[SG6]

Sorry, never read the net before I planted the garlic.  And as said I planted and had reasonable success.
The first attempt was failure, I didn't know anything and the bulbs were small and not multiple. Then found out that the cloves had to be cold for a spell as this triggers them to form the multiple clove bulbs that we are used to.
So that is what I did the following year. Fridge 2 weeks. This time success. Garlic bulbs with several cloves. All came out strong as I said.
At the end of the day learning on a 20p garlic was a lot better then learning on a £3-4 garlic.
This forum is on the net so:- I found planting supermarket garlic was successful and worked out well. Now there is some contradictory net information.
Which way are you going to go :?:  :?:  :?:  :?:

It was 20p, good fun and I learnt from it, who cares  

[DD.]

But do you know what the variety was and can you get it next time to repeat the success?

[SG6]

No idea on the variety. Especially after it had gone through a garlic press    

Equally I bought 3 varieties this year and planted them, I cannot recall what they are either. So I will be in the same position next year when I want more garlic. Not great planning.

More annoying is that garlic in Sainsburys are now 34p. Mine won't be harvested until August.  :cry:  :cry: Still have a few of Sainsburys I grew last year.

Sorry DD but I just grew garlic, simple as that. I hadn't tried it before and it was an inexpensive option. If I had wanted a specific variety then I would have bought a named variety from The Garlic Farm or similar. Easy to locate on this thing called the web. As to repeating the "success" I could plant some of the remainder, that would be a good start. But will probably just eat them in something  Ravioli, garlic crushed and mixed into olive oil, little pepper and cheese.  

[Roy S]

Hope I'm not treading on anyones toes on my first post here, but was reading through this post after I recieved some garlic cloves from a seller on Ebay only this week.
They are of unknown variety, but are very good sized cloves, and at the price I dont think anyones got anything to lose.

I think I paid £1.50 plus £1.75 postage for 50 cloves, and when they arrived there was 59-60 all in very good condition and much bigger than ones I've bought in the past (not elephant garlic though)
I plan to get them in this week, and see how they go.

Hope its not breaking any rules but heres a link to the item:

Ebay Garlic Link

Oh and I'm nothing to do with this seller other than a chuffed customer. Would also just like to say what a great forum this is.

[MoreWhisky]

I was hoping to plant some garlic this weekend and give it a go but i think it going to stay to wet (sigh).

Anyway some one gave me the tip today of putting clear plastic pop bottles over each clove, does anybody do this?

[vegmandan]

I was hoping to plant some garlic this weekend and give it a go but i think it going to stay to wet (sigh).

Anyway some one gave me the tip today of putting clear plastic pop bottles over each clove, does anybody do this?

I don't think this will do much good as Garlic actually needs some cold weather/conditions initially to spur them into bulb formation.

I thought the same a few years ago and planted some in my polytunnel which I thought would give them a nice warm start.

Oops ! wrong ,I got the smallest bulbs ever.

Give 'em some cold early on and you'll be repaid later,sounds daft but it's true.,honest :?

P.S before anyone says "But you only plant yours in March/April" I know I do,but where I am it's like a Nuclear Winter until July,so they get their required cold spell in March/April up here.

[karooba007]

SG6, i have already bought garlic from Wilkinson. I have decided to also plant some supermarket garlic and will see if there is a difference in results, for future reference.

[SG6]

There will be a difference. The wilkinson one's should do better, I would expect them to.

I never expected to get exhibition class garlic from the ones from the supermarket. As said it was as much an experiment as an easy way to learn to grow garlic. :shock:  

When I lifted mine, last August, I found that the bulbs appeared a little smaller then the bulb from which it came. The skin around the cloves were a deep scarlet/red, they were crisper and the taste was stronger.

At the end of the day I was happy with the results, actually glad that I had results.    I half expected something that looked like a spring onion.

As someone said earlier get one or two(pick big ones), cool, split into cloves and plant in the odd gaps or spaces. That way whatever happens there is nothing to lose. But please remember that they have to get cold for a couple of weeks otherwise they do not form a bulb of cloves.

[Mike.white]

I suppose at the end of the day only by trying will you get to find out - I tried 20 cloves of Garlic from the supermarket from about 4 bulbs and only 3 came up  - got a £1.99 pack from the garden centre (Marco) and planted 24 cloves - 20 came up - I suppose it's pot luck as to what the supermarket ones actually are...

[beki]

i'm experimenting this year with garlic bought from the farm shop. as far as i know it's locally grown (around 90% of their food is, but i never bothered to check about the garlic), so should do ok here.

i'm not relying on it as it's such a cheap ingredient anyway and you need so little in a dish, but it would be lovely to have some success with it!  

[apywell]

yes i think Wilkos is best. i am going to count how many cloves in one bulb, never really noticed but i think its six.

I've tried Wilkos 2 yrs running and not had much, I don't rate them from Wilco at all.  I tried supermarket as a last resort and those were ok.

[Cazzy]

I too grew supermarket garlic last year with great success, so much so that i'll be doing the same this year again.

I've nothing to compare them to as that was my first year growing anything but I was happy with the results. 

Only difference between my home grown and the original organic bulbs I bought were mine were much stronger in flavour but the cloves were slightly smaller, which worked out pretty well when you think about it........ stronger flavour = less needed = smaller clove 

[SG6]

Cazzy, that is exactly what I found, slightly smaller but stronger.
I suspect that it a matter of luck concerning what happens to be on the shelves when you buy. But pick one that is on the larger side as the hope is they breed true and you get decent sized garlic.

As was said garlic needs a cold spell or else they form small single bulbs. It is the cold that triggers them to form a multi clove bulb that we used to seeing.

[Salmo]

Selling garlic on Ebay.

Go to the supermarket and buy 4 garlic bulbs for 20p each. Total outlay 80p

Split them into 50 cloves and put them on Ebay at £1.99 for planting.

Profit of £1.19.   Not bad eh! Buyer beware.

[Roy S]

Selling garlic on Ebay.

Go to the supermarket and buy 4 garlic bulbs for 20p each. Total outlay 80p

Split them into 50 cloves and put them on Ebay at £1.99 for planting.

Profit of £1.19.   Not bad eh! Buyer beware.

Havent seen ANY supermarket around here selling any complete bulbs of garlic for 20p, let alone ones the size of the ones I got,  Got them planted up in modules ready to take down the plot as soon as its not so wet, and they are already sprouting after 7-10 days.
And for a profit of a pound delivered to my door, I can live with his racketeering...it would cost me much more than that if I walked over the threshold of any garden centre or supermarket anyway 
I'm happy