Preparing the ground for planting onions, garlic and shallots

Community Community No dig gardening Preparing the ground Preparing the ground for planting onions, garlic and shallots

This topic contains 5 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by  bluebell 9 years, 5 months ago.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • #22166

    Eleanor
    Participant

    Have been away all of September and part of October.  Have just returned, bought autumn onion sets  (which usually do well for me), and some garlic, though will also use some large cloves from this year’s crop of hard necked garlic for planting as well.  I usually do not plant shallots until the spring, but bought some sets for these as well. 

    I have just dug up the old sweet corn shaws and want to put down a layer of compost and/or well rotted manure before planiting the alliums.  Can I plant straight into this, or should I leave it a week or so (or even longer?) before planting?  And other tips for autumn sewn alliums?   I never know whether or not to feed them in the spring. 

    Eleanor

     

     

    #25729

    charles
    Moderator

    Hi Eleanor, It works well to plant alliums and, later, broad beans into the soil, then spread some compost on top as food for soil life and a winter mulch.

    #25730

    Eleanor
    Participant

    Most useful.  Thanks Charles.  

    #25731

    Sahira Ward
    Member

    Hi Charles Incredible Edible Dunstable have been donated some broad beans plants from one of our supporters.  The plants look extremely  tender as if grown in a heated greenhouse to bring them on fast. I’ve left them outside in a sheltered spot to harden off and am worried as to where best to plant them in our community garden. Do you think they’d do best in a raised bed or over by the end of the raspberries where the sweetcorn came out. Do I need to fleece broad beans? All the beds have been top dressed with well rotted horse manure on our last public work day on 5th October and I plan to do the planting on Sunday 2nd November.  

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Kind regards

    Sahira

    #25732

    charles
    Moderator

    Sorry to say but for me, those plants were sown too early and their rather long stems will suffer from both wind and frost through the winter. So you risk putting energy into a lost cause – but difficult as you were given the plants.
    I have not yet sown mine, finding that Nov 5th onwards is early enough. I would perhaps plant a few, and sow some seeds in the rest of the bed, which needs covering only if for example, rooks are around to pull up the seedlings.

    #25733

    bluebell
    Participant

    Hi Sahira

    What about plantint he ones you have been given out at wide centres and popping a seed or two inbetween – that way no onw will be able to tell if planted out ones dont survive ;)

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