I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth, due to warmer than expected temperatures. is this going to cause
problems? the variety is a hardneck, russian red. thanks

wrote:
I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth, due to warmer than expected temperatures. is this going to cause
problems? the variety is a hardneck, russian red. thanks

What zone are you in and how high are the tops?

If you're in the northern part of the US where the weather has got to be
about ready to snap cold I'd say don't worry about 'em. I've had them
as high as 3 or 4 inches and they did just fine.

wrote:

I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing c

It wil cost the cloves some energy, but probably not fatal. Just be
extra-special-nice to them in the spring.
And polish up your crystal ball. Sometimes the future is cloudy....


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

wrote:
I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth, due to warmer than expected temperatures. is this going to cause
problems? the variety is a hardneck, russian red. thanks
This happens to me every year. I just tuck them in with some mulch of
cut grass or leaves and even if the exposed garlic leaves freeze they
come back strong in the Spring. The wild onions and garlic in my lawn
don't seem to be harmed by winter freeze and snow, come back strong in
the Spring without the benefit of mulch and I can't get rid of them.
Not to worry--------Bill

On 21 Nov 2003 13:45:33 GMT, wrote:

I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth, due to warmer than expected temperatures. is this going to cause
problems? the variety is a hardneck, russian red. thanks

No worries, garlic is tough, it can take varying temps...ESPECIALLY
stiffnecks.

Green growth is a good sign...it means the root system is in place.
The bulb would not develop green unless its roots were
well-entrenched.

Dan

Trim off the garlic and use it for cooking.

Saute in some butter or olive oil for just a second and then use on bread for
instance.

wrote in message ...
I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth, due to warmer than expected temperatures. is this going to cause
problems? the variety is a hardneck, russian red. thanks

Good sign it should do well, come spring make sure to top dress with
some sifted compost, keep the weeds down and provide even moisture.
Don't forget to stir fry some of the scapes before they get too tough.

Beecrofter wrote:

........................
Don't forget to stir fry some of the scapes before they get too tough.


Oh? What part do you eat? The little developing flower head at the top
or the entire stalk too? At what point (in development) are they good?


Steve ... full of questions in the Adirondacks

Steve wrote:



Beecrofter wrote:

........................
Don't forget to stir fry some of the scapes before they get too tough.



Oh? What part do you eat? The little developing flower head at the top
or the entire stalk too? At what point (in development) are they good?


Steve ... full of questions in the Adirondacks

I use the whole thing. I usually cut them down close to the leaves
when the scape begins to curl. Yes, very good and depending on what
kind you're growing... very potent. :-)

--
Steve ... in the Mid-Hudson Valley

Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.

wrote in message ...
I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth,

Ok, this is the expected pattern. But do you have any advice for those
who's garlic *hasn't* shown any sign of growth above the ground?

I planted three varieties: two "normal" (can't remember names, but
they were sold for Autumn planting in the UK) and some Elephant
garlic, all at the start of October.

So far, one of the normal ones has produced good green shoots around 6
inches long. However, neither of the others have. I had a careful dig
around one of these and found a clove with no shoots but a bunch of
rootlets an inch long, which looked promising.

Are there any varieties that don't produce any shoots before the
Spring, even when planted in the Autumn? The Elephant garlic I planted
last year definitely had some sprouts by December, though may not have
been the same variety.

Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)

Colin Malsingh wrote:

Ok, this is the expected pattern. But do you have any advice for those
who's garlic *hasn't* shown any sign of growth above the ground?

ISTR the conventional wisdom is that it's better for there NOT to be
top-growth before winter, because this growth is winter damaged and costs
the clove some energy stores. Thankfully, I'm almost always behind
schedule, so I seldom see any pre-winter growth, though I do get it in the
recommended 6-8 weeks before the ground freezes. This fall, I put a thin
mulch over it to slow freezing a bit; I'll add more once the ground does
freeze.
Right now, the wind is howling about like a bad Alaska gold rush movie.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Colin Malsingh wrote:

wrote in message ...

I planted my garlic in october and now I am seeing considerable top
growth,


Ok, this is the expected pattern. But do you have any advice for those
who's garlic *hasn't* shown any sign of growth above the ground?

snip

Yup. I'm in the same boat this year 'cause I was actually later
putting it in than normal. View it as goodness. No energy has been
spent that's going to have to be "re-cooped" in the spring. You're in
good shape.

--
Steve

Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.