I planted my onion and garlic a month ago. Our days are mild with 30's for nights. We have a a couple decent shours during this past month as well. I see tops to some of the garlic and onion coming up. I was instructed by the nursery to plant in October, and through numerous forum conversations, see that I was rigth to do so. My question is, will the garlic and onion hybernate as we switch to winter, and again explode with growth come spring? Acoma.
The garlic is very similar to say, daffodils, which we also plant in the fall, expecting them to rise up beautifully in spring. The green bits poking up now are common, and not a problem in my experience. I have covered my garlic bed with several inches of mulch, thru which the garlic will poke when it's ready in spring. I feel it is better for the plants to be in a more stable temperature pattern under the mulch, we get so many light frosts here that tend to heave things around in the upper soil layers otherwise.
Good to know, I have layered the ground with mulch as well for that no so shocking variances of day/ night temps. I also just bought some brocoli, two 6-packs. I will plant those at a sunny, low wind location to see what they do. Lettace is going nuts, as are the snap peas still.
Will garlic and onions survive where it gets really cold. The temperatures go down to -30 C to -40 C. here in Manitoba. Can I plant them in the fall here?
Jan, from what I have read and understand is that you treat them like bulbs, and plant a couple weeks before the ground freezes. Then you mulch and water lightly, allowing the soil to moisten the bulbs and to compact the soil somewhat. Go 4-6 inches of mulch over the bulbs, then you should be ok. It is a buffer for temp variances. -Acoma
Thanks Acoma. I think I will try and grow some garlic and onions next fall and see how they do. I imagine I will have to order them online as I haven't seen any onion sets in the stores around here. The garden centres in Winnipeg might have them, but it is a couple of hours away and I don't get there very often.
Jan, I did confirm the information I spoke of earlier. Some of my bulbs are poking their tops out through the mulch, which is not a big deal if you think about bulbs. Go to a nursery and you can hold a bulb aready shooting its head out. They maintain their size for the winter and explode come spring. Nice idea to start in fall befor the hard earth.
