Hi, my garlic bulb/cloves keep uncovering themselves? They get replanted almost everyday and they have lovely roots but I would like them to stay under the soil as they will eventually be frosted.

Hi Jude,

Do you mean that the garlic shoots are growing? Or is the actual bulb lifting out of the soil?

A rule of thumb when planting is to plant the bulb to a depth twice the diameter of the bulb. Make sure they are planted in a free draining soil, with plenty of organic matter dug in to the soil. If the garlic starts to shoot, the shoots don’t need to be covered as garlic can withstand frost. If you are concerned, apply a layer of mulch such as pea straw around the bulbs, but don’t apply mulch if the ground is frozen as the mulch will insulate the frost. The garlic growth will slow down as temperatures drop. 

Alternatively, if they are coming up roots and all, birds may have been pulling the garlic out of the ground. If so, put up bird scarer, humming tape or something shiny to deter them. Cats can also help deter birds. 

Thanks, Tui Team.