6 Reasons Why Your Garlic Bulbs Are Small?

In this video, I give you 6 reasons why your garlic bulb harvest is small and not as large as expected?
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :) #preserving #homegrown #homesteading
*Disclaimer: Some links to products in this description and comments sections are affiliated, meaning, I receive a small commission if you follow these links and then purchase an item. I will always declare in a video if the video is sponsored and as of October 2021 I am yet to do a sponsored video.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Everyone, in a weird kind of way one of the things I like about gardening is how success is never guaranteed and I think that's why every time I do have a "gardening win" or "grow a ton" that feeling of satisfaction and excitement never wanes... Get into it! Cheers :)

[@christoffersultan5541]

Try again with a less alkaline soil. Garlic doesn't grow well in such conditions. Fertilizers/manure hightens the ph-value!

[@josephgale9529]

With garlic I find smaller garlic is more stronger than larger bigger is not always better. Gardening it's a win win

[@jasenanderson8534]

We love it, no matter how good or bad it is, because it means we can keep on learning.

[@steves7271]

Could I suggest planting it deeper, 5cm (2 inches) at least? We have a very different climate here in Scotland but I normally plant my autumn garlic 8-10 cms to protect from frost and my spring garlic around 5cms. It might be that the bulbs are drying out too quickly being so close to the surface. Not sure, but might be worth a try.

[@SeeTheWholeTruth]

Not just water, but shade as well. If you are going to push your exterior growing, you will find a big help with shade cloth. Worldwide this is the main issue, higher radiation, harsh water drying and plant damage along with temperature fluxuating badly. You will still get more crops and better yields with filtered radiation, that is the biggest bonus of the tunnels or tubes, and less water usage and better temperatures.

[@pobo6113]

I appreciate the fact that you show us your failures because it helps me to remember that just because I failed at one of my plants doesn’t mean I’m a bad start👍🏻

[@avidhossanmansur9830]

The lets... GET INTO IT never gets old.

[@stephaniesealy9375]

100% I always have to simultaneously give the thumbs up! I just love this guy's genuine passion! He has made lockdown so much easier to deal with!

[@judithsmith9582]

He shows us his "green thumb!"

[@hellbent1234]

you mentioned not bothering doing a video on a failed crop, But all to often videos just show, the uploader having great harvests and brush over the problems that novices, could and do encounter, Hats off to you for posting this.

[@garthmay9389]

Hey Mark - I grow garlic here in the west near Perth, and do occasionally get small bulbs (for various reasons!). I still save them for replanting the next season and can confirm you can grow big bulbs from last years small ones!

[@kellymorgan4783]

Oh that's excellent news!! I was wondering about just that. Thanks for sharing 😁

[@Lykzabet]

Same here in Perth coastal suburb. I found my raised beds getting the most winter sun do best and I try hard to keep PH in check. I find this helps limit the prevalence of diseases and aphids. As bulb development starts I’ve had success with fortnightly liquid fertiliser lower in N and higher in K. We plant on or near ANZAC Day. Harvest for drying circa 160-170 days. 🇦🇺👍🍻. Ps I try to keep the garllc water free a week or so before pulling them.up but the heavens don’t help some tears 😉 I think we have Italian Red Cultivar but really have no good idea, it’s a guess.

[@Selfsufficientme]

How excitement...😁 That's nice to know thanks for the heads up! 👍

[@Lykzabet]

@@Selfsufficientme there’s a good garlic post on your forum too 😉 👍

[@shortredman1]

@@Lykzabet can somebody tell me how to grow garlic uugghh I have no idea where to start from. Like can you get seeds or do I just plant bulbs I get from woolies produce im a complete noob here, thanks in advance

[@kerryharvey6365]

I'm in Florida. I have to vernalize (cold treat) my garlic by keeping the starts in the fridge for 6-8 weeks before planting to trick them that they've had a winter. If you have a bumper crop and don't want to store it all as whole garlic then slice it and dry it in the dehydrator and then put it through the vitamix/coffee grinder etc., and you'll have the best garlic powder you've ever had. Same for onions, leeks including the green tops.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks for the chilling tip Kerry! I bet there's nothing better than your own homemade garlic powder - of course, there isn't! All the best :)

[@karenreaves3650]

Thank you for the great tip from Winter Haven Florida. I have organic garlic in the fridge and will keep it there for 4 more weeks. Planting season is through Nov and January.

[@KILLRXNOEVIRUS]

We've been tricked, backstabbed & quite possibly bamboozled 😔

[@racebiketuner]

I need to do the same thing on the other side of the country in Zone 9b. I keep them in the fridge for at least 40 days before planting the first week of December.

[@shannonmistrot1944]

Thank you for posting this because I'm in southern Louisiana, and nobody has mentioned doing this before planting, and I haven't even seen any videos on YT of someone suggesting this. I do cold stratification with tulip bulbs. I had no idea I could/should do this with garlic. I've planted garlic for 2 seasons and only got small garlic bulbs. I'm going to try this for this year's crop and see if it works for me. Thanks again!

[@aquilip1]

Hi Mark, I've been growing garlic every season for 35 years now in Melbourne. I watched a great tip from Peter Cundall on Gardening Australia many moons ago and the take away's that I can share in my success with garlic is they like the soil to be friable (not sandy), put on Dolomite Lime (not builders lime) down before planting and a low nitrogen fertiliser. Then I make furrows in the soil at least 50mm high and 150mm apart. Then plant the bulbs 100mm apart on the top of the mound and stagger the planting. Water only in between the rows in the ditch. Yes, garlic love water (but not wet feet), then reduce the amount of water when the tips of the leaves start to dry up and when the bulbs plump up. I don't use mulch as I believe the garlic don't like humidity! Last tip, keep them weed free as garlic don't enjoy competition!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Good old Peter Cundall - what a champ! I appreciate the tips thanks! Cheers :)

[@plaisirdelanglais]

Here in France we had such a bad weather this year that my garlic did amazingly well. All bought from Saint Marthe Ferm company And the taste is super spicy. My partner also doesn't want to kiss me 🤣

[@Selfsufficientme]

LOL...

[@katieglauber3083]

I really like how you also show us when your crops crap out. Gardening can be tricky and if all you see is people's success stories, then it seems like when you have a failure that it's absolutely devastating. But to see others fail too, then you know that it happens and you just try again next year.

[@hollywobbl370]

I always have a laugh watching Mark’s videos. His editing makes me laugh so hard, and his “dad jokes” makes me groan even louder. I love watching these videos with friends or family along with learning something new. Thank you!

[@NaadiaDavis]

Agree. All his videos and the comment sections are more educational and practical and memorable for a novice gardener like me.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Glad you enjoy my vids Holly - thank you! Cheers 👍

[@kennethgeorge8225]

I'm hit with 2 , sandy soil and low or not enough water. Very hot dry summer , l hate to water .My garlic was harvested by 1st week in July, brown right the bulb but not rotten. Next year I'll water. PS I plant in the fall

[@dannygooyer5926]

@@kennethgeorge8225 sandy soil...tried benthonite?

[@Tsuchimursu]

The right time to plant garlic is in the fall when night frosts start hitting so they get established before snowfall. They will then start growing immediately when snow melts in spring. :D

[@NaLovePHAT4Life]

THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING. GOING TO PLANT MY GARLIC NOW!

[@ashnadia9835]

Sorry but we don't get snowfall in Australia, not in the sub tropics anyway. And fall is Feb-March for us.

[@catnipaddict88]

In warm temperatures where there is no frost is where I things his tips work best. Here in south FL, for example, we don’t get a frost at all. The lowest it’ll get is 50 degrees Fahrenheit for two whole days lol. That’s why we don’t plant in fall and instead we’re supposed to plant at the very end of winter.

[@Tsuchimursu]

@@ashnadia9835 yes, I'm quite aware of this. that's why I lovingly left Mark this very very useful tip!

[@ashnadia9835]

Not to worry, just because we don't get snowfall doesn't mean we can't grow large garlic bulbs.

[@sylviaelderkin9151]

Hi Mark! Here in Pennsylvania USA. Be sure to refrigerate your bulbs for 1-2 months before sowing. This releases the chemical needed for the garlic clove to split into many different cloves as the bulb forms. Best of luck with your next crop of garlic, and thank you for sharing! I love your videos! : )

[@CraftsandGardening]

Hello Sylvia! I’m in PA as well, and only tried planting garlic once, and all of mine looked exactly as Mark’s did. Would you mind sharing when is the best time to plant garlic in our area? And thanks for the tip to chill them, this is something I’ve never heard of but you & a few others have shared. I realize this is an old video, but hoping you’ll see my comment.

[@richh1576]

@@CraftsandGardening I grow 'extra hardy' varieties of (either German or Hungarian) ... hard neck garlic in SE Penna. My routine: plant about 2 weeks BEFORE the probable first frost, cover with 3-4 inches of weed seed free mulch, and I use a minimal additon of 10-10-10 and about 2" of well rotted leaf mold, yearly. I very carefully amend the soil pH to between pH 6-7 . I grow in raised beds with about 18" of well amended soil ... using lots of gypsum when breaking unused/new clay based soil. My raised beds have 12-18" deep 'pits' below the garden soil filled with old/rotted leaves, straw, wood chips, etc. .... for consistent soil moisture. I also buy ~25% of new bulbs/cloves for planting .... usually from commercial growers in 'colder' zones (Vermont). I only plant LARGE cloves. In mid-spring I remove the mulch so that the soil & garlic is easily warmed by the sun. . Let grow for about two to three weeks before using 'top dress' fertilizing ... I 'boost' with a top dressing of a "tea" made from pellitized chicken manure @ 2.5 gal of water + 1 cup of 'poop', applied every ~2 weeks .... for extra large bulbs; but, don't get carried away as if you 'push' too hard, you'll deter the storage quality of 'too large' cloves/bulbs. During Apr- through early June, I closely monitor the total amount of rain ... and watering... @ at no more than 1" of total irrigation (either by rain or garden hose) per WEEK, so that I dont get 'too large' bulbs, cloves. I also weekly test the soil with an electronic soil moisture/pH/temp. meter. My continual biggest growing mistake is that I dont harvest 'early enough' .... learned the hard way that I should harvest when the bottom half of the leaves have browned to get better storage life, especially for the BIG bulbs.

[@nevaehdoesstuff1092]

A small garlic harvest is still exciting though..

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

In my experience, planting at the wrong time of year is the main reason for small garlic bulbs. I plant "sacrificial" garlic in the Spring around my tomatoes & peppers as companion plants, and those bulbs never get very big. My main garlic crop always gets planted in the Fall, then Winters over so it's got a big head start come Spring. Those bulbs get nice and big. 😋

[@j.reneewhite915]

I have soooo much garlic info I could overwhelm you with info. So I decided to share a funny family garlic story instead. When my children were young if they would get a sassy mouth on them and say things that were out of bounds I'd stick about 1/4th a teaspoon of garlic powder on their tongue and make them consume it. It would cause them to pause before running off at the mouth. My children are in their late 30's now and they both love, love, love garlic. 🤣🤣🤣 I grow about 20 bulbs of garlic for each family every year. In 2022 I decided to grow about 200 bulbs for 2023.

[@rufia75]

Mark, I LOVE that you did a video about something that was a 'failure'/didn't work out! Great learning opportunities! I grew garlic for for first time this year. Our planting times are the opposite, as I'm in North America, but for our hardneck, I plant early to mid October and harvest in July. The bulbs were ok sized. I've done lots over this past few months to add organic matter and fertility to my garden beds (tons of homemade compost and some cover crops), so I'm hoping this time they will do much better!

[@wingabouts]

I'm in Oregon and plant mid September... It works for me.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

In Ohio I wait for the first frost (any day now on average) so I can clean up a bed. I plant by the end of October and harvest around the 4th of July. I am able to grow both hardneck and softneck garlics. For the 2020 season I planted in early March when the ground was workable. Still got enough chill hours to form individual cloves. Rufia, use your harvest as seed garlic for next season. Yes, it could be your soil, but once the variety becomes acclimated to your garden it may make bigger heads and cloves. That’s been my experience anyway.

[@chilidillo]

Hey Mark, greetings from North Texas USA! We have been self sufficient in garlic for the past 4 years. We only grow Cheskok Red hard-neck garlic. As usual I planted last Sept 15th, the difference is that this crop survived Stormageddon last February. The crop survived 30+ hours of sub zero temps, (-17C) in one of our Birdie's beds. This was the biggest, healthiest, best tasting crop ever with avg bulb weight at 50g

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Chris! -17 C crikey mate I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in that temp lol... Good to hear about your garlic growing experience, all the best :)

[@hitrold]

We do the same in Denmark, Europe. Plant before christmas / winter.

[@twall23]

Texas here, too! I tried garlic for the first time this year (planted Oct 2022) and we had another VERY cold winter... I just pulled up two of them yesterday and they are huge! At least 4" across.

[@ansievicente]

Here in Johannesburg, South Africa, we need to plant by Valentine's Day, and mulch heavily from August. I only recently found out that the heavy mulch in late winter/early spring (August for us) is what makes the difference. Apparently once soil temp hits 25*C, there's a genetic "tripswitch" in the garlic that stops the cloves plumping out any further.

[@eternity7477]

JHB as well. I plant in Feb and harvest in December. Lots of water and compost even throughout winter.

[@gertwolmarans6974]

Definitely February in Pretoria South Africa. I do agree, extra mulch is vital, also using hardneck is best in warmer climates. I wait until it forms a scape, once it curls, I cut (delicious to use) My garlic looked like you smallest last year. Very disappointing to wait all that time for poor results. But we must take the good with the not so good Mark. Thank you for also showing the bad side of gardening. I lost my whole crop Bush beans (contender) this week. The sun was brutal. Hopefully after our rain is over next week, it will not be hot like that again. I bought shade net. Don't really wanna use it, but if it can improve my crops, I would be delighted.

[@gardengatesopen]

The research I found had the exact same kind of information. Plant when the soil temps are at 55°F, and when the soil reaches 75°F, it stops growing! That's plant at 12°C, and it stops growing at 23°C. My research was for soft neck garlic, the varieties that grow in warmer temperatures. I live in Texas, and last February when we were hit with an Arctic storm that lasted 6 days (very unusual) I believe that's when my warm region soft neck garlic used up the bulb to keep the tops alive! I ended up with zero harvest. Well, except for the green tops! Which we ate in place of chives... I also read that the bulbs dislike Nitrogen, but the leaves like to have a seaweed and fish emulsion foliar spray. Talk about picky eaters!! I don't know if that is true, since I lost my crop. But this year I'm trying again! Oh, one more thing - apparently the bulbs really dislike competition. Be it weeds, or any other plant. They like to be at least 6 inches away from everything, including each other. But I've seen other gardeners here on YT that have challenged that spacing, and come up with large bulbs. So, I dunno...

[@gardengal7308]

Oh my! I didn’t know this either. So I’m in zone 9b Tampa Florida. I’m going to have do some research on my planting dates and variety that are short season. I don’t think our soil stays cool very long.

[@dispmonk]

@@gertwolmarans6974 what you’re saying about hardneck garlic‘s isn’t 100% true. In hot areas you (USDA zone 9+) you want to go with Asiatic or Turban varieties of hardneck. Otherwise stick to soft neck. Most other varieties of hard neck require a cold (freezing) temperatures. They stop bulbing based on heat and day length.

[@tasgardener7923]

I just put the smallest ones in the dehydrator, dry them and turn them into garlic powder. The smaller ones are usually just as tasty as the bigger ones. Fortunately, here in Tas we've got a great winter climate for garlic so I don't get many small ones. Mine is due for harvest in another couple of months and the stems are so thick with beautiful big bulbs in the process of forming although if this rain don't stop soon it'll probably rot. the March 17 date is usually for colder climates although that also depends on which variety you're growing. I grow a few different ones and they're all sown at different times some before march 17 and some after

[@freakygardener8033]

Thanks buddy! I am new to gardening, but I look at poor crops as chances for learning. Most people just share the GOOD stuff, but if nobody shares the problems, and/or failures, how can we learn what NOT to do?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

This is interesting. I am not a garlic expert, but I’ve had good success growing hardneck and softneck here in the US. I am just at the tip of the subtropics at 34.1N latitude. However, because Canada provides a land bridge for Arctic winds, our subtropics on the east coast where I live get a lot of frosts and freezes, unlike in Australia. We get about 30 frost a year here, so keep that in mind. It helps a lot with garlic growing. Here are my takeaways: 1. Garlic matures in about 240 days (8 months). If you plant April 1, that means your garlic is maturing around December 1. 2. You want your garlic to peak around the summer solstice, because that’s when day length is longest for bulbing. Your day length is longest around December 21. If you plant April 1, that actually seems “about right.” So what’s the problem? My guess is you just don’t have enough chill hours in your climate. A lot of growers have sworn that refrigerating their bulbs for 8 weeks is key. Do you do that? Placing them in your fridge Feb 1, planting them April 1 and harvesting them December 1 sounds like a good plan to me, but I could be way off since your climate is much warmer at night in the winter than mine.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Lots of good points thanks! Yes, I have considered chilling the bulbs in the fridge before planting but never tried it so I might give that a go next season. There isn't commercial garlic growing around here (for a reason) and the bulbs I usually get are farmed not far about 200 km inland from us but the winter is considerably colder and the spring/summer not as humid so no matter what, I might be pushing it to grow an amazing crop. I have done better in the past though... so I won't give up. Starting early and giving it an artificial chill is worth a try! Cheers :)

[@JerryB507]

I've found that giving the garlic a rest in the chill chest works good for me. I have a couple of huge saved Russian Reds and a few small unknown softnecks chilling in the bottom of my fridge right now. Planning on planting at the end of Oct. 38N US West Coast, 90 Miles (144Km) East of San Francisco.

[@r.awilliams9815]

I plant garlic in November for harvest in late July here in Washington State. It doesn't get extremely cold, so I don't bother with mulching the beds. I've had excellent results with the Island Rocambole variety.

[@dispmonk]

@@r.awilliams9815 Same, I am in Washington. I start mid October to mid November. My best luck has been with Majestic, Inchelium Red, Georgia Fire, and Italian Hill. That’s without even doing anything after planting. I’ve tried about 50 varieties over the years.

[@christinespierling5952]

I'm in central Illinois USA. We plant our garlic in October to harvest around July 4th. If I were you I'd get some from a cold climate and try some in the fridge and some in the freezer for about 8 weeks. Water is key. When it's in the ground over winter we get a lot of cold, rain then snow. I plant most of my garlic in my flower beds close to my house. They get pretty big.

[@michael7423]

I think you’re a bit of a perfectionist, I would be proud of a garlic harvest such as yours! Some of your Garlic 🧄 bulbs looked like the ones available at my local grocery, I’m thinking the smaller ones may have a better stronger flavor 😂 everyone please stay safe and keep well!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Michael! Cheers :)

[@stephaniesealy9375]

Hi Mark, I can see the genuine disappointment on your face, however on the plus side, your experience of garlic this season has helped me so much. I experimented with my 1st raised beds this year, having started gardening in pots during the 1st UK lockdown. I was sent a gift pack of various seeds as a birthday present and my aliums were much smaller bulbs than yours, but added to my best ever basil season, created amazing pesto sauce. However, based on that, I've decided to focus on Aliums and herbs in my small London garden as this is what we use the most. I've grown herbs for years, more so now my son is a professional Chef. I watch all of your videos and learn so much. Your genuine love & passion for what you do motivates me so much! Thank you for you!

[@garden_geek]

Mark, I appreciate that you manage to put out videos that are timely to the northern hemisphere despite the fact that you are literally in the opposite season from us. From what I understand garlic needs a certain amount of cold hours to grow a good sized bulb. Perhaps your subtropical climate doesn’t get cold enough for long enough? I have my seed garlic in the refrigerator right now and will plant it in about a month. It seems like many people in warm winter climates have success growing garlic this way. It’s my first time trying it. Will be interesting to see!

[@lisacastano1064]

Works for tulips too lol.

[@Selfsufficientme]

There have been several like you who recommend chilling before planting and I think you have a good point! I will whack them in the fridge next season and we'll see if that helps. Cheers :)

[@macaronimamadp4545]

Thank you for your videos. I wish you were my neighbor! LoL With all of the craziness in the world right now, I’ve turned to gardening to keep my mind busy. The kids have learned a lot too. I’ve even gotten them to eat veggies. Thank you again! You’re the best! ❤️

[@teresawebster3498]

You can clean those up, put them in a blender, processor with some olive oil and make a paste. Keep that in the fridge for seasoning. Have you ever tried growing Elephant garlic? It is really big and it has a really nice mild flavor.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks for the paste tip Teresa! Yes, I do grow elephant garlic it's a good fall-back no doubt about it. Cheers :)

[@rachelk4805]

You could also put it in a stockpot with some water and other vegetable bits (carrot tops and onion skins, corn cobs etc...) and make a great stock.

[@aussiebushhomestead3223]

Thanks for sharing the failures along with the wins. Makes me feel better about my own flops.

[@judya.shroads8245]

Thank you Mark, for giving me a belly laugh when you bit into the garlic. The look on your face was priceless. No kisses for you today with that garlic breath. Lol

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Judy lol... Biting into that garlic was unexpectedly eye-watering and I think I did well to hold it together (if I do say so). Cheers :)

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Yay, a beautiful bit of relief from the worlds madness. Just spent time watching your down to earth smile inducing video. Thank you for a few minutes of comforting relief Mark. Best wishes from Britain 🇦🇺🇬🇧🇦🇺🇬🇧

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you and all the best to you also! Cheers :)

[@pb5021]

Mark, I feel the same way as Garulus. Gardening brings me peace and when I can't garden due to health reasons listening to you sharing your honest ups and downs helps take away my self pity and blues and leaves me peaceful and more knowledgeable. Thank you for your gentle way of teaching and all of the knowledge you share. TY, Pamela

[@jasenanderson8534]

I had the small bulb issue too and you've hit the nail on the head for me. Mine were too sheltered from Sun for at least half the day and relied on passive reflected light for much of it across the growing season. They were all half the expected size. Next time I'll do it differently, learning from this process. Thanks for yet another awesome video.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Cheers Jasen! Good luck with your next crop :)

[@ZsOtherBrother]

Your comment reminded me that passive reflected light can be done on purpose... thanks :)

[@ermspa9373]

Been growing garlic me and my dad for76 years we are in the north east of the usa . We hard freez here and that what my hard neck needs. To make big heads we plant middle of Oct. about 2 week before frist frost, and harvest after the 4 of july ‘

[@outsidestuff4867]

I planted garlic here in France last year and had a terrible crop on the half that were planted in soil that was a bit on the clay side. And the other half in well draining compost. I find that the love water but hate being water loged. They need good drainage.

[@NotSure416]

Reminder to plant your garlic. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

[@amandaweller69]

I lost my job recently & have been on a huuuge learning curve on how to save a dollar. Well I started gardening spring just gone & I love it & I found I'm pretty handy at it. But thanks to Mark you are my 2nd best teacher (experience is the 1st) you have taught me alot. Plus we live in the same part of the world so it's easy to adapt your methods without guesswork. Thanks mate & I'm ready for the next school year. Bring on the gardening endeavours

[@coronastern]

I did some research before planting my garlic regarding planting time. This is what I found: There are 2 possible planting times. In Fall around september/october to harvest on the end of next summer, so they have extra time to grow and get good. Or you plant them between mid febuary and mid april to harvest the same year in fall. Usualy you need 2 different types of garlic, because not every type is good to use with frost. I for my part live in Germany and I had the same problem with small bulbs. BUT ... I think my problem was fertilizer and water ... and that I moved in the midst of the year XD. To my surprise I apparently forgot 2-3 small bulbs in the garden bed (harvest was in July) - and yesterday I noticed some green stuff pocking its head out of the gardenbed. I was like "The heck? What is growing there? It should be barren!" ... so I digged it out and was very surprised to find selfseeded Garlic. Well ... I decided to just let them be there and wait for next fall to check on them XD

[@Selfsufficientme]

You never know... The self-seeding garlic might know best but for sure there will be something to learn by letting it grow! Cheers :)

[@supermaniac5]

I really enjoy these types of videos in the morning with my coffee. Getting gardening advice and listening to the birds on your property is a nice way to start the day.

[@tammypurtee8770]

The tiny potent cloves would be great for adding to your fermenting projects.

[@marshabennett8107]

This was my second year growing garlic - same variety, took from seeds from the year before. Planted them in my second-year no-dig garden (yes, Charles Dowding) without adding any new compost on the garden. Goodness, my bulbs were so large. I don't even know what I did, really. I look forward to seeing how it looks this coming year. Perhaps I will follow up after next harvest :)

[@povilasgenceravicius7060]

You garlic needs heavier soil and you need plant them deeper about three to four times the length of the clove itself or something like that

[@povilasgenceravicius7060]

Or that's how I do it anyway😁 of course it's easy for me to say because I live in Lithuania think it's a really good climate to grow garlic

[@MySiberianMax]

HI, I also grow garlic and learned from a well known french garlic farmer. My bulbes are arround 200 grams of weight for the big ones and biggest was close to 300 grams, so pretty large, this is rose Lautrec. They all get rust and i never treat them for rust. But what does stop the bulbes from growing large is nitrogen in the soil and acidity. Only add fertiliser low or without nitrogen and woodchips or hay are pretty high in nitrogen. you had lots of hay and woodchips in your garlic bed and i know you add lots of compost to your soil which raises the acidity. When i bought my garlic from the french garlic farmer he told me not to use compost, hay or woodchips in the garlic bed BUT to add chalk to the soil to raise the PH level of the garlic bed which lowers the acidity and feed with low nitrogen fertiliser

[@carpetcarpet1]

The way he says water is just amazing 😆 Great Vid! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@daniel__clark]

Hi mark, there is a great video on you tube by Red Gardens called 'garlic adapting'. The guy is an experimental gardener and is always challenging his own growing methods much like yourself. Although red gardens is growing in a different climate, there are probably some lessons that came be applied to your own growing. Please keep up the great content and thanks.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Daniel, I'll check the video out but I agree that adaptation could very well work and that makes me want to re-grow some of this garlic even more... Cheers :)

[@austingurley2954]

Thank you for this video. My wife and I started gardening last year to very little success. While we expected it to take awhile and some practice before we got great results, harvest was still very disheartening. Thank you for being honest and showing that it happens to even experienced gardeners and that you just have to keep on trying.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Keep getting into it Austin! All the best to you and your wife :)

[@sinsinnomore5555]

Garden soil needs to be amended each season. In the spring use grass clippings, 4 inches thick around all plants. In the fall after harvest put a layer of leaves on the bed. The next spring put 2 inches go compost (that you have been making all year) on the soil 2 inches deep and plant in that, then add the grass clippings. It's an endless cycle that creates a rich , heavy organic material soil. It takes a few seasons to get the soil where it needs to be. The more chemicals and water run off you put on the garden, the more the salt rises and barrens the soil. My neighbor collects and pours his urine straight out of a 5 gallon bucket on to his crops and soil, I have seen lots of large earthworms burned and dead trying to escape that sludge!

[@alysoffoxdale]

I admit to being decidedly amused at getting garlic videos back to back from opposite sides of the world! Gardener Scott (Colorado, USA) posted garlic tips yesterday too! ;D

[@jim6235]

Garlic likes a lot of cold weather and cold rain. It also grows well in mulch. Best to plant your cloves before winter and harvest before the skins on bulb begin to deteriorate in the ground.

[@lelleithmurray235]

Good early morning Mark!(4:45am here!) Going to try growing a few garlic cloves once it starts to cool down here-if the little critters don't get to them!

[@thenaturepatch]

Thanks so much for this video Mark! I just harvested my glenlarge garlic in Brisbane and mine were quite small. Will take these points into account next year! Sun was the problem in my garden 🧄

[@Selfsufficientme]

That's interesting to know from another local - thank you! I just watched your video kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3LJpGiHa8-soM0 on an early morning harvest - very tranquil and enjoyable! Cheers :)

[@sanjuansteve]

I love continuously harvesting garlic greens from my garden.

[@somnambulist2450]

It was the lack of water that kept my garlic bulbs small this year. Thank you for the awesome video!

[@JohnWilliams-iw6oq]

We lived in a subtropics rainfall area but with a temperate climate (North west slopes of NSW) and found the garlic went well in a terrible granite soil with a little composted cow manure but always had our plants in by the first of March and harvested late October or early November. The cow manure we got from the paddocks and the local TSRs and we also added a little phosphate fore good root development. By the way, we put the manure through the mulcher and it was fantastic stuff.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Top idea about manure through the mulcher John! Cheers :)

[@fasairra8199]

Thanks again for the quality content... Best place ever grew garlic was in hard clay under an a trampoline... Go figure...

[@fasairra8199]

Look forward to big garlic out of small

[@sharitate7876]

We learn from the failures as much as the successes. Thanks for sharing 😊.

[@stevesmith3556]

😂😅😂. Mark! I cringed when you said "I'm going to taste it". Glad to see you curing it off at the end😊 Cheers!

[@raggedy_esh]

I always thought garlic grew on a stem like a brussel sprout, didn’t realise they grew in the ground 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@papapetad]

You don't get full bulbs where you're buying them? Bulbs normally have roots on them, like onions.

[@rachelk4805]

@@papapetad I mean...In the US, they cut them down so much, I can understand this. There are no visible obvious roots.

[@papapetad]

@@rachelk4805 That's why I am asking. It takes a fair bit of effort to remove all the roots from a bulb so that surprises me a little that you would NEVER see them.

[@CrazyWhiteVanDriver]

@@papapetad you don't get rooted garlic in the shops here ever.. Even the sweet potato have the ends chopped off.

[@papapetad]

@@CrazyWhiteVanDriver Hardly surprising but it's sad. Entire generations are completely disconnected from the foods we eat and the source. Pattern recognition and all that. Disturbing stuff.

[@mikeybyrne5806]

Here in the U.K. it’s traditional to plant garlic on the winter solstice (shortest day of the year) and pull up on the summer solstice (longest day) However I think it’s better to plant earlier, around about now is perfect.

[@AlmostOrganicDorset]

Mine are going in next week, as long as it isn't raining. 😂

[@mikeybyrne5806]

@@AlmostOrganicDorset I’m putting mine in today. Hopefully

[@spodosol]

That basil plant is CRAZY!!!

[@danielleboule3220]

Thanks for sharing the failures as well as successes. We learn from it all

[@thedragonflygirl77]

Have you tried putting them in the fridge for a while first? I think in a paper bag, for up to a couple of months. It's a recommendation I've seen for growing garlic in warmer climates. I don't get frost at all, so I plan to try that next time. Also the variety is important for warmer climates. I *think* it's meant to work better with softness instead of hard neck (but it could be vice versa 😄). Epic gardening did some video on growing garlic in a warmer climate this year and he tested the fridge thing and I think had some good success.

[@gardengatesopen]

I think the ones you put in the fridge are the hard neck varieties, the ones that grow in colder climates. I saw that Epic Gardening video, and yes, you're right. He's in zone 9 or 10, very warm, and he was successful at growing hard neck varieties that otherwise don't do well in his warm zone.

[@Selfsufficientme]

No I have not tried the fridge chill yet but I think it's time! Thanks for the tip :)

[@JerryB507]

My saved Russian Reds and some farmer's market unknown softnecks are in the chill chest. I'll be planting them at the end of Oct. The cold rest before planting works for me. Zone 9A, US West Coast.

[@gardengatesopen]

@@JerryB507 soooo - you chill the soft necks too? Interesting... I always wonder if I should do this with the soft necks. I'm in zone 8a, and the grower who sent me the garlic seed also sent a tip page, they say to not chill ANY garlic. The grower is located in Iowa, so they naturally have a chilling period. Still - their tip sheet does say that Southern States do not need to chill their soft necks. I've never chilled mine. I just never know what to do about the chilling issue with soft necks! Hard necks - yes! That's an easy yes to chilling. Then I wonder if the chilling works well for you since your zone is so very warm over the Winter? Might that be a factor? How long do you chill them?

[@JerryB507]

@@gardengatesopen, I was told that garlic needed to be chilled if it didn't go through a freezing winter. At the time, I didn't know that there were different varieties. Now, it's just habit and visually I don't see a difference from the softneck I grow and the stuff you find at the megamart. Taste wise, mine is much better.

[@Enduro262]

😂🤙 the vampires will be leaving you alone 😵‍💫

[@soulreaper359]

I also heard that u don’t want to give them much nitrogen in the last phase cause the plant will concentrate on the leaves. At first of course but later on in the season u should reduce it and concentrate a little more on phosphorus. Greetings from Germany👍🏻

[@jamiecole2144]

Hey Mark, take some of your garlic..smoke it, mince it, freeze dry it and then powder it!!! Best dang thing I have in my kitchen right now! I also had small cloves this year but it was also my first time ever growing it and it was store bought. I'm going to try again this year with some local grown garlic and I will put some of these tips to use! Thanks mate! Enjoy some freeze dried garlic! 😉

[@Selfsufficientme]

Freeze-dried garlic - I like that thought... and will give it a go for sure! Cheers :)

[@stephaniemontero2071]

Here in Boise Idaho USA I've found our large hard neck garlic likes our poor acidic clay soil and does best when given enough time to form. The longer we leave it, the bigger and better it ends up being. Sometimes I leave it two years. Any time I've used nice moist soil, it doesn't turn out. They stay small like yours. I think less water is better in more dense clay like soil.

[@stephaniemontero2071]

Same goes for onions here.

[@dispmonk]

You leave garlic in the ground for two years? 🤔 How does that work? You have a bunch of bulbs on top of each other the second year? What Variety of garlic do you use?

[@stephaniemontero2071]

There are a few different names for the common garlic here. Creole, purple, hard neck or stiff neck. I haven't had garlic grow on top of garlic but I'm not saying it couldn't or wouldn't happen. Like onions, when garlic is under stress it will flower and seed. Usually what causes that here is extreme heat or heat waves. I do have to also say gardening here in Idaho is different than most states. Our weather is less predictable than California.

[@dispmonk]

@@stephaniemontero2071 I’ve never heard of anyone leaving garlic in the ground for two years how do you do that what is the result?

[@stephaniemontero2071]

Yeah I was told that but one year I didn't get to all of my garlic and the next year it popped right back up and so I left it and the garlic was more fully formed and better than the previous year. Also we leave all sorts of bulbs in the ground here that come back the next year. I do put alot of my garden to bed with straw or leaves. That helps keep my soil nice. I just compost the straw and leaves in the spring.

[@bencuthbert8915]

Hi Mark. I've been cultivating an absolute beast of a garlic on my patch in Victoria the last few years. Let me know how I can get in touch, would be happy to send you some to try!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Ben for the offer mate but I'm ok for garlic... I just need to get more consistent with growing it lol. Cheers :)

[@chantaltulliez8066]

Thank you Mark for showing the bad and the ugly!!! that's true gardening... and some seasons are better than others....I appreciate your authenticity keep up the good work ...

[@desertflower9557]

I appreciate that you shared this information and your experience, it is helpful for me.

[@spankymagee]

Thumbnail looks like you're holding a peice of gnawed off fried chicken drumstick! 😆

[@Mr.Binks.]

I hate to think what would've happened if you'd planted a small-sized variety. You don't think Feb/March will be too hot for planting out? I'm going to try elephant garlic next year. #fromtheeditor

[@outtadarkness1970]

Just be aware that elephant garlic is much milder (at least in my experience) than smaller varieties.

[@Mr.Binks.]

@@outtadarkness1970 Yep all good. As an IBS sufferer that will be a good thing ;)

[@outtadarkness1970]

@@Mr.Binks., Then ENJOY!

[@lisam5744]

Subtropical Florida here. We grow garlic every fall/winter. We've never gotten garlic bulbs as big as what you see in the grocery store because we just don't get cold enough. But I take my bulbs and run them through the food processor and freeze. And take out what I need, mix with olive oil and keep in the fridge for minced garlic for cooking. Plus I trim the greens repeatedly during their growth and chop/freeze them for cooking as well. The trimming doesn't hurt the plant...they just keep growing. So it's not as traditional growing as the colder areas, but I get a lot of use out of my garlic.

[@gruntqueen]

My local farmstand was selling garlic bulbs so I decided to plant it. Turns out each bulb had three or four large cloves so I had to buy more. My soil was almost exclusively composted horse poop. I just put in a little row but my crop, recently harvested, was incredible. I'm in the NE USA, longneck garlic. We've had flood-level rainfalls this year. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your channel. We all make mistakes.

[@christoffersultan5541]

Garlic doesn't grow well in well amended beds since the fertilizers/manure increases the ph-value (to alkaline). It grows best in moderately sour soils.

[@coronastern]

You can shift the ph-value by using coffee grounds as fertilizer. Tomatoes also love that stuff in the soil ;)

[@HeyYouSA]

Thanks for the tips. My second year with garlic has done much better.

[@engwatch]

Lovely sharing!!!! Sparks humbleness. And I loved the comment about Nina not kissing him later!!!!;)))). You're just such a figure, Mark!!;)..brings us smiles!;)

[@matthewmcalley392]

This is why I enjoy your vids so much because your more than prepared to show the failures as well as successes, and how you've remedied the situation 😂 Thats how real life works👍 Or so they tell me

[@ladycake1515]

I used to live one hour West of Stockholm Sweden. Would plant my garlic in late fall / early winter to get a good start. Like October would work there. Now I live in the south and have not had my own garden for many years. Great to watch your channel 🥰

[@JulianJP21]

Don't worrie Mark you are a mentor,boss,master of garden and more.....you are my teacher!!!!Super thanks for share M.r. TON OF VEGGIE!!!!!

[@rianneheijtink3611]

I live in the nerherlands, and I plant in the fall. It comes up, survives frost and has an early start in march.

[@michael7423]

Thank you again Mark for sharing another great gardening tips video!

[@sponk2112]

Lol, that "small" bulb at the beginning is at least twice as big as I've gotten. Now I've only done garlic twice, mind you, and I think I know what I was doing wrong, but still...garlic envy over here.

[@sherrymilen1346]

Love all your videos!

[@fry9000]

The small cloves are nice for adding garnish to pasta dishes 🤓

[@clintonbond2366]

Hi Mark, I live near Gympie (not too far from you). We planted Glenlarge on Apr 4 and harvested amazing bulbs just 4.5 months later. I was shocked, as I thought it was supposed to take much, much longer. We have red volcanic soil, to which we added composted cow manure. We lightly mulched and also watered lightly. First time I have really tried garlic and it was amazing! I read that it needs as much sunlight as possible, so we planted where it gets full sun all day, no shade. We also vernalised or chilled the bulbs for several weeks before planting, then soaked them in a seaweed solution for several hours prior to planting. We got 200 bulbs - almost 100% success rate! Hope this info helps.

[@rhondathompson5960]

That’s great advice. I am in brisbane so I will follow your tips

[@TheBachBabe]

I always enjoy your videos. Cheers!

[@papawsplace]

Great Video Mark. 👍👍

[@Ariel-xz8lg]

Your eating that bite of garlic was worth a thumbs up! Thanks Mark! Great video!

[@lisafeck1537]

Thank you Mark. Well done.

[@aussiepressconferences.4755]

Love it Mark, you’re always good entertainment and education.

[@sakamoto5195]

I’m so happy you did this video. I actually thought garlic was a leave it and let it crop 😅. I’ve learned so much from you.

[@angelaburrell-lewis2955]

The quest for LARGE Garlic continues........ thanks for all the BIG TIPS.

[@sventer198]

Thanks for sharing the learning.

[@lastchancemonicam3948]

Thanks for the vid. I live in Texas, and I love garlic. My climate is subtropical, and I thought I'd conducted the research necessary to grow some huge bulbs. Boy was I wrong! My first year, I planted about 20 cloves, and I got 1. This is my second year. I planted about 40 cloves. I'm in danger of losing the crop because I planted in Sept- far too soon. People here have said that there is only one garlic that will grow in my area, cajun garlic, and it's super small, super spicy, and still difficult to grow- all of which I don't like. The best I can says is, "I planted in Sept. I'll harvest in June. That'll give me enough time to plant a second crop in that area and next year, cajun garlic planted in Dec. it is."

[@reneethomas5548]

Thank you for sharing. It was exactly what I was looking for.

[@spraymantis8998]

Mate great to see the success stories and the lessons learned. You are a great help, thank you!

[@thefoxentrepreneur4934]

This is my favorite channel on KZbin. Bam!

[@maggiebrooks433]

I love your videos! Thanks so much!

[@PDX_Mycoo]

Because hemispheres and seasons can get a little tricky, a good tip for planting garlic is to do it before the first frost. :)

[@joancroker8612]

I'm so glad you shared this video. Thank you so much! I've been having similar problems with our garlic harvest. Up to now I've bought into the myth that garlic will grow practically anywhere. At least now, I know what I need to do to up my game.

[@debrafuller5693]

Thanks for sharing😁A great help!

[@ceciliasoo9874]

Thanks Mark for sharing your ideas. Always enjoy your video

[@dukeshaver199]

Mark I love your videos. Keep up the great work brother.

[@darlenewright5850]

Love tasting that garlic! Lesson learned and helped me out bunches. Thnx Mark.

[@charlesdevier8203]

I planted garlic today here in Missouri, USA. It will grow roots and get a few inches above the ground before a hard freeze stops the growth for the winter. As the temperature warms in the spring (March) it will grow again.