My first time trying garlic this year, also in sask. Maybe a little late but just getting planted tomorrow! Thanks for the last minute reaasurance haha.
It’s been a nice, long fall season and no frost in the soil here just yet. I remember planting garlic one year where there was some frost in the soil, and they turned out fine the next year. Going forward, it is best to plan garlic planting for around Thanksgiving weekend just in case that weather turns!
@MySaskGarden it sure has been beautiful, and 8,9,10 degrees expected this week too.. fingers crossed. I'll definitely plan ahead of time going forward. I wasn't going to but since it's been so nice I got an extra wind to get back in the garden!
Here in southern Ontario, I usually would plant my garlic around Oct 31, but if the fall continues to be warm, I might delay a week or two. Will see how it goes. I grew a few different varieties but Music has been the biggest and healthiest by far. Just gonna continue to select for biggest cloves, and hopefully will continue to have good sized ones in the future. Personally I'd avoid cutting the top off, as ideally you don't want the sprouts coming up before winter, just some roots growing before winter suspends the growth. We have had such warm early winters sometimes that we get overly healthy top growth before the Jan-Feb freezes kills it and reduces the bulb sizes if we plant out too early.
Yes, there certainly are regional differences for everything gardening. Here in SK, anytime after the autumn equinox to mid-October is the ideal planting time. I took my soil temperature yesterday … unmulched was 10C, and soil under mulch was 7C. Our nights are just above or just below 0 so it does cool down rapidly at this time of year.
My first time trying garlic this year, also in sask. Maybe a little late but just getting planted tomorrow! Thanks for the last minute reaasurance haha.
It’s been a nice, long fall season and no frost in the soil here just yet. I remember planting garlic one year where there was some frost in the soil, and they turned out fine the next year. Going forward, it is best to plan garlic planting for around Thanksgiving weekend just in case that weather turns!
@MySaskGarden it sure has been beautiful, and 8,9,10 degrees expected this week too.. fingers crossed. I'll definitely plan ahead of time going forward. I wasn't going to but since it's been so nice I got an extra wind to get back in the garden!
Here in southern Ontario, I usually would plant my garlic around Oct 31, but if the fall continues to be warm, I might delay a week or two. Will see how it goes. I grew a few different varieties but Music has been the biggest and healthiest by far. Just gonna continue to select for biggest cloves, and hopefully will continue to have good sized ones in the future.
Personally I'd avoid cutting the top off, as ideally you don't want the sprouts coming up before winter, just some roots growing before winter suspends the growth. We have had such warm early winters sometimes that we get overly healthy top growth before the Jan-Feb freezes kills it and reduces the bulb sizes if we plant out too early.
Yes, there certainly are regional differences for everything gardening. Here in SK, anytime after the autumn equinox to mid-October is the ideal planting time. I took my soil temperature yesterday … unmulched was 10C, and soil under mulch was 7C. Our nights are just above or just below 0 so it does cool down rapidly at this time of year.
Can you put wood chips as mulch instead?
Yes, you could use wood chips. I apply a 4-6” layer of straw but I would do a lighter 2-3” layer for woodchips.