Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Have I planted my garlic incorrectly?

Hey everyone

I planted some garlic about 2 weeks ago now. I tried to plant them ~1 inch deep, and I water most days. Now I'm seeing what looks like the cloves come back up? I've attached a photo to show what I mean. I've never grown vegetables before but this looks very wrong to me. Did I not plant deep enough? Should I put them in deeper? Thanks in advance!

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    You definitely planted them at the right depth. It may be due to the comparatively mild weather that we are having, particularly as you are down on the South Coast. I think you are possibly overwatering, l don't think garlic requires any extra watering at this time of year.
    Have a look here for some info  :)
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/garlic/grow-your-own
  • Thanks for the reply & link :) I will definitely water less. The soil always seems to feel bone dry, but maybe I just picked a rubbish one to grow in. 

    Yeah my whole garden seems to be confused! A month ago my strawberry plant started to both turn autumn coloured (didn't know they did that) and also to flower and fruit. My forget-me-not started flowering yesterday, and a few days before that my vinca minor started flowering. Could have sworn that should only be happening in early summer! Poor plants.
  • I suspect the newly emerging roots are pushing it out of the soil, especially if the ground below is a bit hard.  I would use a trowel to carefully remove without disturbing the roots, and re-plant so there's an inch of soil above the top of the clove.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ahh that would make sense! thank you, I'll do exactly that :D
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    edited November 2021
    Probably a silly question, but have you planted them pointy end up? (hard to tell from the photo).
  • I think @BobTheGardener, is absolutely right.  I was told to soak the cloves overnight, somewhere warm before planting. Little white roots start to appear at the base plate and gives them a head start. Agree about using a trowel to plant, if you push them in as they tend to see on TV,  you create a hard patch underneath. 
    AB Still learning

  • @StephenSouthwest - not a stupid question for me at all - when I dug up the garlic and replanted just now I did find some upside down! Oops, fail. So they're the right way up now, thankfully.

    Oh interesting, if I ever try garlic again I'll be sure to do that @Allotment Boy. Great tip. Yep, like the TV says I just pushed them in, but they're all replanted now just with the little green tips above ground. Thanks so much, and also to @BobTheGardener. I can't believe how fast they put down roots and grow!

  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 848
      I was told to soak the cloves overnight, somewhere warm before planting.

    I kept this photo with my other Gardening material/advice, so as not to forget exactly how to do it.  I think it was originally supplied by Artemis??



    I've done it myself; it works!




    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

Sign In or Register to comment.