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What lighting conditions does wild garlic like?
Chris Mason
Posts: 159
in Plants
There's a tree at the top of my garden which steals almost all of the sun from beneath it, on a good day it would get full sun until about 12:30ish but after that it will be put in a light shade (not dappled), I'm not cutting the tree down (it's actually ivy and it's produced some good sized branches!) anyway, the site doesn't hold water too well so I'll work leaf mold and mulch well. I've tried to do a few things with the site, I've tried leaving it alone and allowing it to sort its self out (half a year but nothing happened) I've tried encouraging bramble through but this isn't doing anything either but one idea I have had is planting wild garlic. Thoughts?
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My wild garlic grows in deep shade, through horticultural membrane as I don't want it to spread. Vinca major or minor could work too, either choose blue or white flowers, also Corydalis will grow anywhere shady and has small yellow flowers for many months. There is a blue version but it is not nearly so vigorous. Hostas and Solomon's Seal may do well too. Bergenias may also work.
My wld garlic is in very dry, total shade. They reproduce slowly there, I think they'd do better elsewhere
Geranium macrorrhizum is my most reliable dry shade plant
In the sticks near Peterborough
I walk through a dense woodand it was absolutely full of wild garlic this year.
It certainly grows in very dense shade - it's everywhere round here. The wet weather in spring probably helps
It might not look effective if you only have garlic which is pretty for a short time and then it's just strappy, garlicky green leaves! Artjak and philippa have given some good suggestions for other planting to lengthen the season. If the area's on the dry side, you might be better growing plants which will thrive in that rather than trying to alter the conditions to suit the garlic better.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have a small woodland on one side of our bowling club where wild garlic grow every year...it is beautifully entwined with bluebells...we do not tend either and they never cease to amaze us with their contrasting colour and perfume...
Tetley- honestly, I've tried growing bramble under the tree but it grows too strangely and the slugs/snails eat it. the only reason I like the idea of garlic is because I love the shape of the flowers and the smell, I like sensory stimuli. In the way of spreading I understand garlic is renowned for it but I'm not worried, (going clockwise) there is a park directly behind us so I don't think anyone will be bothered by that, we then have one neighbor who has a shed and he's concreted that area of the garden which is closet to us(I've been in his garden), we then have an elderly couple who do nothing in the way of gardening but their garden is at least 6ish feet and it has to go through a one of my paths, to the bottom left we then have my favorite neighbor, thats a solid 15ft and again the top of their garden is concreted off + that goes over areas where it will be caught out (paths). I do feel I am a very considerate person and I really do believe that the garlic will not bother anybody.
I thought wild garlic was good for pollinators? Fairygirl- that's absolutely true, originally under the tree the ground was completely bare and eroded, weeds wouldn't even grow there, after working in a little compost and mulching that really helped, but I personally think if I was to work in leaf mould that would fix the water problem. - everybody else- thank you for your responsesSmell is so subjective - I absolutely love the smell of a woodland full of Ramsons and would have absolutely no objection if the garden next door to us was full of it - it's only for a few weeks each year anyway
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That's very true, I love smelly plants, I've got five native honeysuckles scattered around the garden, it's smells like heaven when their in flower! This is what I'll do, I'll grow some in plant pots, I'll work with the soil and this time next year I'll make the final decision on what to do
The flowers are pretty. Unfortunately they spread very,very quickly!!
Fluffy Cloud is correct. Wild garlic in a garden can get out of hand and be a menace. In the right location [ woodland ] it is wonderful.