disappointing garlic bulb size
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
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kevin9408
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agoRelated Discussions
(too) small bulb garlic and onion
Comments (6)How do the lower leaves look on your garlic? A couple weeks after the scapes go up, you'll see the leaves on your garlic turn brown. The bulbs will start expanding and the lower leaves die one by one from lowest to highest. The difficult part is when to harvest as no one "exactly" agrees on this. I've heard anything from 3 leaves to 5 leaves. Once the third leaf starts dieing off, I'll start pulling a test clove every few days to see if they've bulbed up to where I want them. I wouldn't let it go more than 5 leaves dead though. One thing for certain, if you are going to err on earlier or later, it's better to pull them earlier than later. If you wait too long, the wrapper around the clove will be gone and you'll end up with garlic that won't store. If you pull too soon, the cloves will just be smaller. After you've pulled them, keep the largest heads for replanting in the fall and use the smallest for cooking. Don't expose the heads and don't leave them for overwintering. Just have a little more patience. They do take their time. I just pulled my first test of Music garlic 3 days ago and it was quite small. I'm sure it'll only be a week or so more....See MoreHelp me please---my garlic has bulbs on top, and what are scape??
Comments (6)AJ, the bulby things you see are part of the scapes. A scape is a growth that would be a flower stalk on a flowering plant. It's a round, solid stem (unlike the flat leaves) that comes up the center of the plant. Near the top is a bulbous pocket called a spathe. Within the spath will form bulbils; little round seed-like mini-bulbs that are clones of the parent. The scapes start out growing straight, then curl (how many times, and to what degree depends on the variety) and then straighten out again. Most people trim the scapes for two reasons. First, they're a culinary treat in their own right. And second, you will get marginally larger bulbs, because all the plant's energy goes into bulb growth instead of scape growth. Ideal time to harvest them is when they start to curl, but before they straighten out. Bulb maturation comes rought a month after scapes appear. You can tell by watching the leaves. They'll start to change color and dry out, from the bottom upwards. When 1/2 to 2/3 of the leaves have done so it's time to lift the garlic and cure it....See MoreDo small bulbils make small garlic bulbs?
Comments (1)These garlic bulbs have the same genes as the "mother" bulb, and given time will usually grow into a nice sized bulb. If the bulb is a round with only a single clove, then it should grow into a nice bulb next year. If the bulb has multiple small cloves, then each clove should be planted separately and should grow into either a decent bulb with multiple cloves or a large round with a single clove, which in turn should become a nice bulb the following year. It is a common misconception that small garlic cloves don't grow well and shouldn't be planted. Indeed, if you want to increase your stock fast, then you should replant as much as possible, even if they are only very small cloves (or topsets, or even the basal root end of a garlic clove). The fact is, that generally, if you plant a large clove, you will get a large bulb within one year, not that small bulbs are useless. Good luck....See MoreStore Bought Garlic Disappointing
Comments (4)No, there is no disease. I dug some of them and found that all of them have root rot. This is common in our area, particularly with warm weather garlic. When I planted these garlic last late October, they sprouted in early November. When winter came, they died down and sat there over the entire winter. Our winter and spring are very wet. So the roots never got established and wilted now. I remember last year, our local farmers had a very bad garlic harvest due to wet spring. My cold weather garlic is doing great. So next year I won't be planting the warm weather (or unknown) store bought garlic. It is not disease, but just the wrong type of garlic. I'll continue to plant the ones which are doing great now, then continue to plant various other types of hard neck garlic and choose the ones good in our climate....See Moredaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
10 months agokevin9408
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoCA Kate z9
9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agotheforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 months agoloribee2
9 months agowar garden
9 months agoCA Kate z9
9 months agoannie1992
9 months agoCA Kate z9
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoDonald V Zone 6 north Ohio
9 months agotheforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 months agoCA Kate z9
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agobeesneeds
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agotheforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
9 months agozeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
9 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoCindy 7 VA
9 months agoekgrows
9 months agokevin9408
8 months agolast modified: 8 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
8 months agolast modified: 8 months agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
8 months agoannie1992
8 months agoannie1992
8 months agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
8 months agolast modified: 8 months agoannie1992
8 months ago
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