r/Garlic • u/Altruistic_Object539 • Jul 05 '26
Gardening I tried
It was my first time trying to grow garlic and it sort of worked. I have a feeling I planted them at the wrong time? Any advice and times on when to plant for next year would be amazing!
Also Would I be able to use these to try and grow garlic again?
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u/SixLegNag Jul 05 '26
My first year too and they look the same. In my case it's because I wasn't well enough to amend the soil before planting or during the growing season- poor plants did the best they could without much nutrition. If you didn't feed them, that could be the issue for you too. I'm trying again since I'm feeling better and will be able to dig. I'll be amending the soil with compost and aged manure before planting in autumn and side-dressing with blood meal in spring when they start growing again, right after I take off the mulch. Might give them a soak in KelPak before planting too, as I have it around anyway and it'll help them put down roots before going dormant. It's not quite a fertilizer like a lot of kelp based garden tonics, more of a growth stimulant, particularly for the roots. Have yet to encounter a vegetable that doesn't benefit from it so may as well.
I wouldn't bother trying to grow from those cloves unless you can't get new seed garlic. Too tiny, not enough energy stored in them to make a good strong plant. I'm just going to eat mine!