Confession Time

[so lucky]

OK, this is a confession and a question: When my parents were breaking up their household nearly two years ago, so they could move into "assisted living," Mom insisted I take starts of garlic that she had gotten from my uncle about 50 years ago, and had been growing in her small garden. Not having time or inclination to plant it that day, I tossed the starts into a baggie and into the trunk of my car. Well, guess what I found today? Yes! The dried up remains of the garlic bulbs. They have been in my trunk nearly two years. Believe it or not, one bulb has a little pale green tip emerging, and the bulb feels firm, with some weight to it. I would like to try to salvage this heirloom, and need a little advice. I have never grown garlic before, but I think I read it does better if planted in the fall? But can I just plant this little bulb in the garden now and leave it to its own devices? Should I fertilize? Then later do I need to dig it up and divide it, then replant at a certain time? There is also an onion bulb that feels like it is alive. I can't remember what kind, perhaps a winter onion. I was going to go ahead and plant it too, and see what happens. Any advice? (Besides stop being a procrastinator?)

 

[NwMtGardener]

I think my advice would be to plant it now, regardless of whether its the 'proper time.' if it wants to grow, give it the opportunity! And...i think you will want to dig it up once it's done growing...the greens will start to brown. I'll let someone else weigh in on what to do next...i think you need to cure it and then should be able to divide it in fall and replant. I'd say you certainly have a long storage variety!!

 

[lesa]

How funny! I agree, get anything that looks remotely alive into the ground! We will worry about the other issues once these poor little guys have either grown, or given up the ghost! Happy Gardening!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you gain by not planting it? What do you lose by planting it?

I'd expect one of two things to happen if it lives, and it probably will. It will either make cloves so you are back in business and can plant them this fall, or it won't make cloves but will make a bulb instead. You can plant that bulb this fall and it should make cloves next year. I've planted in the spring before and gotten cloves, but I now plant garlic in the fall. It does better, not that it won't produce some.

Since all you are trying to do is get it to live and make cloves, I'd not overfertilize it. Garlic is a heavy nitrogen user, so some will help, but I'd be careful to not put so much on there that the fertilizer burns it. You are babying it, not trying to get it to produce at maximum efficiency. And put it in a place that drains. You don't want it to totally dry out but you don't want it in really wet soil.

If you had the heat we did last year, I'm amazed that thing is not cooked.

 

[897tgigvib]

How's yor little garlic doing so far?

 

[ducks4you]

AGREED!! I bought $16 worth of spring bulbs in February, 2011 to try to force them for my daughter's April wedding. Many didn't make it into the ground until MAY, but I left them there, even though I thought they were dead. Surprise--a bunch are up this year where I left them and growing strong!!
I also found an Amaryllis that I bought on clearance in January and forgot about. It was in package, had been in the dark, had ALREADY bloomed, the red flower looked like I'd dried it out, BUT it has 5 pale green sprouts. So, Sunday I planted it per directions and it's already grown 1/2 an inch, next to my kitchen's south-facing window.
These bulbs are remarkable in their ability to store food for the future.
Plant it now, either in a pot by a sunny window or in your garden, or under a fruit tree.