things such as coffee grounds, etc. What else would help make bigger bulbs--steer manure, chicken poo, what? I always have planted grocery store garlic with great results.
Also, can someone tell me how to upload a photo to DG from my phone (Galaxy Note4) I always email it to my computer and save it to the desktop then attach. There must be an easier way!

This message was edited Jun 19, 2015 2:11 PM

WOW! Nice haul!

Nice garlic. I've been trying to grow garlic for a few years now and last year I used alot of worm
castings to loosen up the soil. In another 3 weeks I will be digging them up to see what is there.

But here is a website that has alot of good information. http://www.wegrowgarlic.com/12401/16101.html

Hope the website helps.

Beautiful Garlic Harvest! Way to go! How did you get it so clean? How many washes?

I have never washed garlic. Just brush it off and leave as much of the outer wrapper as possible for good storage in the winter months.
Love to grow garlic and next year want to try it in my straw bales because of the white rot disease in my garden soil. Maybe I can outfox the thing that way.
JoParrot....Your garlic is gorgeous. Be careful about buying store bought and replanting it, though. That is the way I got the white rot .....I think. Treated is probably better.

I did not wash it- just brushed the soil from the roots and peeled the outer layer of skin off. I think washing would encourage spoilage. And I have never had any disease or other problems with store bought garlic. I buy large bulbs and separate them, let them start to sprout and plant the biggest cloves. I plant abut 100 every year and get nearly 100% harvest. Unless I ever have problems I see no reason to pay big bucks for seed garlic. I have the same reasoning for growing my own store bought potatoes every year. If it ain't broke I ain't gonna fix it!

You garlic is beautiful. Thanks for the info. The last garlic I planted was around some roses to deter the Japanese Beetles and I think it has helped.

Did I understand you right - You do not use seed potatoes (persay), you just use from your purchase of potatoes from the grocery store? I've done that a time or two and have had good luck. Not that I was planting any large quantity.

Brenda, yes, I do use store potatoes. If you buy organic they are not sprayed with anything, and usually sprout pretty fast. I have 3 half barrels that I plant each year, and usually put about 6 to each barrel, and get about 3 pounds each- no big deal, but I enjoy doing it.

That is wonderful. Organic - I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of potatoes, I dug potatoes from the edge of my compost pile this morn and I have cooked us a bait of them, therefore we are having potatoes with the jackets on for lunch.

Most garlic sold in grocery stores in this country is grown in the US -- particularly Gilroy, CA. All those farmers make a living from garlic, and lots of it. Disease in the soil would put them out of business. I imagine they go way more testing and are far more vigilant than any of us could be.

I personally would not, under any circumstances, plant garlic from the local farmer's market, an unlabelled source or China. These guys just aren't as invested in staying clean. Most Chinese garlic goes into processed food and spice bottles anyway. Market growers raise fine garlic, but if something goes wrong they can just move to another crop.

Once you get garlic disease in the soil, it's a very long time for it to die off.

One of the best things to aid the garlic is cow manure. If you use manure try to use composted as raw causes a wonderful weed crop. The bagged stuff will do. Put in the fall is best. I would use about 6 inches or more if you can afford several bags.

Interesting to know about the manure for garlic.

I have access to the real stuff, and yes, there are lots of weed seeds in it. Even composted they seem to sprout. Wish I could figure out a way to get the stuff really really hot to kill the seeds.
Thanks for the advice, eweed. I didn't know garlic loved cow manure. I do know that rhubarb loves it too.

thanks, eweed- I have added manure before but not nearly that much. I will do it this fall and see what happens.

BB put down a pile of cow and sprinkle it with nitrogen fertilizer then give it a quick sprinkle of water and cover with another pile and repeat go as high as you like. Cover with a old tarp or black visqueen it will get hot. It will kill lots of the seed but some will prevail

Eweed....I love that idea. Going to try it for sure. I don't mind a few weeds.

Good manure info here - thanks.

No bull intended lol

Chuckle, chuckle
We only have heifers and babes.

Oh my heifer dust and new poo is best lol.

good cover crops help to fix your soil if you don't plant im the fall some winter wheat or rye then tilled in in the spring will still let you plantsoft neck garlic. I prefer wheat because it tills in and dies. Rye tends to be tough and it returns easy. That's my story and I am sticking to it good luck.

I think I will try planting some garlic in wheat straw bales this fall. I am trying that method for squash and green beans this summer and so far it has been great.