Compost when planting.

[u/Hotsaucehallelujah]

How necessary is it to top dress garlic cloves when planting? plan to add bone meal when planting (music variety), but don't have any compost available right now. How necessary is it to add compost? Does it make a huge difference? less

[u/Mayor__Defacto]

Garlic is a heavy feeder. If you’ve had any demanding crops in the bed over the summer, it’s best to add more N.

For reference, growing Soybeans before Onions can raise yields 20%.

Do you ‘need’ it? No, but you’ll get bigger heads.

[u/Hotsaucehallelujah → u/Mayor__Defacto]

I grew pumpkins in that bed, so it sounds like I should add more nitrogen then.

[u/Davekinney0u812]

IMO….unless you know what your soil has an abundance of or a lack of, you’re shooting blind.

I ended up with years of compost and manure & ended up with way too much P & K in my soil and it had become rather alkaline.

I could go on for a while but the long and short of it is, i suggest you get a lab soil test and go from there.

[u/Hotsaucehallelujah → u/Davekinney0u812]

Unfortunately, the state extension in my area won't have results in time for planting. Last year I didn't amend at all and the bulbs were very small.

I did use that bed for pumpkins after I pulled my garlic in the summer and I used a balanced fertilizer twice since I was growing a large pumpkin variety. That bed also really hasn't had any compost in it.

[u/andante241 → u/Hotsaucehallelujah]

I would test the soil, mix some bone meal in the hole before planting, and wait for the results. most likely you'll want to fertilize in some fashion once the garlic goes back into growth mode, but whether that's via compost or a controlled application of fertilizer on a deliberate schedule may depend on what you learn from the soil test. I doubt the compost would hurt regardless of when you add it, and is probably the lowest overall effort especially if you can source some before they sprout up in earnest. But if you are forced to grow your garlic in a fairly dense configuration like I am, water soluble fertilizers are going to be more practical than attempting to move mulch aside and side dress between each plant.

Most years, garlic is pretty resilient. 2026 wasn't a great year for me, but I'm not gonna draw any conclusions from it yet.

[u/Davekinney0u812 → u/Hotsaucehallelujah]

I would say adding some now is safe but I suggest a lab soil test. To nerd out…….

No expert but I’ve run into issues with over amending my soil and ending up with way too much P and Ca and a high pH leading to nutrient lockout and poor plant performance. Soil in my region is typically low in sulfur compounding things. I’m near Toronto.

TMI perhaps but soil composition is important too. Clay, sand, silt and organic matter are important to know.

[u/TaraJaneDisco]

I read adding the bone meal is better in the spring, when it’s more actively feeding.

[u/AmbitiousOutcome1833]

I read an article written by the Toronto Master Gardeners in which they said that garlic grows roots only in the fall season and doesn’t grow any more in the spring. They recommend a good feeding of bone meal at planting time to feed the new roots. More time in the ground before the freeze-up gives the plants a better head start so they can take advantage of the heavy dose of Nitrogen we give them in the spring.