How late can you leave planting Broad Beans and Garlic?

[Rhys]

Charles

I have decided to take your advice and delay planting Broad Beans and Garlic until November and was consulting some lunar calendars along with the MT Biodynamic one.

The perfect time, based solely on lunar considerations, would be 24th -27th November straddling the next full moon. However, I suspect that that may be too late to get proper germination at this time of year.

There is a good window this week for Broad Beans using the MT calendar, namely 4th – 6th, which is in the 4th quarter of a lunar cycle, which I thought was regarded as less favourable (but I remain to be educated on that!)

The alternative is 16th – 18th with a rising moon.

My pragmatic view is that the temperature the next 4 weeks may be more important than the moon phase at this time of year, but any thoughts appreciated.

My view was that I would go with planting this week unless your experience suggests I can hold out longer.

Regards

Rhys

[charles]

Hi Rhys, the mild weather this November means no rush to sow.
I am planting garlic now on any days I have time, broad beans from mid month say 16th is good, fruit & waxing moon.

[Don Foley]

Hi Charles,

I’m also about to plant my Garlic crop this week.
I was wondering, as it is the first time I will be planting this crop using the no dig method, do I need to factor in the layer of compost into the depth I plant at, i.e., I plan to plant the cloves at 5cm and then add 2.5-5cm of well rotted compost on top. Would that leave the cloves too deep, initially at least?

Don.

[charles]

Yes indeed Don so plant a little more shallowly before spreading your compost.

[Don Foley]

Thanks Charles,

I’m thinking 2.5cm in the soil with 2.5-5cm of Compost on top to allow for the progressive breakdown of the Compost layer over the next 9 months (plan is to harvest circa mid-July).

How would you suggest planting Onion Sets? Just push them into the Compost layer with tips just showing? Again I haven’t sown Onions the no-dig way.

Don.

[bluebell]

I tried planting my elephant garlic a little more deeply last year as I felt it was not getting as much moisture as it needed in my dry soils and this combined with a little extra watering I believed helped to produce a bumper crop, which only had a little rust in the last few weeks.

I have tried planting later this year as per Charles to see if this has as much impact. May also be different with Elephant Garlic as it is related to leek you may be able to plant much deeper then traditional garlic?

[charles]

On the whole, plant a little deeper in autumn than in spring because winter frosts can lift plants up if the soil/compost freezes, in which they are rooting.

[Don Foley]

Hi Charles,

What depth would you advise I plant the Onion Sets given I plan to cover the bed with 2.5-5cm of well rotted Compost.
Are you suggesting in the above comment that I should plant these circa 2.5cm into the Compost layer?

Don.

[charles]

Pushed into soil with tips almost hidden then compost on top is good.

[Don Foley]

Thanks Charles.

Don.

[Rhys]

November-sown garlic now starting to emerge. 8/10 Elephants sown on 30th September now through.

[Rhys]

Charles

Still no emergence of a single broad bean 3 weeks after sowing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the soil as the spring cabbages planted next door have grown wonderfully.

Is this likely to be seeds or is the ground simply too damp? Or did that sharp frost destroy whatever might have been going on?

Should I simply replant, giving up the last lot as a bad job?

[charles]

No!! I shall be most surprised if they don’t emerge by Christmas so best leave well alone until then.
Mine sown on 16.11 are not up yet, while the same bean seeds (my own of this year) emerged a week ago in the greenhouse, and now I just planted them.
So even in the greenhouse they took two weeks to emerge and at this time of year, four is possible. Its not only about temperature, because in autumn new seedlings and plants in general are thinking more to make roots than leaves. They are preparing for spring growth. I bet yours are!

[Rhys]

Thanks Charles – wise and valuable insights.

I will leave them well alone and see when they emerge…….

[enkay]

I have the opposite …my broad beans were planted in early November and I’m already having to support the plants. The mild weather has given them a huge boost. I fear for them when we get a cold snap and wonder if I should sew a second lot..

[Author]

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