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Posted By: Marina Garlic.... How to? - October 23rd, 2006 at 11:36 PM
Hey all smile

I was wondering about planting some garlic. I remmeber reading to plant in the fall and it would come up in the winter. My problem is I cannot find a source for garlic seed/bulb etc. So instead I just bought a ton of organic (and hopefully unsprayed) garlic).

To plant it do I just stick the whole bubl into the ground? Break the bulb into pieces and place them tip side up in the ground? Do I remove the crinkly skin? Do I leave it all on?

smile Any insight will help. I am also wondering how much garlic will produce? Say I have a bulb with 10 little pieces will they each make a bulb (giving me 10 bulbs)?
Posted By: ladystressout Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 12:01 AM
I grew garlic for the first time last year and they did real good I just planted bulb tip up planted it about two inches deep and 2 to 4 inches apart I mulch with some straw and O! planted them in the fall a few weeks ago and they should come up in the spring? I only planted one row and got two medium size containers and save the biggest bulbs and use them to plant this year hope that helps you out?
Posted By: johnCT Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 12:45 AM
Like you said, break the bulb into cloves and plant each clove 2 inches below the soil surface with the pointy side up. Each clove will produce an entire bulb next summer. They prefer rich soil to make large bulbs and make sure you mulch them well. Not really suprised you can't find any this late, but Filaree Farms and Johnny's are good garlic sources. I planted mine this past weekend from bulbs I saved from my harvest. A variety called Music.
Posted By: tkhooper Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 02:10 AM
Yep you'll get 10 bulbs for your 10 cloves of garlic. Mine are starting on their second year but that's because I am growing mine from seed. Sometimes I just love being difficult. Don't have any idea why lol.
Posted By: Deborah L. Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 02:19 AM
John, what will I get if I plant a shallot?
I have planted two of them in the past and they didn't do anything but get mushy.
I planted the whole bulb, should I have planted only the cloves?
They were from the grocery store produce department, maybe they were treated with something so they wouldn't grow?
I wanted to grow them for the good green tops, like scallions and chives.
Posted By: johnCT Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 02:50 AM
Deb, I've not tried growing shallots yet, but my understanding is they are grown in much the same way as garlic...i.e. planted in fall and harvested the following summer. Don't know why your's performed badly, but maybe it was the quality of shallot you planted. If you're just looking to use the foliage, try sowing green onions from seed in the spring.
Posted By: kennyso Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 24th, 2006 at 04:14 AM
I just use the regular garlic cloves that I buy at the supermarket, you can save a few cloves while you're preparing dinner!
Posted By: MrClint Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 30th, 2006 at 09:55 AM
Yes, you can plant regular supermarket garlic. The big cloves produce the bigger bulbs. Oh, and don't forget baby green garlic! Since the little cloves of garlic aren't that easy to use for cooking, and they don't really make for good sized garlic bulbs -- simply plant and use them like you would green onions.

Here's a good link for garlic growers:
http://thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/howto.html
Posted By: obywan59 Re: Garlic.... How to? - October 30th, 2006 at 03:57 PM
I planted my garlic last week. I have Inchelium Red, Lorz Italian, and Spanish Roja as well as Elephant Garlic. I plant the small garlics 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart and the elephant 4 inches deep and 1 foot apart. I plant shallots also, but I wait till November to plant them and my potato onions. I got my garlics and shallots (Jumbo French) from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
Posted By: cookinmom Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 15th, 2006 at 01:20 AM
Hey! I always heard the grocery store garlic wouldn't grow! I'm gonna plant some!
Thanks!
Posted By: chenno Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 15th, 2006 at 01:51 AM
I always used garlic from the store to plant, same as potatoes...many people go buy them at the farmers market, but why? Love garlic, even more so when it is from my garden:-)
Everything tastes better when you grow it..
Posted By: Tonya Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 16th, 2006 at 12:50 AM
I was just aking Doug last night if he thought garlic from the store would grow or if I needed seed...I just love this place!!

If you are planting in pots is it the same basic principle??
Posted By: Triss Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 16th, 2006 at 02:23 AM
And another question. Do they like full sun or will they tolerate shade???
Posted By: PAR_Gardener Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 16th, 2006 at 02:41 AM
You can definitely use the garlic you buy in the store. Most grocery stores sell silverskin varieties. Silverskins are softneck garlics. (Softneck garlic is used for garlic braids.) You can tell they are silverskin because they store for a long time, and they are difficult to peel. They are not the most flavorful garlic grown, but probably the most readily available.

Chenno asked why use garlic from a farmer's market or catalog... Well the answer is "Why grow the same varieties that you can get at the supermarket especially when you can get superior qualities? Grocery store produce varieties are often chosen because they ship well and/or store for a long time. Rarely are they chosen for flavor."

Hardneck garlics are more flavorful, easier to peel, but it doesn't store as long. So supermarkets rarely sell them.
Posted By: johnCT Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 16th, 2006 at 09:27 PM
PAR is absolutely right. Supermarket garlic is just like any other produce you buy there. Taste is the absolute LAST attribute that the variety is bred for. They are all hybrids or cultivars that are bred for their ability to ship and store. Period.
Posted By: chenno Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 16th, 2006 at 10:18 PM
Par, very good point:-) We also have an open market store here with wide selections,yet just the plain grocery may not have that.
Good point indeed thumbup
Posted By: MrClint Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 17th, 2006 at 02:41 PM
Some varieties will fail if the weather is too hot or too cold. It pays to know what will do well in your area if you are shelling out cash. Nothing much is lost by sticking a few left over store bought garlic cloves in the ground. If they do well, they will certainly be a nice reward and you'll gain some confidence.

Many hybrids are developed so that we can grow apples, peaches and other cold loving crops in low chill areas. Because of these efforts, southern gardeners can enjoy crops that were not available to them in the past. Rootstocks have been developed with nematode resistance, etc.

Much of the problem with store bought produce is that the fruit is picked well before ripeness and then ripened with ethylene gas. The varieties are not automatically inferior. In fact, a vendor can cash in by selling specific varieties (vidalia or maui onions, charentais melons, etc)
Posted By: cookinmom Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 18th, 2006 at 02:11 AM
Well, I put the grocery store garlic in the ground yesterday and we'll see how it does.

Now that I've seen the last two posts though I kind of wish I had waited. I tried some mailorder garlic once, but I didn't know it was a fall thing, and I planted it in the spring. It got foliage, but never did get bulbs.

I think I'll see what my store garlic does, and order some too!

Can't get too much garlic!!!
Posted By: MrClint Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 18th, 2006 at 03:02 AM
Garlic shoots that don't bulb up can be used just like scallions. It's all good. smile
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 18th, 2006 at 05:57 AM
After reading this thread, I decided to try planting some store-bought garlic, too. I had 3 measly little cloves left from spaghetti last night and I went and planted them out there. I am kinda excited to see what I get next summer. In my house, we use lots of garlic!
Posted By: cookinmom Re: Garlic.... How to? - November 21st, 2006 at 03:19 AM
Ha ha! It's a garlic revolution!
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