Garlic Planted

[Jacob LockcuffParticipant]

Hello! Just sharing my garlic having been planted. I would like to make sure I did this correctly if possible- I mulched my beds with 1-2″ of a garden compost that was fairly well broken down. I then raked it smooth as possible, dibbed holes about 2-3″ deep and then dropped my garlic cloves in pointed and up. I then covered the cloves with a potting mix I had sitting around mainly due to the fact that the compost is fairly lumpy having just been put on. I hope that frost will break those up over the winter….Does this sound right? Due to it having been very dry, I also gave everything a good water. About 6″ staggered spacing.

I had a horrible temptation to dig everything over having been trained to do so!!

Thanks!

[charlesModerator]

Jacob this sounds just fine.
I find it quicker to dib shallow holes for the cloves, before spreading compost.
Yes the winter weather will soften those lumps of compost.

[Jacob LockcuffParticipant]

Thank you, Charles.

[HempieParticipant]

I too did plant garlic and onion sets this weekend.
I would like to know your opinion on how i did it.

Having a patch which has not been digged for over 8 years where currant bushes have been. I dug them out trying to not to disturb the groung too much.

Then i put some cardboard over the soil, in there i punched holes and filed them with a little potting soil.
In there i places the garlic cloves and onjon sets.
Then i put a little potting soil over it.
As a finish i put a thick layer of half rotted compost.

I think everything will be ok, but my concern is, als the half rotted compost will keep decomposing over winter, will it affect the garlic and onions to decompose also?

Thanks.

Sorry for my English. I am Dutch.

[charlesModerator]

Sounds alright Hempie, you don’t say how thick the compost is but a 5cm layer would suffice, and I am not sure you need the cardboard, unless there are lots of weeds growing.

[HempieParticipant]

Hi Charles,

Thanks.

The layer of compost (half rotted) over the garlic is about 10cm
Over the onions is about 3-4cm.

And yes, as mentioned, the patch was not dug for over 8 years, and no mulch added whatsoever.
One couldn’t see the red currants through all the bind weed etc. Also through the years the weeds where allowed to make seeds. So that is why the cardboard layer 🙂

I forgot one thing to mention: I also sowed mustard over the layers of compost as a green manure, and hopefully, they will die during this winter. I would like your opinion about this.

I have done this because i truly believe in the “living root” technique. You need a living root in order to feed the mycorrhizal fungi in the soil.
What is your opinion about that?

Regards,
Herman

[charlesModerator]

Should work for garlic.
Most roots are quite dormant in winter and most fungi I imagine.
How to clear green manures in time for spring sowings, without encouraging a build up of slugs ans weeds seeding, is not obvious.
Do post images of your progress, less than 1MB.

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