Fall Garlic

[Manda_Rae]

My first year planting Garlic.
I planted in in the fall in a raised bed with deep mulch.

Is it okay to remove some of the mulch or should I wait a little longer.
I'm in Zone 5

This is a picture from the Fall

 

[flowerbug]

is there any indication it's not doing well? otherwise i'd leave it alone.

varieties of garlic are going to be different in how cold tolerant they're going to be. if it has been growing with mulch then uncovering it before any further cold snaps might make the tender part that has been buried more vulnerable to damage. we have cold spells still in the forecast.

here i only grow one type of hardneck garlic and i don't mulch it, even with the worst conditions (bare ground with no snow cover in mostly clay with it being raised up somewhat to give it some better drainage) and it has survived.

 

[Manda_Rae]

is there any indication it's not doing well? otherwise i'd leave it alone.

varieties of garlic are going to be different in how cold tolerant they're going to be. if it has been growing with mulch then uncovering it before any further cold snaps might make the tender part that has been buried more vulnerable to damage. we have cold spells still in the forecast.

here i only grow one type of hardneck garlic and i don't mulch it, even with the worst conditions (bare ground with no snow cover in mostly clay with it being raised up somewhat to give it some better drainage) and it has survived.

It's hard to tell if it's doing okay or not. I didn't want to disturb it too much.
It's a hardness variety and it's my first time growing it.

 

[Zeedman]

The garlic DW & I planted last Fall is doing well. I needed to pull back the mulch for the few plants that were stuck under the hay, but emergence is close to 100%.

This is on the rural plot. Barring the unforeseen (which would be massive amounts of help) nothing else will be grown here this year. I'll still be cultivating several times during the summer to knock down weeds, and maybe cover cropping to prep for a possible garden there next year.

 

[Manda_Rae]

None of my garlic grew

 

[ducks4you]

So Sorry!!
Try again, NOW!
You won't get big bulbs, but you will learn to grow it.
I suspect the bed didn't get good drainage.
I put Mine last Spring in my beds by the steps DOWN from the front door.
Tried to dig them up last Fall, and I didn't have time to get them all out so I left them alone.
They are ALL up. They look like grass.

Growing Garlic (Lackawanna County Master Gardener Program)

Garlic is planted in the fall but local farmers’ markets are starting to open now and that is a great place to purchase the garlic you will plant in October.

extension.psu.edu

 

[meadow]

None of my garlic grew

Something must have gone terribly wrong.

Try looking at the Grey Duck Garlic website. They have so much information about growing garlic! I learned not to plant too early. In my climate, I'm tempted to plant in late September, but I shouldn't plant until late October or even up to Thanksgiving. Apparently planting too early can result in smaller bulbs.

Personally, I would not plant any now. I'd wait until the appropriate time, but do read the tips at Grey Duck Garlic.

 

[Manda_Rae]

I was worried when we had the warm up in November theybstarted to grow then we had the freeze out. I read when that happens I might kill the bulb. I will take a look at the suggested reads. Thanks! I'm bummed but maybe next year I'll try a ground level bed instead of the raised up one.
I put some onion starts in there for now.

 

[ducks4you]

I suggest that you contact Penn State's extension office, the closest one to you, and get some real answers that are specific to YOUR climate. State Universities, the land grant ones, have extension officers that cover multiple adjacent counties.
You might be in the same growing zone, but your climate and soil differ from mine.

 

[Manda_Rae]

A Friend of my husband's just gave us all these!! He was chatting with him how our garlic didn't grow and he said "here take this!"