Page 22 - ALG Issue 4 2018

Feature On
Garlic – Allium Sativum
Garlic is one of the oldest vegetables grown by man; it has been around since at least Roman times, and there is evidence to support that it was being grown for a long time before then. It has never been more popular than it is now and no allotment garden is complete without a couple of rows planted across it. It is ready to harvest by mid-summer and will keep well into the new year.
There are two types of garlic; the soft neck and the hard neck.
The soft necks have the longer storage life and can be identified by having a soft papery stem near the top of the bulb. The hard necks produce a hard, smooth green flowering spike – these must be cut as soon as possible but are delicious sautéed in butter, roasted, or made into pesto. The soft necks will not produce a flowering spike and the bulbs are smaller than those of the hard neck. The hard neck types are considered to have the best flavour.
Varieties to choose (sold by Kings):
• Carcassonne Wight (hardneck) – new to the market. This is
an exceptional pink-cloved variety which has shown great
vigour in the UK climate.
• Solent Wight AGM (softneck) – this variety produces large
white bulbs. An aroma and bouquet without compare –
giving excellent length and strength.
• Tuscany Wight (softneck) – this large white garlic is
a late type. Widely grown in Tuscany where it suits warmer summers and cooler
winters.
Garlic is grown from cloves which are the individual segments of a bulb. Try to plant garlic as soon as possible after the
bulbs are delivered.
22
A wonderful
set of tools and accessories for your allotment exclusive to the RHS. Discover these and more in our shops or online at rhsshop.co.uk
RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262
Do not break up the bulb until you are ready to plant out. There are usually ten cloves to a bulb.
Plant winter garlic out during October to November but avoid planting out when the soil is cold and wet. Plant spring garlic out from mid-February to mid-March. Plant the bulbs at 2ins/5cms deep with 12ins/30cms between the plants and 12ins/30cms between each row. It is important to grow on a fresh site each year to avoid the build-up of soil borne onion diseases. Don’t water the garlic, it will ruin the flavour. If the soil has been well prepared and contains plenty of organic matter it will be fine.
Keep the soil between the plants weedfree and remove any flower shoots called scapes as soon as they appear. The scapes can be used in salads or for cooking. The garlic will be ready for
lifting around mid-summer. Dig them up (don’t pull them up) when about 50% of the foliage has lost its greenness and looks the same colour as straw. Dry the bulbs out in the sun or take them inside a greenhouse to dry if the weather is wet. After they have spent a few days drying off they can be
hung up in a cool frost free shed until they are needed. It is tempting to select and save some of the healthiest
looking bulbs to replant for next season but garlic has a reputation for carrying diseases and it is
safest to buy fresh clean stock in each year. Onion white rot is the biggest problem. It occurs in high humidity and if the soil is
too rich avoid over-feeding the soil and keep the garlic bed out of the
onion bed rotation.
Mike Thurlow
RHS Exclusive Beetles Collection