I have planted two 10' rows each of Martin's Heirloom and Inchellium Red from heads I harvested earlier this year. Will be planting Khabar, Brown Rose and some more Inchellium Red when I get back out to the farm. Don't know if it will be this week or not.

Becky

I started some Kilima leek seeds yesterday. The catalog says they're a "summer" leek, but the winters are pretty mild here. I need to start some scallions soon. Don't know if I'm going to try garlic this year or not.

I have Siberian and Russian Red garlic from a producer in Teeswater Ontario. He suggests planting after the waning of the full moon which is about Oct. 10. That's when mine will go in. I just started to clear my veggies so that will free up a 20 ft row.

Rory

I plan for some of the garlic to go in to what is now the potato bed. Hopefully by next spring I'll have another raised bed set up for next year's potatoes.

I've wanted to try planting shallots, but it seems that the places I've checked out won't sell small enough amounts for me. I wouldn't want more than a dozen plants or so. I don't use shallots that much.

I too planted cloves on 9/23 which included ~25 cloves each of Metechi, Sicilian Silver, Chesnok Red, Native Creole, Pyong Yang, Carpathian, and Red Janice. One week earlier I planted ~50 of the smaller shallots from this year's harvest. The shallots shot right up, still waiting on the garlic to peek through...

We usually plant mid-Oct.weather permitting(70-90)inches of rain per year.Its supposed to be wet for the next two weeks here,then will rototill in the last of my fertilizer(bloodmeal)and will bust it till all is in.I do soil analysis tests to keep my soil balanced and fertile,it pays off. BILL

I haven't planted yet. The weather here has been 30 C and humid for the past week. I hope my cracked bulbs haven't gone to waste. I've had them in the shipping bag for a few weeks waiting.
Should I have put them in the fridge?

Rory

Rory - I wouldn't put them in the fridge ... it dries them out. Also the cold temps might promote sprouting and you don't want that yet. Garlic is pretty tough - for my 5b I'm planning on planting this weekend and I might be a week or so early based on the weather. Especially for German Brown, I've planted cloves that were definitely on the shriveled side and they've consistently done ok so unless the cloves have gotten hard, I don't think you have too much of a problem.

Lilacs - I hope the pH isn't too tough in the potato bed for garlic ... potatoes like it around pH 4.5 +/- and garlic prefers closer to neutral. Amendments like bone meal and wood ash will bring it up but you might want to test before you plant. If you're willing to try small shallot sets to grow them out, I've got a few extra - drop me a line if you want them.

I'll do that, Makalu. Thank you. Perhaps I could put the garlic into the former brassica bed.

I'm losing most of the garlic I've planted, though. The squirrels keep digging them up and eating them. Isn't garlic supposed to REPEL critters? I know they put garlic into a lot of animal repellents. I've lost most of my Georgia Crystal, and those were the biggest, healthiest bulbs.

I just finished planting the last of my garlic this evening, finishing in the rain. Planted 148 cloves total...
Varieties: # of cloves planted
Northern White 13
German Porcelian 15
Siberian 15
Martin's Heirloom 15
Killarney Red 15
Chesnok Red 21
Unknown Purple Stripe 21
Inchellium Red 21
Silver rose 12

I hope to get 36 of my Pikant shallots planted tomorrow night if we don't get to much rain.

Jim

Lilacs - that's a shame about the garlic being stolen. If you're sure they're squirrels or things that work from the top down, you can try laying a piece of chicken wire or 1/4" square hardware cloth on top of the fresh plantings until either the ground freezes or the tops start to show.

If it's also underground thieves, you might be able to put a little chicken grit in each hole then plant the clove. I've only tried this with tulip bulbs to protect them from voles but it should work in theory for garlic too.

Makalu~

It's been raining for three days, no planting yet. Hope I don't miss the window as a newbie. Temp are 7C at night. I opened the garlic up and they are really juicy. I tried a small Red Russian and it blew my ears off. WOW! I'm pulling all the beets tomorrow and planting the larger cloves then for next year, rain or shine. The Russian was a sample and I haven't tried the Siberian red yet.
Q: Are the cloves suppose to start growing and get a foot in the ground before the frost and what is the window for planting and getting them established before they go dormant 'til next year?
Rory

Rory,

Yes, they will establish a root system in the fall before the freeze, giving them a head start for the spring.

I have a question about mulching. I planted mine last week, but long term outlook seems to be temps above freezing. What would happen if I mulched my garlic too soon? Would it hold the ground at too warm a temp and encourage more fall sprouting than I want?

I plant in raised beds, so I am wondering if that will make a difference too.

I just got back from travel. I just started clearing out 1 bed this morning, forked through the soil and mixed in some compost. Am debating whether or not to completely clear out the 1st bed for the garlic, but I probably could start planting tomorrow I guess.

Hamiltongardener~
Raised beds are tricky. Have you planted over the winter before? If it freezes you might lose it. With Hostas we turn all the pots on their sides so the water can run off and avoid freezing the plant and that seems to work. All the insulation you can provide is better but not too soon. Let it get really cold and cover even over the snow. Hope your bed is out of a wind chill area.
If your reference about mulching is about covering them with leaves or the like then this is what I have been told by my supplier from Teeswater ON.. If you cover with leaves then you probably need a screen tied down to keep them for blowing away. If the very small green tips appear they can take the cold and recover later. In my area he tells me that the snow cover of 1-2 feet is OK and that's what we get here in Clifford, near Hanover Ontario. For me, he should know since he is in my area and his garlic bulbs are great.

Rory

Here is a link that might be useful: The Garlic Store

Just put in a row of German Red this afternoon. The elephant garlic goes in tomorrow. And at the same time I'll apply a mulch of wood shavings. And think I may apread some lime on the garden before the ground freezes so it can work its way in during the winter. Must remember to take a soil sample to my local garden center who does the test for free (well they sell lime so it isn't exactly free.

Raised beds are tricky. Have you planted over the winter before?

Overwinter, yes, but not in raised beds. This is my first year with raised beds.

I know raised beds warm up faster, but does it mean they cool down faster too?

Interesting, I haven't noticed any issues with my garlic overwintering in raised beds. My beds are only 6" and 3" though.