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I'm in the process of making a kitchen garden but the beds won't be ready for a few weeks yet. Can I plant some garlic in peat pots now and put them in a bed later? Obviously I would use a large pot to accommodate the growing bulb. Is there anything else I can also plant in the same way as I don't want to miss the Autumn planting window. Pots and compost are at the ready! Thanks.
Lesley

Last year, I planted my garlic and my shallots in 3" pots and overwintered them in the unheated greenhouse - they grew away fine, no problems and the shallots were superb this year - garlic was okay, but am gonna try a different type this year, more suited to the North of Scotland climate

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Rat

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Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Can't see any problem with that.
Our allotment is very peaty - just like potting compost and ours were fine outside in that type of soil last winter. Suggest you don't overwater them though as I would be wary of fungal spores rotting the bulbs. Might be worth adding a bit of sand to lighten it a bit??

Sewer Rat, just a couple of questions;

When did you put your garlic and shallots into the pots?

I know from other posts that it's possible to use shop bought garlic; but what about shallots; can you use ordinary ones or do they have to be seeds or sets?
Phil

Was late with mygarlic - didn't put in pots til Mid December - ground was already frozen by then.
Bought shallots as setts in October and just stuck them in pots to plant out in Spring as the bed I wanted for them wasn't ready - already had a well developed root system to give them a head's start when I did plant them out.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Thanks, guys. I'll start getting busy...

Lesley

Thanks Sewer Rat, the garlic will be going into pots this weekend; followed by the shallots next month.

Hi Rat, what type of garlic are you going to try? I've always gone with Solent Wight but this year many of them rotted off, probably because I had to replant them in February but hey.

Hi all
Never tried garlic but going to do it this season. Is there any reason (probably loads) why i cant just go to Tesco's and use some them of the shelf as it were?

Hi BW
Gonna order my bulbs from "The Really Garlicky Company" in Moray - they grow acres of the stuff and have a porcelain necked strain that is particularly suitable for this far north. It looks a lovely big bulb and having tasted some of their wares, it is very very garlicky - hence the company name - type it into google to get web address.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

An allotment with soil like potting compost? Mmmm. I am green with envy!

Is it naturally peaty Nicos, or is it just with all the soil improvement you have done over the years?

Yipee! I've found my garlic from the chaps in the IOW - kept in the sealed box with all my other seeds - boy did I know that I'd found it when I took the lid off! looking forward to tomorrow - going to spend as much time as I can pottering around (literally!) dexterdog

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Apparently its a no-no because it won't be bread for growing in your area, plus loads of other complicated reasons, degeneration etc I suppose its the same as seed potatoes and shop bought pots?..........Having said that I have just bought a packet of garlic from my local Garden Centre for £1.99 and will buy some from Tesco's @ 49p? . I will do my own trial and see how it works out .

I planted garlic purchased from Sainsbury's and Thompson & Morgan. The T/M bulbs gave a much better crop. The sainsbury bulb gave a very disapointing result!

Just me being a skinflint :-)
Will do the same as you snadger and run some trials side by side.

Hi folks - looking at an advert in GYO for the Garlic Farm in IOW - thinking of getting some. Early Large Purple Wight is a softneck one. Would this be OK for stringing up and storing? Thanks

If you buy your garlic from the supermarket, it will grow but you will get lots of very small cloves - buy a variety suitable for UK and you will get big fat juicy ones - check out IOW supplier or The Really Garlicky Company's website - I can personally recommend their porcelain variety.

__________________
Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th