Garlic soil amendment

[aumismommy]

So I have some really great soil in my raised beds... One of which I have saved for garlic....which I've never grown. I'm getting ready to plant it this next week (it is still 90-105 here) but I'm wondering should I add extra sand or peat moss? Extra phosphorus?

Thank you!

Lastly- as a side note, not really relevant, we re-homed our crazy puppy (sweet and great but still puppy) who had dug up my garden four consecutive times, everything I planted. So this week we replant. After, burning seedlings, and her digging up everything I am determined to have something grow!!!

[aumismommy]

Anybody- just wondering - sand, peat, turn in leaves??? What do you all do - I know they need lots of good drainage so they don't get soggy all winter.

[3lilbubs]

Mama I have no idea, I'll be planting my first crop of it too. I would guess maybe peat? I added a ton when I planted my carrots and they came out nice and straight and pretty, held the moisture incredibly well. Where are you again? It was nearly 100 here today too... bleh! Supposed to cool off next week back to the 70's and some possible rain mid week. Sorry about the pup, sounds like she needed a lot of attention.

[aumismommy]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs Mama I have no idea, I'll be planting my first crop of it too. I would guess maybe peat? I added a ton when I planted my carrots and they came out nice and straight and pretty, held the moisture incredibly well. Where are you again? It was nearly 100 here today too... bleh! Supposed to cool off next week back to the 70's and some possible rain mid week. Sorry about the pup, sounds like she needed a lot of attention.

I have some leftover peat so I'm thinking I'll try that too. When did you grow carrots?

I'm I'm nor cal - in Roseville which is between sacramento and lake Tahoe...I'm zone 8-a. What r u?

[Geckmumto3]

Sorry, mama, I didn't see this.

Our garlic grows best in well drained, higher ground soil. Do NOT add leaves. There is a nematode who can live in composting leaves and that guy will eat the roots of the garlic, stunting the growth. Our soil is has a tonne of aged manure in it (was a horse paddock for years) and we will be adding more this year.

[3lilbubs]

What do you think about Peat moss, Kat? The clean bagged kind. I was going to do mine today.

I'm in So cal, near Victorville. We just recently got reclassified as zone 8b due to low winter temps and higher snowfall. Hm... when DID I plant those carrots? LOL. I think I planted them in July, we just harvested them last month. It was hard for them to germinate in the heat though and they didn't grow fast. I plan on planting more next spring and again in the fall but later, probably Aug.

[Liadan23]

would you all recommend mulching the garlic over the winter? i was planning on using our leaves we rake up out of the yard for mulch. is this a bad idea?

[3lilbubs]

Kat said above that would cause rotting. I plan on covering mine with straw, just like my berries.

[aumismommy]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs What do you think about Peat moss, Kat? The clean bagged kind. I was going to do mine today. I'm in So cal, near Victorville. We just recently got reclassified as zone 8b due to low winter temps and higher snowfall. Hm... when DID I plant those carrots? LOL. I think I planted them in July, we just harvested them last month. It was hard for them to germinate in the heat though and they didn't grow fast. I plan on planting more next spring and again in the fall but later, probably Aug.

I wanted to get my carrots in earlier this fall it was jut too dang hot! So I did half the crop just direct surface sown and the other half I poured boiling water over the seeds in a bowl and let sit for about 24-36 hours then surface sow. Those ones sprouted up quick and beautifully (despite being attacked and fling around by our puppy).

Hope you get the cool down we are getting - it is heaven sent especially for my pregnant body!

[Geckmumto3]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs What do you think about Peat moss, Kat? The clean bagged kind. I was going to do mine today. .

We have never added peat, but I don't think it can hurt garlic. Especially if it is clean.

The concern with leaves and garlic specifically is that there is a parasite/nematode who lives in rotting leaves. There is one who targets garlic. He will eat the roots of the garlic after it starts to grow, and stunt the growth. You will still get garlic, but it will be smaller and the roots will be short and stumpy when you harvest. Maybe that is a regional thing? People I know around here never put leaves on their garlic to mulch it. We are in S. ON, and get mild winters compared to the rest of ON, and we don't mulch our garlic at all. I think if your mulch was clean, you would be fine.