A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Garlic purchase

Hi all, I've decided to plant some garlic. We use tons and it's between .50-.75 a head here at the grocery store so I think I will get a good return on my initial investment. I am going to mail order some tomorrow and I'm hoping to get a good variety. I am being lazy and don't want to look up the details of each type that is available to see if certain types will grow/not grow here. I am in zone 9. It really doesn't freeze here. No snow at all. Anyone know or have a good guess as to whether it matters what varieties I grow. I've only ever had plain white garlic from the store. I realize as I'm writing this that I have no idea what kind of garlic I've been eating my whole life.

As always, any feedback is appreciated. By the way, I have been lurking and keeping up on most of your posts. I just haven't felt up to posting anything. Hope everyone is safe and happy and as healthy as you can be considering all the injuries and ailments you all have been enduring.

Blessings,
Beth :ding: :ding: :ding:

Basically the soft neck garlic types are best for warmer climates. You have probably had mostly silverskin varieties from your grocer.
Here is a link to more specific breakdowns of what grows here. This is a commercial link with good info. Like the different types of garlic available in general.
That being said, I have found garlic very cheap at different farmers markets and things at 10 cloves for a dollar or something. I have broken those down to individual cloves and planted them around an area that I did not want critters to invade. It has helped to keep gophers and rabbits away from a place I did not want them. I have also gotten some good basic garlic from that growing. And just went out and pulled some as needed and left the rest to guard the garden. This is really the only way I have grown garlic.
The plants are not ugly themselves, just not incredibly showy either.

Thanks for the garlic info. Our computer crashed right after I sent that post and I wasn't able to order anything. Just got it back up tonight. Hopefully I can still get some. It's been just beautiful here.

Tina, I love garlic but have never grown it. I've never thought of it as a "garden defender" of sorts. That's useful information; thanks for sharing!

It is not fool proof as a deterrent but it helps. And I feel every little bit of help is progress in the war on critters.