Garlic!!??

[justusnak]

I have a question. Last fall, I bought some garlic at our local farmers market. I have not used it all...and noticed today, a few of the garlic heads have sprouted! Can I safely break these apart, and grow them this spring?

 

[me&thegals]

When I once planted spring garlic, it grew into a clump of garlic greens with small bulbs at the base. I actually love the stuff and use it chopped raw in salads or stir-fried with asparagus. But, I don't think it will form your typical bulb garlic when planted in spring. Garlic is a fall-planted crop...

 

[aee96]

I just planted a batch of garlic a few days ago. It probably depends mostly on where you live. I live in zone 8b - and the time to plant it is now.

I say try it if you have the space.

aee96

 

[Arklady]

One of the things I want to plant is have a garlic bed. I believe you plant several and they can be reseeded if you have the right ones. But finding the right ones is tough. Any ideas? I am hoping to keep propagating them so I don't have to keep buying.

Arklady

 

[patandchickens]

If they're sprouting now, I'd suggest potting them up and growing them on indoors, preferably a sunny windowsill as cool as is available. You can snip bits of greens from them after a while, and then if you want to plant them in the garden this spring you can (you may not get a good enough head for eating, but you can still replant whatever little cloves there are to grow on proper garlic for the following year!)

I wouldn't wait til spring to plant them, if you can avoid it, as they're going to be awfully tired and out of reserves by then, and not grow very well nor produce much at *all* in the way of new cloves.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[me&thegals]

One of the things I want to plant is have a garlic bed. I believe you plant several and they can be reseeded if you have the right ones. But finding the right ones is tough. Any ideas? I am hoping to keep propagating them so I don't have to keep buying.

Arklady

You can regrow from the seeds (tiny bulbs) that come from the scapes (garlic flower), but it's an awfully slow way to get decent-sized garlic. Save your garlic, replant the largest cloves from each bulb, and do that year after year to get good garlic.

 

[Arklady]

I had thought of that also. Now to find the kind that will give me the desired cooking results. I want a garlic that is going to produce medium size and flavor... Any ideas?

Arklady

 

[me&thegals]

Last year I grew Chesnok Red, Music and Georgia Crystal. I love all 3. They are all hardnecks. I hate sounding like a broken record, but I'm really all for finding a local grower. First of all, they sell much more cheaply than from a catalog. Plus, they've already found/developed a strain that does well in your area. I'm guessing by your screen name that you're in Arkansas? If so, I just don't know what would do well there. But, there is some kind of garlic that will do well there

ETA: One more idea--can you Google local garlic growers? In my area, one of the growers has an extensive list of the garlics they sell, their storage ability, hotness or mildness, number and size of cloves/bulbs. VERY informative, even if you decide to purchase garlic elsewhere.

 

[Arklady]

My name does sound like I am from Arkansas and indeed I do live here but this garden I am planning is for a place I am moving to this spring... If I can get the deed and start advertising. Fortunately here land is still selling for good prices.

The land in question will be in southeast Kansas (zone 6) which is my home state. I am looking for products for that area and I plan on having a green house built as well, to help aid me in planting earlier than I normally would be able to when considering the windy Kansas climate.

I am not familiar with the names you mention but I will study up on them and see which one best fits me for my uses.

Arklady

 

[lnm03]

If I am in zone 5b when should I plant garlic?