Garlic plant - Ask Extension
I harvested about 45 garlic plants today and one of the looks very different from the others. It looks like it divided into many separate cloves. ...
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Garlic plant #835076
Asked June 11, 2023, 6:41 PM EDT
I harvested about 45 garlic plants today and one of the looks very different from the others. It looks like it divided into many separate cloves. I noticed 4 more that looked the same so I left them in the bed. Should I leave them in the bed and should I re-plant the one I pulled up? Did I do something wrong when I planted the cloves in October?
thanks in advance for your help.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- bulbs will split if left in the ground too long. Bulb splitting can also be caused by a variety of environmental factors like low soil moisture. Having a few split bulbs is not that uncommon.
The cloves in the photo appear to be in an unusual pattern. It looks like the bulb cover leaves may have been damaged or didn't grow normally causing the cloves to develop outside.
Do you know the cultivar? Hardneck or softneck? Are the affected plants scattered or in one area? Can you send a photo of a normal bulb next to a split bulb? Thanks,
Jon
The cloves in the photo appear to be in an unusual pattern. It looks like the bulb cover leaves may have been damaged or didn't grow normally causing the cloves to develop outside.
Do you know the cultivar? Hardneck or softneck? Are the affected plants scattered or in one area? Can you send a photo of a normal bulb next to a split bulb? Thanks,
Jon
Hi Jon,
Thanks for your quick reply. The variety is Music (hardneck) and maybe German hardneck. I planted both varieties in 2021. Then I picked the largest bulbs to plant last fall. The Misic bulbs were generally the bigger ones. I tried to keep the varieties separated but they got mixed together.
The split bulb in the photo was on one end of the bed and the other 4 are near each other at the other end.
Lisa
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
On Jun 13, 2023, at 10:43 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Thanks for the additional information. The root systems of the affected plants are unusually small. It's possible that they were stressed by poor soil conditions, weed competition, close spacing, or some other environmental factors.
We'd suggest harvesting all bulbs and using the small cloves first as they may not store very well.
Jon
We'd suggest harvesting all bulbs and using the small cloves first as they may not store very well.
Jon
Hi Jon,
Thanks so much for you help. We will start with those small cloves first.
I really appreciate having access to Ask Extension. I’ve benefited greatly from this feature.
Gratefully,
Lisa
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
