Community gardeners are being advised to plant garlic and onions at the edges of their plots to protect them from automatic watering systems, which can cause fungal diseases such as mildew. The tip comes from gardening columnist Helen Chesnut in response to a reader whose small garlic patch struggled and whose bulb onions developed mould in a community garden with nightly automatic watering.
Why Overhead Watering Harms Onions and Garlic
Onions are prone to fungal diseases, including mildew, if overwatered. Overhead watering especially can be a problem, according to Chesnut. Garlic is usually ready to dig and cure during the second half of July, when roughly half of the top growth has turned brown. To allow the bulbs to properly complete the pre-curing process, watering should stop in late June. When bulb onions begin to die back later in the summer, watering should stop to allow the bulbs to complete the maturing process.
Strategic Placement in Community Plots
Locating garlic and onions at plot edges makes it easier to protect them from automatic watering during the plants’ drying-down period. This simple adjustment can prevent moisture-related issues and improve crop health.
Distinguishing Male and Female Kiwi Flowers
In a separate query, a reader asked about male and female kiwi vines (the fuzzy fruit kind) that flowered for the first time, with vines intermingling. Chesnut explained that female flowers have a small swelling (the ovary) at their base, which develops into a fruit if fertilized by pollen from a male flower. Male flowers have tufts of pollen-bearing stamens at their centres. It is normal for kiwi vines to bloom late, in June.
Comparison with Zucchini and Botanical Terms
Chesnut compared kiwi to zucchini, where female flowers also have a small swelling at the base, and male flowers have longer stems and no swelling. Zucchini bear both male and female flowers on the same plant, termed “monoecious” (one house). Kiwis bear male and female flowers on separate plants, termed “dioecious” (two households).
