Has anyone ever planted garlic? Advice? Experiences? Tips?

[HamdenRice]

Apparently the time to plant garlic is now. I'm interested in experimenting with it for the first time.

As I understand it, the time to plant is around the first frost. Some say you can just plant store bought garlic; others say not to because it has anti-sprouting hormones (which aren't working because mine are sprouting in the veggie drawer right now!)

Also heard that it's difficult to keep them from turning into mush.

Any advice, tips, experiences?

Thanks in advance!

[hippywife]

1. We just break the bulbs into

individual cloves and bury them 1-2 inches root end down. That's it. It's pretty effortless. We got ours last year from friends who grow quite a bit of it and this year we are planting our own.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

2. We just planted two rows

Really loosened the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches- mixed in year old fresh compost,
placed them point up at a depth of 3-4 inches. Because we live on Cape Cod with moderate
temps averaging 40 F. We then covered each row with 5 inches of eel grass seaweed.
This year we bought organic Russian Reds. Last year we didn't cultivate the soil very deep at all-
Our cloves we not very large. But better than the year before which were supermarket bought organic
cloves. This year we bought the large beautiful Russian Reds at the Common Ground Fair in Maine-
and are following the sellers instructions. ( He used hay for mulch- we are using the seaweed)

[troubleinwinter]

3. I had a friend that grew the most INTENSE tasting, wonderful garlic.

I asked him what his secret was. He said, "I speak harshly to it."

[bvar22]

4. Plant it in the late Fall and forget it.

Harvest in early Summer.
It is that easy.
No pests.
No diseases.

There is always space for it in the Winter, though some planning is necessary so that it doesn't interfere with early Spring plantings of other crops.

It is easy to dry and keeps for a long time just hanging in the kitchen.


We always plant way more than we can ever use because it makes a good gift.
We include a small braid of of our garlic in Christmas Packages mailed out to distant family.


Mother Earth News had a good article on Garlic in the August Issue:


http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Growing-Garlic.aspx

[Agony]

5. What latitude do you live at? There are some differences for northern vs southern garlic culture.

Roughly there are two types of garlic, hardneck and softneck and hundreds of varieties all of the species Allium sativum. Elephant garlic is a different species A. ampeloprasum more closely related to leeks. The "typical" grocery store garlic is a softneck often California early or California late. Hardnecks have to have their scapes removed and are not ideal for large growers because of this addition labor. You may have hardneck varieties available if you have a local grower. Any idea what variety of garlic you have access to? Besides the grocery store you can of course buy garlic from a seed store or catalog. If you are in the north you are running out of time to plant garlic although a January thaw can present an opening. Want to know more?

[morningglory]

6. We are in N Florida panhandle. Our "soil" is sandy, acidic, and dry.

I have tried to grow garlic here, there and everywhere on our property with no success. Outside our back door, which faces north, there is pretty deep leaf litter, which stays damp and dark. We also have chickens whose poops enrich the soil, and they tend to hang around the back door looking for treats. We throw some kitchen waste out the back door for them,the squirrels and birds. We had a big bulb of garlic that started to sprout and not be tasty. We threw it out the back. The chickens did not like the garlic at all. Then I noticed it sprouting and doing very nicely back there. We are under heavy oak tree shade. So I planted them under a chicken-wire frame and bought some at the feed/seed store to add to the little plot. Under the frame so the chickens couldn't scratch them up. They can dig up a tree that has just been planted. It is doing beautifully out there. I am most happy with it. So I got on the GardenWeb site to see what hints they would have about garlic. They say to plant in the garden with lots of sun. Mine may fail, but I have never had this much success, with green leaves and healthy looking plants.

[WolverineDG]

7. Followed the advice in this thread

with 2 cloves that had sprouted in my fridge. Planted them last week before I left for the holidays. They're growing. :)

dg

[hippywife]

8. Garlic really is about

the easiest and least fussy thing to grow. You almost can't fail. :)

[Paper Roses]

9. Think that would work in a pot with potting soil?

I don't use much and it would be fun to grow it as an experiment. Most of what I buy ends up being dry or sprouting so I have to throw it out. I cook for just myself.

[WolverineDG]

10. it's worth a shot nt

[Atticus]

11. Actually, September is when we plant garlic in the midwest. It sprouts and gets maybe

4 or 5 inches tall before "real winter" sets in and withers it. First thing in the spring, it rejuvenates and takes off.

I pull off the central stalk and curled "bloom" that appears in mid-season as this robs nutrients from the bulb. It will start to brown in mid-August. When almost totally brown, I sometimes bend it over at the ground just by stepping on it to accelerate the drying of the stalk.

Dig, separate and air-dry for a day or two. Select the biggest and best to replant in late September and store or process the rest.

Good luck.