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Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
Have just pulled out my garlic and out of about 30 plants I have 4 meager bulbs...and small ones at that.
I pulled up the rest and they've all rotted away? They grew fine, had scapes which I removed and now they're all rotten, some even had a blue mould on? Can anyone tell me why this might be please?
I had similar issue with mine at one end of the raised bed, luckily I spotted it eally early and dug them up and harvested the little that there was once the soft "mouldy" outer skin was removed - the cloves inside were fine just very small. Pulled the rest of the garlic at the weekend, all fine, just much smaller than last year.
Small garlic is a bit fiddly to peel so I put it in the microwave and after a few seconds it puffs up then whip out at this point. Allow to cool and peel. Simples.
Failing that, roast it with chicken then serve with the skin on. When dining its great fun to let all diners just pop out the garlic all soft and mellow, the more garlic the better and a big plate in the middle full of spent garlic shells.
Thanks Tiptonnic,
Have you any idea what causes the rot? I've binned them on the weed compost heap now but it would be good to know fot next year. I love garlic and 4 small garlic bulbs aren't going to last long!
This is penicillium mould, which is a common problem with garlic but mostly during storage not already in the field!
However hot and dry weather encourage it's growth and that's just what we have. it may well have been that your cloves were already infected on planting?
Most important!
It is spread by old foliage and remnants in the ground etc, so
I hope that weed compost is not going anywhere on the veg patch.
I just hope for your sake it isn`t white rot-nasty thing that and it can stay around for ages
thanks for the response - this was planted from last years harvest nothing obvious when I planted last Nov but possible that they were infected I guess
similar problem due to hot and dry.
I did not water early enough. Some are still ok.
Hi All,
Thanks for the info. My soil was new topsoil this year. The garlic was seed garlic from the same supplier I have used for the last few years. They grow commercially so I don't think it was that. I have noticed mushrooms growing in my raised beds and wonder if the two might be related? With new soil, you never know where it's come from beforehand and what's been growing in it? I'm ruling out white rot too as my onions seem fine...the mystery continues!
Also Margaretstar, no fear re. compost! I have a weed mound and a compost heap so that no weeds infect my lovely compost. Anything dubious or grotty goes on the contamination pile and there it stays!
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