Thanks Jason, I planted them last autumn. I had them planted near broad beans which, according to Bob Flowerdew I shouldn't have. I will try again this autumn.
I have realized with organic fruit and vegetable gardening one has to expect less than perfect looking produce - marks like this on potatoes are not a problem at all - just scrape or peel away - just because it looks imperfect doesn't mean it should be binned!
I have asked many plot neighbours at the allotment where I am what they think about produce that may look like your potato and also relating to fruit that may have little holes in and they all say peel, scrape it or cut around it - of course if it is totally mashed up and it looks like there is disease on the produce then don't eat it but I think with organic gardening/growing we should expect imperfect but perfectly tasting produce!
I've grown charlotte potatoes for the last few years and these always come up almost perfect!
Ref garlic: agree with Jason 3 - plant sept/oct time to give them enough time to develop before the frost - I mulched mine with compost and kept piling it on over winter - it helped with the bad freeze thaw we had this year - keep them weed free and also water them especially as spring approaches - you know your garlic is ready when the long stem/stalk falls over, they literally topple - they are then ready to harvest - I bunched mine up and hung them in a dry place to dry out a bit but you can plait them up and use accordingly...
I've grown garlic every year for the last 7 or 8 years. The size of the bulbs varies quite a lot even with consistent treatment and location. The weather plays a big part. My garlic this year is pretty good but fairly small bulbs - I assume the erratic weather - very cold March, very dry since the beginning of May - has affected it this year. Next year will be different, it always is, but better or worse - who knows?
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I'll add that I wouldn't worry about planting things next to each other than someone says won't work. My garlic was right next to my broadbeans and both did fine. But you said you pulled it up because it started to bolt. Hardneck garlic (which yours must have been as it flowered) will flower. pick the flowers off when they have completed one curl and eat them, then wait around 3 weeks and the bulbs should be ready for harvest.
The potato in the picture only has scab on it caused by the dry weather scrape the skin off and its perfectly ok to eat. I have givem my potatoes a can per row of water during the heatwave and it looks like it has worke for size but I too have scab on them
Garlic sold in uk is imported in from Italy or France. They onlu give very small resultshere. /but For about £2 vuy a variety of Garlic called Marco from a garden centre and separate the cloves abd push deep in the ground in September/Oct and they will be fine. Pushing them in stops birds pulling them out.. I have grown this variety for years, works for me... Sorry about the potatoes getting scab.. Sometimes they might taste earthy, then they are not edible..
Posts
I have realized with organic fruit and vegetable gardening one has to expect less than perfect looking produce - marks like this on potatoes are not a problem at all - just scrape or peel away - just because it looks imperfect doesn't mean it should be binned!
I have asked many plot neighbours at the allotment where I am what they think about produce that may look like your potato and also relating to fruit that may have little holes in and they all say peel, scrape it or cut around it - of course if it is totally mashed up and it looks like there is disease on the produce then don't eat it but I think with organic gardening/growing we should expect imperfect but perfectly tasting produce!
I've grown charlotte potatoes for the last few years and these always come up almost perfect!
Ref garlic: agree with Jason 3 - plant sept/oct time to give them enough time to develop before the frost - I mulched mine with compost and kept piling it on over winter - it helped with the bad freeze thaw we had this year - keep them weed free and also water them especially as spring approaches - you know your garlic is ready when the long stem/stalk falls over, they literally topple - they are then ready to harvest - I bunched mine up and hung them in a dry place to dry out a bit but you can plait them up and use accordingly...
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”