Is this the time to panic Or can I treat it?

Or do I dig it all up?

Tried digging up one it's golf ball size, would be good to be a bit bigger?

I don't think rust is a problem on garlic. I know they get it but I don't think it's detrimental. it stems from them being dry at the roots apparently

erm.. if it is rust i think icy told me that it spreads

bummer they are in the middle of my onions

Don't worry it doesn't usually mean that your garlic bulbs will be affected. The rust on garlic is actually leek rust It is caused by plants being too close together which creates humid conditions and over feeding. Comfrey is a good feed for garlic

Is that the smelly tea stuff that you make? How dilute does it have to be?

1:15 or 1:20 thereabouts

The smell will certainly repel all invaders

How big do your garlic get before you dig them up?

When the leaves turn yellow and start flopping is when I dig mine up. Rust does spread - but I don't think it does any harm just makes things look unsightly

I thought 1:10 but I make it in a bucket with water and Wardy makes it neat.

What size is considered to be good / avarage for garlic grown in England?

It says on my instructions to pull the garlic in July. I wrote that on a spike and put it next to the garlic cos my memory is terrible and I'm not sure what to look for to know when they're ready. I suppose they flop over like onions

Garlic rust is a typical problem. I get it each year but it doesn't seem to hurt the bulbs.

Garlic shouldn't be watered from now on in - if you're not careful the papery outer skins rot and then the bulbs don't store well. I've not watered mine at all this year and they're blooming huge. This was one I dug up green on Saturday to see how they were doing... and cos we'd run out of last year's!!!



They say to dig them up when 10% of the bed has toppled over. Of course that works with the normal softneck stuff but I grow hardneck and it never topples! But I get the advantage of garlic scapes, which make the most wonderful pesto... yum.

moonbells

I've not watered mine either and they look fab. My first crop What's garlic scapes then MB? Do tell

What are garlic scapes ?

they are the long stalk bit that gets the bud on top. you can liqidise them with olive oil, salt and toasted pinenuts for a delicious homemade pesto

oh right ta

mmm ... as soon as I have finished the garlic supply at home then I think it will be time to get 'em out the the ground!!

... like pesto this sounds good

Ahh

Have just got back from the plot and some of the garlic are huge

Was considering taking them up BEFORE we get any rain cos they are drying out nicely.

SOIL is like DUST

There's a thread about WD-40 on A4A - does that get rust off? No good for me anyway as it says on there that the base ingeredient is fish oil. Will have to find out what's in the Halfords one.

Crikey thats a monster moonbells! What variety is it?

Did you get rain today FL? It's been non-stop here, woke us up at 5 am it made such a racket

Haven't had a drop for ages ... and the local forecast says none till July 1st