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when to mulch garlic
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Posted by mabeldingeldine z5 ME mid-coast (My Page) on Mon, Oct 12, 09 at 21:08
| I have read lots of conflicting advice on when to mulch garlic. I planted mine today in my raised beds, well amended with compost, gypsum and garden tone fertilizer (2" deep, pointy end up!). I plan on mulching with chopped leaves. When do you recommend mulching? Now, or after the ground freezes? I am in zone 5, and snow showers are predicted for tomorrow! If it matters, I have heavy clay soil with lots of organic matter.
Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: when to mulch garlic
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| I mulch mine as soon as planted, which for me is mid November. Be sure your leaf mulch is very well chopped - matted leaves will inhibit the emergence of top growth in the spring. Tom NJ |
RE: when to mulch garlic
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| Thanks, Tom. We mowed the leaves with the lawn mower and added 6 inches or so of mulch. No snow, but we had rain today. |
RE: when to mulch garlic
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| TomNJ gives great advice, I like using straw because of the matting issue, though it can still happen . If you can find some straw to lay down like 6" thick I feel that's better. |
RE: when to mulch garlic
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| i agree about straw but at $9 a bale i used shredded leaves since they are free. tomnj is correct about leaves matting down that's why you want to use well chopped or shredded leaves. i found my garlic under 6" of whole leaves growing to 8" long the 1st year! once freed they stood up ok. i wondered why only a few plants emerged and when i removed the leaves i found they were compacted in wet layers that formed a dense mat so the plants were growing under the leaves. tom |
RE: when to mulch garlic
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| I've had the same experience of garlic growing horizontally under matted leaves, even though the leaves were chopped with my mower. Like Tom found, when freed they recovered. I use spoiled hay at $4-5/bale here in central NJ. In the farm country of southern Virginia I saw some selling for $1-2/bale! Apparently the seeds are killed from the spoiling process (moisture, mold, heat) as I never get any sprouts from the hay, and I've been using it for over 25 years. You can also mix the hay with chopped leaves to reduce the possibility of matting. TomNJ |
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