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charlieboring

Planting Time for Garlic

Charlie
9 years ago

Friday, 10/17/2014, I prepared a new area and expanded my garden adding 20 square feet of garden space that was one native grass. I turned some of the grass under and picked some of it out. Saturday, 10/18/2014, I made 4 rows and planted the garlic cloves from 4 garlic heads that I bought at the supermarket. I tried to find someone to trade for garlic bulbs, but had no success. I am told that if you plant the garlic cloves about 2 inches deep, they will begin to develop roots in the fall and break the soil in the very early spring. Harvest is predicted in August. Has anyone tried this?

Comments (13)

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you are asking, tried planting garlic in the fall or tried planting garlic from the supermarket? I plant garlic every year, and I actually wait a bit later than most to do it. I have problems with onion maggots here, and that helps me avoid having them infested going into the winter. I have never tried planting supermarket garlic, but I suppose that as long as it seems fresh enough to eat it will probably perform ok.

  • Charlie
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    My question realy concerns softneck garlic. It is my understanding that the supermarket varieties are normally softneck; so I am asking if I need to take protective actions in Northern VA where it often gets as cold as 0 degrees. If the garlic needs additional winter protection, I am going to cover the bed with leaf mulch about 2 inches thick.

  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    9 years ago

    Your softnecks will be fine. I grow a couple softneck varieties and except for this year they have always done well for me. Not sure if it was the extreme cold last winter or what but they were a lot smaller than they should have been.

    All garlic could use a mulch. And yours will almost certainly be ready for harvest before August (mine is usually ready in mid-July).

    Rodney

    This post was edited by theforgottenone1013 on Mon, Oct 20, 14 at 11:13

  • Peter1142
    9 years ago

    I put mulch over my hardnecks and am excited to have the garlic sprout up in the spring and not the weeds :)

  • bev1635
    9 years ago

    I have been told not to use supermarket garlic but rather something grown locally so it is suited to my zone 5 climate. Last year, the cloves I planted all rewarded me with partially formed bulbs--2 cloves apiece, but they were plump and verry tasty! Hoping for better this year. I've added mushroom compost to the entire garden recently.

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    I grow both hard and soft necks, so it should probably be ok. I mulch the garden but nothing too extreme, just an inch or so of straw. This all serves to remind me to bring in the last of the garlic from the barn so I can get a final weight and then choose pieces to plant for next year. Cheers!

  • Charlie
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    How do you choose the bulbs to save for next year's crop?

  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    9 years ago

    Large cloves are what you replant because they grow large bulbs. There is an interesting discussion on the Allium Forum about what size clove to plant (linked below) and a point was brought up that I've never thought about. Point being that planting huge (or larger than average) cloves isn't the best to do since bulb size will eventually max out.

    Rodney

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wisdom of Planting Large Garlic Cloves

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    I choose based on size of the head, size of the cloves in the head, tightness and cleanliness of the wrapper mostly. Medium to big cloves, often from big heads, but some from smaller heads, and nice clean, tight wrappers. By clean I mean no brown stains or little holes, those indicate potential problems. If the wrapper isn't tight, the bulb inside is drying out too much for some reason. Some big heads, especially of softnecks can have lots of smaller cloves, and then I would preferentially plant from smaller heads with big cloves. It means I eat the less desirable ones each year and plant the best. Growing garlic is definitely fun and rewarding. And homemade garlic powder is really wonderful.

  • Mark
    9 years ago

    To the OP, Charlie,
    I'd get on the mulch really quick and lay it on thick. If you just tilled under grass and only picked some if it out, you just may have a very weedy mess to contend with amongst your garlic patch.
    Good luck.

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    9 years ago

    It depends on where you purchased your store bought garlic. It it's from Giant its probably been treated with a hormone to retard growth. I did that two years in a row and ended up with tiny sprouts and no garlic heads.

    Then I picked some up at Whole Foods and Costco. Farm markets would be another good bet. Both grew and did quite well forming large heads. I've since switched to hardneck varieties for the majority of my garlic.

    You need organically grown and processed garlic.

    Cindy

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I am not going to do garlic this year but have done it in the past.
    I never ordered seed cloves. Just used store bought and did fine.

    About planting time: Anytime from now before the ground freezes is fine. But I plant a bit early so the seeds develop root system and possibly some green top before frost. This way they'll be ready to take off in the spring.

    seysonn

  • naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
    9 years ago

    The first year I grew garlic I picked up a multi-pack in a mesh tube at Aldi's (a discount grocery store) and planted those....lots of cloves for very little money and available when I made a spur of the moment decision to include garlic in the garden. It was planted in October and grew fine and produced good sized bulbs the following July. Several inches of mixed grass and leaf mulch was put on soon after planting. The garlic sent up scapes which surprised me since I thought most grocery store garlic, and especially cheap multi-pack kinds were softneck varieities. If yours scapes, cut them when they are soft and tender. It will help with producing larger bulbs.
    I've selected the larger cloves from the larger bulbs to plant each year and get great bulbs every year. I've also added some named varieties from other sources with varied flavors and looks. But none of them grow any better than my original.
    I know others report poor growth from grocery store garlic, but that has not been my experience.
    Good luck with yours. Garlic is fun to grow!

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