Deny garlic the cold and you get one clove
Freeze then bake – no, they’re not cooking instructions - it’s how to grow a good garlic crop.
Both autumn and springplanting varieties need a period of cold so that cloves develop – deny them this and you’ll get one clove.
They need to be in a sunny position so the cloves can bake - that means without competition from weeds, so make sure you hand weed hoes may damage bulbs.
For spring-planting types, February-April is the usual recommended planting time, so if you haven’t planted yet, get them is as soon as possible.
For both, make sure the ground is not waterlogged or frozen. For every square metre, add 50g of generalpurpose fertiliser.
Plant individual cloves, keeping the papery husk on. Do not plant supermarket varieties – always buy bulbs from a mail order seed company or nursery.
Ensure the soil is welldrained and plant cloves 10cm apart and 2.5-5cm deep, in rows 30cm apart, with the wide root side facing down.
Prevent birds from pulling up the cloves by covering the rows with horticultural fleece.
Water every week during bulbing (mid-May and June).
GROW AT A GLANCE: SPRING GARLIC PLANTING TIME: FebruaryApril. HARVESTING TIME: midsummer – early autumn. PLANTING DISTANCE: 1015cm (4-6 inches) apart, 2.55cm (1-2 inches) deep, 30cm (1 ft) between rows. ASPECT AND SOIL: Full sun, well-drained, non-acid soil. HARDINESS: Hardy. DIFFICULTY: Easy. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES: Lautrec Wight, Germidour, Purple Heritage Moldovan, Solent Wight, Wight Cristo, Tuscany Wight, Carcasonne Wight, Picardy Wight, Flavour, Cledor.