Organic Morado Autumn Planting Garlic

• Spanish hardneck garlic which can have between ten and twelve cloves each
• Overwintering planting Garlic
• Excellent taste and stores well
• Morado means purple, referring to the purplish-brown colouring of the cloves
• Spanish garlic species with purple-red skin
• Contains high amounts of the substance allicin, the 'natural' penicillin
• Planting time: September to January
• Requires cold conditions to develop
• Highest yields will come from autumn plantings
• When the first six leaves have turned yellow, lift and dry in the sun or in an airy shed
• Harvesting June - August

Average number of bulbs

• 250g = 3-5 bulbs
• 1kg = 15-20 bulbs
• 10kg = 150-200 bulbs

(You will separate each bulb into several cloves which you plant individually. Approx. 8-12 cloves per bulb)

Hardneck varieties are more suited to cold climates, whereas softneck varieties tend to thrive in warmer environments. Ireland has a mostly temperate climate year round and with a bit of care, both soft or hardneck can be grown successfully in most places.

Reducing Disease in Garlic

Rust:

• Infection is worse on nitrogen-rich soils with low potassium, so take care with fertiliser applications.
• Do not crowd plants, as this raises humidity and increases the likelihood of infection.
• Keep well weeded.
• Dispose of all plant debris at the end of cropping.
• See Herfomyc - this is effective against any fungus on herbaceous plants. It also acts as a foliar feed so will strengthen the plant as well.

Disease Prevention (General):

• Watering: Don't water in the evening/night as this moisture will linger overnight and allow the perfect environment for fungus to creep in - water in the morning so the plants can dry out throughout the day
• Soil: If you have heavy clay soils, you can do things like add sand, compost, and plant your garlic in mounds.
• Tools: When dealing with any type of plant disease it's important to sterilise your tools/materials that came into contact with it.
• Crop Rotation: To prevent lots of different soil diseases, rotate your vegetable families each season.