Is my Garlic needing nutrients or nearly ready to pick?

[Jessiebean]

My first attempt at growing garlic is in a styrofoam box, there are about a dozen growing in a brocolli box, the tops are yellowing a bit and wilting, I have fed them a couple of times and the soil isn't dry, they have been in since winter solstice here(June 24) and I thought they were to be harvested on the longest day of the year which is a couple of months away.
Do I need to compost them more? Seaweed emulsion? or could they be getting ready for harvest?

[Urban Ayisha]

i think they're ready when they start to yellow and then fall over, if your not sure, perhaps u could push back the soil a bit without disturbing the roots and take a peek!

[MuddyWitch]

I'd try to pull one out, without disturbing the others to see, too.

Many Summers my garlic are ready before our longest day, but not usually this far off. Have you had a particularly warm dry Spring? If so, they might have just matured early. The variety will also have some bearing on it's speed to germination.

Good Luck,
MW

[Jessiebean]

We have had a warm dry spring but a very very wet winter....
I fear that I have overplanted the box (it is not very big really) so I will have a peep and report back and give them some more compost I feel....

[pumpy]

Sorry Jessie, but if the foliage is yellowing, then the plants have run their course. Why not lift & dry them anyway. Small ,fiddely bulbs can be just as good as the larger ones ( just more time consuming to prepare). Hope you have a great summer season!

[Jessiebean]

I have given them some more compost but they look rather underdeveloped (squash ball sized and smooth) so I am guessing the poor things were just starving... we will see how my "intensive mini farming" goes in a month or so I guess...

[MuddyWitch]

JB, if they are just one ball of garlic, rather than several cloves, then Pumpy is right, that's the end of the line. Better to recue what you can & give the next lot a bit more room.

On the plus side they should have a good flavour. This happened to some of mine last year but the little balls were delicious.

MW

[Jessiebean]

We had rain last night and the day before and the compost seems to have helped- the foliage has perked up...when it starts to yellow again I will pull 'em up and give them more space next time!

[Jessiebean]

Good news! about two weeks ago I pulled up a dozen small but perfectly formed garlic bulbs! I plaited them together and hung them on a nail in the shed as one does. It is the most delicious garlic! and to think i spent years eating that woody bland chinese stuff. I will definitely grow it again next year and give them more room but as the tenant next door moved out and we are taking the next door cottage and garden over too I don't think space will be a problem!

[snapdragon]

thats great. my container planted garlic are always small but taste better than shop bought
I had two (late planted) still in the garden and the tops started going, due to frost I think, so I dug them up - no bulbs as such, they looked a little like mini garlic leeks but I cooked them in a lamb potroast last night - they were wonderful