Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It can be done. This is only 6 months growth from each clove that I planted. What I learnt is that you need to harvest before the plant completely dies back otherwise bulbs start to rot.

I was away for 3 weeks so didn't get this in time. May explain the unhappiness of my fish? More worms would help with that. I am happy to try again next year. The bulbs with shoots remaining are healthiest.

So how many cloves did you start with?

Whats the flavour like?

Yeah i harvest mine just as the leaves are starting to turn as well. Mine is out drying now.

I dont think the worms will help much though, i dont think they like garlic or onions...

mine started to flower so have yanked it out and hung it up to dry - will see how it turns out. also some look more like leeks with no bulb - though that could be stray leek seeds and not actually garlic

I didn't count but started with one head so I guess about 6-7?

Haven't tasted yet, it's out in the sun drying. I only planted in AP due to my inherent laziness to walk to my soil garden, but being as you need to harvest all at around the same time might be just as well to plant in soil.

Things like garlic and onions, if they shoot to seed just bend the stalk over and tie it to itself and continue to grow it till the leaves start dying off and falling over. At that stage pull them out and dry them out till all the leaves and roots die right off. Then you can store them in a heshen bag.

Good tip thanks Charlie!

I put half a dozen seedlings in a few months ago, but pulled one as it got damaged in the strong wind recently- bent right over at the base and wouldn't stand up any more. The cloves are still on the small side, but fresh cloves tasted fine in a stir-fry I used some of it in the other night. It is a mild flavoured garlic, which suits me fine , but that may just be the variety rather than AP related

Awesome I've always wanted to try garlic!


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Garlic grows like weed in my system. I get better results from garlic than onions. I harvest them in 5 months. This is quicker than the typical 8 months in soil . You need to check them because the bulbs start to split early - you want to pull them out before this happens.

I've read that elephant garlic grows the best.

Haven't tried garlic but the Perennial leeks grow great also (they split down the bottom and grow more smaller leeks after you harvest the main one)

Haven't had much success with potato onions - also split into many.

I have never tried to grow garlic in AP. However, my grandparents and my parents and myself (3 years) too were garlic growers. So i assume it would grow as it would in soil. U need to either stop watering or pull them up early and let them dry about 1-2 weeks with leaves on. U can cur roots right off. In soil the time is about right when bottom leaves start to dry off. Garlic actually does not like wet conditions in the end - will rot easy.

Ofc if u snip the flower then it will grow bigger bulb. If u let it flower U will get about 20-40 seeds that need 2 year growing to become proper garlic bulbs. Do not plant too big peels - in soil with too wet conditions they tend to rot. Too small and they wont grow as big as u want.

If U grow indoors, then u can actually plant garlic all year round. Just before planting keep em in fridge for about a week, then it will start the process. Works like that with winter garlic. Same with tulips if u want to surprise someone who loves tulips off-season.

If i get my system running I will have a go with garlic too (always thought it will not grow well cos of too much water)

Thanks for the tips endo. One of the bulbs must have remained in the bed undetected because it is regrowing. I think maybe I will give it another try and pull them out as soon as I see those 1st leaves drying out.

I am trying to grow some garlic in my AP system but after a few weeks the leaves beggin to fall over and the bulb itself begins to get moldy and have redish streaks. I assume I am over watering it? What does this mean? I have had garlic shoot up 2 feet in a few weeks then randomly start to fall over and die!