Getting better every year

The first year we tried to grow garlic...it didn't even germinate.

The second year we tried to grow garlic...we harvested about 10 very small bulbs.

The third year we tried to grow garlic (this year)...we harvested 26 large bulbs of garlic (the same size range as the bulbs you buy at the supermarket).

Now this isn't a totally random result, there are factors that we have control over that we have changed/adjusted each year.

The first year we used garlic bought at the supermarket as our seed garlic - this shouldn't have made a difference as we bought NZ grown garlic which doesn't get treated with the same chemicals as the imported stuff (the imported stuff is sprayed with a chemical to specifically not let in germinate), but the general advice is to buy 'seed garlic' from the garden shop.

So the second year I used garlic I'd bought at the farmer's market (so I was able to check directly with the grower that it hadn't been sprayed). But after we planted them, we didn't pay much attention to them, so they didn't get watered much and I don't think I fertilised them at all. I also realised that I didn't plant it in the best location - it was a bit shady and got almost smothered by the potato plants.

So this year, our third year, I planted them in a nice sunny location, made sure that I watered them regularly and also fertilised regularly. I also had planted a greater number of seed garlic (as each clove of seed garlic produces 1 new whole bulb).

So maybe I'll get to have my whole roasted bulb of garlic this year!