I'm planning to plant garlic in my raised bed, but my HOA informed me that due to upcoming construction, I will need to temporarily relocate it. They're not sure exactly when this will happen, just that it will be before April and last about two weeks. I was considering scooping out the soil and using grow bags, placing them on tarps for easy moving. Do you think this is a good approach for garlic? If so, what size should I aim for in the bags?
7 Answers
Definitely go with nursery pots! I believe grow bags might shift the roots too much during the move. Plus, check your climate; if you're in a warmer zone than 6, you could just keep the garlic in pots away from the raised beds throughout the winter.
Using pots could actually be a safer option than grow bags. The soil in grow bags might shift around and disturb the roots while moving them. Instead, think about digging out your good soil and placing it on tarps. This way, once construction is done, you can go back to using your original soil without starting over with possibly poor quality soil.
I usually plant some of my garlic in larger planters and it works out fine. Just keep in mind that transplanting might stress them a little, but garlic is pretty tough overall and should be fine.
I've had to move my garlic before, and it turned out fine. I dug it up bare root and replanted it the next day. So if you dig them up and leave them out for about two weeks, I think they could still do well.
I think grow bags can definitely work well. I use cloth 5-gallon bags for mine without issues. The number of cloves per bag will vary depending on the type and size of the bulbs you're expecting, but I usually go with 4-5 cloves per bag. If you're using something large like elephant garlic, just 1-2 would suffice.
I suggest getting some big nursery pots and planting the garlic directly in those. When it's time to move them, just pull up the pots and place them somewhere sheltered, covering them with leaves or whatever you have. You can plant as usual, so it should work out well after the construction.
I'm sure they will be just fine! Garlic is a resilient plant, so as long as you handle them carefully, they should bounce back after being moved around.