What garlic to buy

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Jd1980

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What garlic to buy
« on: October 05, 2020, 06:58 »
Hi

I would like to grow some garlic

Can I buy organic garlic from the supermarket and grow from that? Or should I buy from a seed supplier?

If I buy from a supplier when do I plant it ?

Once you've bought from a supplier can you save cloves from next year's growth to sow for the following year ?

Thanks from a garlic newbie !

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mumofstig

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2020, 08:49 »
Hi

I would like to grow some garlic

Can I buy organic garlic from the supermarket and grow from that? Or should I buy from a seed supplier? Not a good idea as you can import disease to your plot

If I buy from a supplier when do I plant it ? There are many kinds some you plant in the Autumn, some are for spring planting the packet details will tell you when to plant.

Once you've bought from a supplier can you save cloves from next year's growth to sow for the following year ? Yes as long as they look healthy - obviously you shouldn't replant cloves that have ay kind of rot/disease.

Thanks from a garlic newbie !

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CHRISDONOHUE

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2020, 23:20 »
Alys Fowler buys garlic from the supermarket.   Split it into cloves, then plant each clove 15cm (6") apart with rows 30cm (12") apart with the top 2.5cm (1") below the soil this month or next.   The bulbs need a period of cold to bulk up.    Harvest around July-August next year.   The bulbs can then be used to replant in the same year.    They store very well if dried but do eventually dry up, so do not leave them too long before using them.

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mumofstig

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2020, 08:51 »
Alys Fowler buys garlic from the supermarket.
Good luck to her, if she's prepared to take the risk of planting supermarket ones. The RHS advise against it, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/garlic

Having had onion white rot on 2 previous plots, I prefer to minimise the chance of introducing it to this one...

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Ema

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2020, 09:29 »
A lot of the garlic in the supermarkets is from China and occasionally Spain or France, they don’t grow well in our climate.

I have grown garlic from a local charity produce stall, it was a good variety for my climate.

This year I wanted to try several varieties and split them with my sister so we ordered from Quickcrop. It was the first time ordering from them and it took a while probably because the garlic wasn’t ready. They are good size bulbs, the odd bit of damage or rot but not enough to worry about.

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Steveharford

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2020, 20:46 »
I’m an avid garlic grower. I wouldn’t normally buy from a supermarket stock for planting but I did plant some Rose de Lautrec I bought from Booths in Windermere, a couple of years ago. Most of my stock (300 bulbs), are from Early Purple Wight which I bought from the Garlic Farm about 10 years ago. I have, however, developed some nice stuff which has been brought back from French markets.
Some friends brought me some new ones to try this year so I’m excited to be planting those this weekend
DCC36CF4-5B4D-4873-B2AF-14C3D6B8E80C.jpeg

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Pimento

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2020, 18:28 »
I’ve always been advised not to plant supermarket garlic. However that’s all the guy on the plot next to me plants, and he always has a better garlic crop than any I’ve ever seen. He grows vast amounts, some of it just for the leaves. I’ve yet to find a garlic variety that grows well for me here in the north - I’m veering more now towards elephant garlic which is expensive but seems to do so much better. Our allotments are riddled with white rot anyway, so I’m tempted just to bung some supermarket stuff in in the next couple of weeks and see what happens.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2020, 18:30 by Pimento »
I don't really look like my avatar.

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Steveharford

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2020, 18:57 »
Pimento. I know a lot of growers oop north grow the variety called Music so it might be worth tracking some down. I’ve not done so well with it further south unfortunately.

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Pimento

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2020, 19:14 »
Thanks a lot, Steve - I’ve never even heard of that one, will look it up!

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AnneB

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2020, 11:50 »
I’ve always been advised not to plant supermarket garlic. However that’s all the guy on the plot next to me plants, and he always has a better garlic crop than any I’ve ever seen. He grows vast amounts, some of it just for the leaves. I’ve yet to find a garlic variety that grows well for me here in the north - I’m veering more now towards elephant garlic which is expensive but seems to do so much better. Our allotments are riddled with white rot anyway, so I’m tempted just to bung some supermarket stuff in in the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

Some varieties that do well for me in Bradford are Early Purple Wight which is widely available, Mersley Wight and an Italian variety called Rossa di Sulmona that I get every year from Seeds of Italy.

I grew Music for a few years quite successfully, then one year the supplies I got from a place in Scotland were rather poor and I have not bothered with it since.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2020, 12:00 by AnneB »

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Mr Dog

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2020, 17:19 »
I’ve always been advised not to plant supermarket garlic. However that’s all the guy on the plot next to me plants, and he always has a better garlic crop than any I’ve ever seen. He grows vast amounts, some of it just for the leaves. I’ve yet to find a garlic variety that grows well for me here in the north - I’m veering more now towards elephant garlic which is expensive but seems to do so much better. Our allotments are riddled with white rot anyway, so I’m tempted just to bung some supermarket stuff in in the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

Hardneck varieties are said to grow better than softnecks in the 'north' and my experience bears that out. I currently grow Lautrec Wight and Bohemian Rose Wight (plus Elephant).

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Pimento

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2020, 06:28 »
Thank you, AnneB and MrDog, for the suggestions. I’ve always grown hardneck varieties, but not some of these.They always seem to start off well but then stall, even if they’re very well-fed and watered copiously. I end up with small bulbs (tiny when dried!) which are strong in flavour, bur very very fiddly to peel!   :lol: I’m obviously going wrong somewhere.

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New shoot

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2020, 08:30 »
I know I am much further south, but the
peeling fiddly little cloves comment hit a chord with me  :lol:

I grow rocambole garlic, which I save some of each year to replant. It is an old variety of hardneck with huge cloves, but you only get 3-6 cloves per bulb.  I have just put mine in.  If you want a few cloves to try Pimento, then send me a pm.  If it works, you should get enough for a seed crop of your own next time. I couldn’t get mature stuff to plant so had to start mine by buying bulbils and growing them on for a year. It is not one that you can get your hands on that easily, but it has proved to be well worth the effort for me :)

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AnneB

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2020, 12:59 »
Thank you, AnneB and MrDog, for the suggestions. I’ve always grown hardneck varieties, but not some of these.They always seem to start off well but then stall, even if they’re very well-fed and watered copiously. I end up with small bulbs (tiny when dried!) which are strong in flavour, bur very very fiddly to peel!   :lol: I’m obviously going wrong somewhere.
It may be because I have a clay based soil, but I rarely find it necessary to water my garlic, only in very dry conditions.  I give them an occasional sprinkling of chicken manure pellets.
Rossa di Sulmona is a hard neck garlic but the others, Early Purple Wight and Mersley Wight are sofnecks. 
If you have white rot, it might be worth a go growing in tubs.   I have occasional problems with white rot but keep it at bay by watering my raised beds with a garlic mixture when they become empty before planting with something else.  The theory is that the white rot thinks it is dinner time, but there is nothing for them to develop on once the garlic mixture disappears and the white rot then dies off.   It sort of works, enough for me to continue to grow onions, garlic and leeks with reasonable success with only 1 or 2 plants affected each harvest.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2020, 13:04 by AnneB »

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Pimento

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Re: What garlic to buy
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2020, 08:57 »
I know I am much further south, but the
peeling fiddly little cloves comment hit a chord with me  :lol:

I grow rocambole garlic, which I save some of each year to replant. It is an old variety of hardneck with huge cloves, but you only get 3-6 cloves per bulb.  I have just put mine in.  If you want a few cloves to try Pimento, then send me a pm.  If it works, you should get enough for a seed crop of your own next time. I couldn’t get mature stuff to plant so had to start mine by buying bulbils and growing them on for a year. It is not one that you can get your hands on that easily, but it has proved to be well worth the effort for me :)

Hi New Shoot, I’m so sorry, I missed your message and have only just seen it! I assume I’m much too late now, but thanks so much for the kind offer.

Pim.



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