Question
I live in the Pacific Northwest, 5 miles inland from the southern Oregon coast.
GARLIC: My garlic forms zero cloves. From cloves planted in the fall, I get a non-segmented, onion-like ball. I live in a valley within a valley which gets very little light. The garlic has been planted in my sunniest spots, but between October and April the plats are in complete shade from the southern slope and tree line. Is the lack of sun during these months the reason why my heads do not divide into cloves?
CARROTS: Why do carrots develop J-shaped roots? Research on-line identifies problem with misshapen roots that divide (like a jester's hat), but not a reason for the bending. The theory of a fellow local gardener is that if the feeder roots come in contact with an impenetrable surface, they send a message to the plant to begin growing sideways because deeper growth would be impeded by this obstacle. Or, is it the same reasons the root splits into two - obstacle in soil, soil too dense or compact, too much nitrogen, damage to the root tip, manure is too fresh, planted too closely together?
Thank you in advance for your expertise.
DAWN

Answer
Dawn, you are correct on both accounts. Garlic needs 8-10 hours of sun to form cloved bulbs. They also need soil rich in potassium. The same is true for carrots and other root vegetables.

In regard to carrots, even the slightest impediment will cause the root to misshapen. Carrots need a very loose soil with no clay. That is why they grow best in raised beds filled with organic matter such as compost, aged manure, and peat.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike