Pepbob1

When you start to see active spring growth, you should fertilize lightly every two weeks with Fish Emulsion. Stop fertilizing one month before you plan on lifting the bulbs. You should be fine.

Can't use fish emulsion here - raccoons would dig everything up looking for the fish. I side-dress with 10-10-10 as soon as shoots start growing in spring and again around June 1st. have very light soil (close to gravel) so fertilizer leaches out fast.

Thanks for the propmpt responses, i wasnt too sure how active the list would be this time of year, at least in the North East. I have both types of fertilizer on hand so it wont be a problem, whichever one i decide on.

Horse manure quite a bit than 5-7in of soil than plant garlic

Thanks for the fertilizer tip, my neighbors have horses...!

My father is always fertilizing this way, he says garlic need quite a lot of horse manure, will talk to him on Saturday, will post more info Â.

"...he says garlic need quite a lot of horse manure...."

I'll see if I can get my boss to come over and talk to my garlic. ;-)

My Dad always had a 55 gallon barrel of "tea" along side of his garden and he would periodically side dress the plants in the garden woth it, it was cow manure and water, I think he filled the barrel to about a quarter to one third with cow manure, then would fill the rest with water, he would let it sit for a couple of weeks and then start to use it. Rain water would supplement the used water, and of course if needed he would refill the barrel with tap water..

Your Daddy had the right idea. I fill a nylon knee high stolen from my wife and fill it full of compost from my two piles, let it soak in a 5 gallon bucket of water overnight and then take the water and sprinkle it all over my garlic, onions and other veggies. You can almost hear them enjoying that compost tea. Give the tea a try. Might have to explain to your wife what you are doing with her knee highs before she calls you a pervert but it's worth it.

Thanks

Tom R/edgman

Thanks for the "compost tea" tip, ive used "Terrecycle" on other plants this spring and the plants seem to really like it, that compound is supposed to be a by product of worm castings, a type ot "tea" made from that process.