Growing garlic

[lbaker]

Yes, I separated the bulbs, just planted cloves. Terry, ground freezing?? Man I hope it don't get that cold down here!!! They might all rot but like I said, trying it out. Still have plenty of space and bulbs to plant later. Actually we don't use a lot of it. Friends and neighbors love it!!

 

[lbaker]

The garlic I planted in August is up to about 4-5 inches. I only planted about 40-45 bulbs and all but 5-6 are up. Odd what a little rain will do!! Getting another place ready for Nov planting.

 

[blanasa]

Has anyone ever grown the 'elephant' garlic. I know that it is more or less a novelty but will it grow the same as regular garlic?

 

[stritle]

Do you all order your garlic from a catalog? I can only find it in the spring out here.

 

[blanasa]

I order some from catalogue
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=garlic&item=376
I also buy from the grocry store. I try to get American garlic. But I think that I grew some Chinese stuff last year.

 

[stritle]

OOOH. Chinese garlic is killing garlic production and packing in CA. I'll ptetend you didn't say that.

All the book say don't buy it form the store because they treat it wit anti sprouting chemicals. Guess it isn't true.

 

[blanasa]

I try not to buy Chinese but since it was bulk and not labeled USA, I figured that it was Chinese. It was all that I could find at the time.

 

[kmcconaughey]

I bought garlic once from Johnny's many years ago, I think it was back in 1994 or 1995. I bought the same German extra hardy that Brian linked to. I've saved the biggest and best bulbs for replanting ever since. I've always had good results.

I believe that Elephant garlic is not very hardy so if you live in a really cold climate it might not survive the winter. I usually get at least one night that gets to -30°F and several that get to -20°F so I've never tried growing it. I stick with my tried and true German extra hardy.

It's getting close to planting time for me.

 

[blanasa]

Whew! 30 below!

We get below 10<font size="-2">(not 10 below)</font> maybe twice a year if at all in the Baltimore area. I might try a couple of cloves (of elephant) just for the heck of it. Won't cost much to try. The ones that I saw in Safeway were from Gilroy.
I've never heard about the anti-sprouting chemicals but it makes sense. I have grown grocery store stock before though. I liked the cloves from Johnny's Seeds but at about $4 apiece, it's a little pricey when you can get it from the grocery for about 40 cents apiece.
I saved all of my largest heads from last summers harvest for planting.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Brian, well I may have exaggerated a bit there. I have seen it get into the -30 range many times over the years, but I shouldn't have stated that it gets that cold EVERY winter. It does get into the -20 range every winter though. Here's a picture I took on February 5th 2007.

 

[blanasa]

Don't doubt you for a minute Kraig. Can't imagine sitting in a tree with a gun in that kind of cold.

 

[kmcconaughey]

My daughter and I just did our garlic planting for this year, 416 cloves in the ground. Three planting beds for a total of 52 rows, 8 cloves in a row.

<font color="ffffff">.................</font>

 

[tcbusch]

Kraig,
I was going to wait till this weekend. Maybe next week even, its still a bit warm here. 416 cloves? Someones breath is going to stink next year.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Terry, I don't keep all that garlic for myself, I like to have plenty to gift to my friends.

 

[blanasa]

Crop is already up!

Bed 3 is from the crop that I grew last year (German Extra Hardy from Johnny's Selected)
Beds 1&2 are from grocery store purchaces

Bed 1 was USA origin and bed 2 was Gilroy ,Ca. origin. Not sure which types they are.

I didn't have any problem with anti-sprouting chemicals if they were sprayed.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Brian, looking good!

My garlic is at least a month or more likely two months away from that stage. The beds still have snow on them and the weather guessers are saying 4-7" of more snow today!

 

[blanasa]

We're supposed to get 60 degrees and rain tommorrow. We didn't get much snow again this year which sucks because

}<font size="+2">SNOW = CUB TIME

</font><font size="-2">(ALSO SNOW = OVERTIME = $$$$)</font>

 

[rpalmer]

If your garlic is not the size you'd hoped for, as for several years was my case, water it! I gave up several years ago on babysitting my garden. If it didn't rain they didn't get water. That was my mistake and now it won't be yours.

 

[lbaker]

Correct on the water Richard!! Will be digging mine that was planted in Nov. Don't know what to expect! Need to get area ready for spring planting.

 

[lbaker]

Planted in Nov. Plan on digging next few days.