Comprehensive garlic growing

[Worth1]

Thought I would start a thread to shake out the truth about growing garlic.
Cant find some of the information I look for on line.
Stuffed like is it photosensitive.

[bower]

What do you mean by photosensitive?
One thing I've learned is that garlic absolutely needs full sun. I had poor yields by planting in partly shaded spots - even a small amount of shade can be detrimental here in a place that isn't particularly sunny to begin with.

[Worth1]

While trying to take the mystery out of garlic I found just one site that said in a round about way they are photosensitive.
Which means they are reactive to daylight and dark hours like onions and some other crops.
Poinsettias are photosensitive.
They require undisturbed darkness for a certain amount of hours to bloom.

[FarmerShawn]

I'm no expert, but I think I have read that hard-necked garlic varieties do better in the north, where summer days are long, while soft-necked varieties do better in the south, where day length is more even. And I'm pretty sure the issue is day length, not heat. I'm also pretty sure that it's a generalization with exceptions, as I have a neighbor in northern New Hampshire that grows both kinds quite successfully.

[bower]

Yes, it definitely depends on the type of garlic and variety. Both daylength and temperature will have some effect on when they form scapes (if hardneck), when they start to bulb, and when ready to harvest.

I think temperature is more important for garlic than a specific day length, at least ours can be delayed for a week or more in putting out scapes, which is when they start to bulb after you take them off afaik. And a difference of as much as 3 weeks in when they are ready to harvest, depending on the weather that season.

This Texas page says your crop should mature in June.
https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/a...e-week/garlic/


Here is another word about temperatures:
"Day-length as well as accumulated growing degree days determines when scapes appear as well as when bulbs are ready to harvest. Hot weather above 91°F (33°C) ends bulb growth and drying down starts. It’s irreversible. It is important to get plenty of good rapid growth before hot weather arrives."
https://www.sustainablemarketfarming...ulb-formation/

[Father'sDaughter]

Bower, that would explain why it's so important for us up north to plant in the fall. The garlic needs time to set down roots before winter so it's ready to go into full top-growth mode by April. I usually plant in October, get scapes appearing by early June, and die back starts in late June with harvest by early July when the high temps of summer arrive.

[Whwoz]

Definately does not like competition from weeds of any sort. Likes good drainage and non-compacting soils. For those Aussies on here there is some very good information on this site

https://www.australiangarlic.net.au/

It is important to plant your garlic at the appropriate time of year, not all garlic gets planted at the one time, where we are there is a three month spread of planting/harvest times.

[Worth1]

The two hard neck types I planted are from Mexico.
But much of Mexico is north of me.

[GrowingCoastal]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Bower, that would explain why it's so important for us up north to plant in the fall. The garlic needs time to set down roots before winter so it's ready to go into full top-growth mode by April. I usually plant in October, get scapes appearing by early June, and die back starts in late June with harvest by early July when the high temps of summer arrive.

Yes. I plant at fall equinox and saw that roots were already shooting out of the pot holes at end of October.