Re: Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garlic grow?

CapeCoddess 8/7/2013, 6:47 pm

Bavarian freakin Purple! That's the name of my garlic that I've been trying to remember, and calling Belgian Purple all along...jeepers creepers.

Thanks, Turan! Get the collar healed...there's harvesting to do! Very Happy

Meanwhile, here's a page on ALOT of different garlic varieties:
http://www.wegrowgarlic.com/7422.html

CC

cpl100 8/9/2013, 12:47 pm

Although life has gotten in the way of most of my gardening this year, I just took down my harvested garlic, snipped the roots and tops and brushed it more or less clean. It all appears very dry. I had saved one of those mesh bags that onions come in from the store and have them in that. Now I've done some reading online about where is best to store them long term. Some say to put them in the dark and others say air circulation is needed. This seems to be conflicting to me. What do you all do with your harvest for long-term storage?

Most of the garlic heads are small to smallish and not really of a size to save and plant for next year. Also, it seems I harvested a bit too late because many have the outer wrapper split (that is, the outer wrapper that remains after one removes the first dirty outer wrapper). But I am grateful that I planted 30 cloves and 29 produced cloves even if they are smallish cloves. That seems like a better ratio than I had all last summer with the garden so I will plant again on Halloween.

I have found a grower near me who has Music garlic and I have it in my mind that I am going to try that one this year. They offer a larger size for growing so I will plan to buy some there today. They also offer (for less money) 'eating' garlic as well so I will get some of that as well.

Has anyone grown this variety?

**llama momma** 8/9/2013, 5:12 pm

I have not grown this variety but I consistently hear wonderful reviews like this for instance.
http://www.groworganic.com/garlic-music-organic-lb.html

If you grow this variety I'd love to hear how you rate it. For comparison I grow german red garlic, it is also a hardneck variety with 8 to 10 large cloves per bulb. I paid 17 dollars plus shipping for 5 bulbs last year. After planting all the cloves the ones that survived translated into roughly 55 or more large bulbs this past harvest and what a treat. Don't think I'll ever need to buy garlic again. I simply keep the largest 8 or so bulbs for replanting. Remember the largest cloves give you the biggest bulbs.

Nonna.PapaVino 8/9/2013, 5:32 pm

cpl, Because you have Music available near where you live, I'd suggest you try it. Experience shows garlic does better when it's had a chance to become acclimated to your area. Buying it locally means the acclimation has already taken place, and you'll probably get larger bulbs. We did try Music a couple of years ago, but it didn't seem as flavorful as others we grew that year. Of course, not everyone likes hot, spicy garlic as we do. Advice: plant three or four varieties and taste them raw, roasted, and sauted. Shoot, invite some friends over and have a garlic tasting. Replant those you like. Also to be considered is how long the varieties each will store without sprouting. Hard necks are less likely to store until next Spring. Do try Music, though, your region is very much different from wet Western Oregon. And I understand it does very well where it's colder in winter. Nonna

cpl100 8/9/2013, 7:12 pm

Today I purchased the Pink Music garlic--about a pound of it in the larger 'planting' (vs. eating sized) heads. They were $15/lb. They don't seem huge to me but I am hoping I will have good results since they were grown on a farm two towns for me and I know they did grow this type last year also so hoping they are acclimated to the climate. (Last year I inquired too late and they did not have any left for sale hence my early purchase this year. I am hoping they are going to store well enough to plant on Halloween. Wish I had the space to plant more and 'never have to buy garlic again'! However, we use garlic daily and I would have to have a lot more growing space than I do now to enable that and there just is not that much sun in my yard.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Nonna.PapaVino 8/9/2013, 9:43 pm

cpl, Funny you should mention sun for garlic. Yes, full sun makes for the biggest heads of garlic, but today, under the Asian pear tree in less-than-optimum sunshine, we found and harvested a half dozen medium-size bulbs. Our biggest bulbs, though, came from a full-sun spot made from a rectangle of six hay bales with Mel's Mix in the center. Even though they shared space with some potatoes, each St. Helens Red bulb filled my hand. Beautiful garlic, largest of which has been set aside to break into cloves for planting. It and Chet's Italian are big winners in our garden, but remember: YMMV*. Nonna

* Your Mileage May Vary

Icemaiden 8/11/2013, 10:06 am

greatgranny wrote:Oops. I had read somewhere that the small ones that did not develop cloves could be planted. That article said that they would grow and develop - maybe not like the larger ones but anyway, I'm going to try that as well as the normal planting. I don't remember where I read it. Sorry.

Okay, I will take the largest cloves and plant those then save the rest for the kitchen.

Hi! I would say plant both :-)
My first year all I got (from shop-bought hardneck Chinese garlic) was a load of small round bulbs. I read online that the first phase of garlic growth is that the clove swells, second phase is that it divides to new cloves. So I kept my small round bulbs, and replanted them in the autumn. I got perfect garlic (scapes 'n all) the following year. I also planted a few more shop-bought cloves and they produced small round bulbs again.
So, last autumn I re-planted those bulbs, and also cloves from my "proper garlic". I think someone on here said they were sure I would get real garlic from my cloves as they thought that the shops retarded the growth in some way.
So... last autumn I planted what you see in the photo. Two squares of cloves from my garlic (which had taken two seasons), one square of the one-year-old round bulbs, and one square of some locally grown purple garlic. At the last minute I pushed in some soft-neck Italian garlic from an organic shop.
You can see what I just harvested today. We have had a rotten summer weather-wise. June broke records for having so little sun. The poor Italian garlic was obviously not happy, and the red garlic is a bit smaller than the ones I bought to plant.
The main thing is that both my re-planted bulbs and my "own" look very similar. The re-planted ones are a fraction larger but they are also a different colour so not the same type.
My advice is to replant any undivided bulbs and see what happens. Works for me :-)
Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garlic grow? - Page 15 2012-110

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garlic grow? - Page 15 2012-110

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garlic grow? - Page 15 2013-811

(Left to right: poor Italian soft-neck; re-planted one-year-old; "my" cloves; purple; "my" cloves.)

Marc Iverson 9/24/2013, 1:13 am

What's the story about putting garlic in the fridge or freezer before planting? I've seen it mentioned maybe once or twice in this huge long thread, but I get the idea most people don't do it.

I've also heard that it will make the garlic sprout immediately, which you don't want in winter, right? So is that something to do when you're planting garlic in the spring rather than in the fall?

plantoid 9/24/2013, 5:48 am

It causes the seed germ to start growing once it has been taken out the cold ...ie fools the garlic into thinking it is warmer weather and it should now start growing.

I've not heard of it being put in the freezer though some seeds are recommended for that route.

When you " stratify " garlic ( or other seeds etc. ) in this manner make sure you only plant them out in frost free soil. Even if it means covering the planted seeds with straw over some hessian for a couple of weeks till the seeds breakout in roots. Sometimes take the hessian off and leave the straw in place if your due for a humdinger of an artic winter.

Marc Iverson 9/24/2013, 4:23 pm

So since you wouldn't want it to sprout in winter, stratifying garlic is for when you're planning on planting it in spring?

Sounds like, for my fall planting, it should be something I avoid?

Another question -- I read one of the links to garlic farms in the last couple pages, and they say they mulch the garlic up to SIX INCHES! Holy cow! It must take barns full of mulch for them to cover their fields. Do any of you folks mulch your garlic anywhere near that deep?

Also, another question -- I've repeatedly read things like, "Plant bulb six inches deep, cover with four inches of soil." Or four inches deep, then cover with two inches of soil. That sounds like you're not really filling up the hole? Because the size of the garlic bulb itself isn't THAT big.

**camprn** 9/24/2013, 4:39 pm

You want to plant the garlic early enough to start developing roots but not a lot of foliage before winter. If they sprout that's fine but you don't want a lot of foliage.

Marc Iverson 9/24/2013, 4:50 pm

Ah, thanks.

We're getting lots of rain, or at least rain nearly every day, so I don't want to plant them now, then. Even if they don't rot outright, I guess they would likely be very encouraged to send up sprouts in all this rain.

plantoid 9/24/2013, 4:51 pm

I plant my garlic cloves from early Nov right through to beginning of June so long as the ground is frost free but cool .

My cloves have been normally planted so that the top of the clove is about 1 & 1/2 2 below the surface of my MM filled beds as I find that it gives the bulb plenty to anchor in in the lighter MM growth medium.

I too would love to hear folks planting depths and any reasoning behind it even if it is , " Because my grand dad did it that way in 1900 " .

**camprn** 9/24/2013, 5:40 pm

Mark, I'm in some 5a and we have at least 5 + months of winter, bitter cold for about 3+ months. I plant my garlic on Hallowe'en, or there abouts. Check out the garlic growing calendar on the Hood River site. They too are in Oregon.

**llama momma** 9/24/2013, 6:42 pm

plantoid wrote:I plant my garlic cloves from early Nov right through to beginning of June so long as the ground is frost free but cool .

My cloves have been normally planted so that the top of the clove is about 1 & 1/2 2 below the surface of my MM filled beds as I find that it gives the bulb plenty to anchor in in the lighter MM growth medium.

I too would love to hear folks planting depths and any reasoning behind it even if it is , " Because my grand dad did it that way in 1900 " .

Dave,
I saved the planting intructions from last year sent from Seed Savers Exchange. It says to cover the top of the cloves with, " 2 inches of soil then cover with a mulch 6 inches deep of straw, hay, or grass clippings mixed with leaves. Do not remove mulch in the spring; it helps control weeds, preserves moisture, and provides nutrients as it decomposes." LM Smile

**donnainzone5** 9/24/2013, 6:45 pm

I used no mulch, planted around 10/15, and had a good crop of garlic. I suppose it depends upon your climate.

Also, the bed where the garlic was planted was covered with two layers of frost cloth and 6 mm of plastic sheeting for most of the cold season (note: I cut a few slits in the plastic for ventilation).

**camprn** 9/24/2013, 6:55 pm

LM, the bit about not removing mulch makes sense for row gardening, I do not follow this advice in my SFG.

**llama momma** 9/24/2013, 7:00 pm

I didn't either Camp. Just writing it down verbatim from the SSE directions for Dave. He wanted to know the Why behind it.

johnp 9/25/2013, 12:24 pm

Last year I planted our garlic a little bit early and the green shoots started to come up. I took straw and covered them for the winter. After they came up in the spring I removed the straw. We got the best and biggest garlic we have ever had. I believe that straw mulch was the biggest reason they did so well and we will do the same this year.

plantoid 9/25/2013, 5:00 pm

llama momma wrote:
plantoid wrote:I plant my garlic cloves from early Nov right through to beginning of June so long as the ground is frost free but cool .

My cloves have been normally planted so that the top of the clove is about 1 & 1/2 2 below the surface of my MM filled beds as I find that it gives the bulb plenty to anchor in in the lighter MM growth medium.

I too would love to hear folks planting depths and any reasoning behind it even if it is , " Because my grand dad did it that way in 1900 " .
Dave,
I saved the planting intructions from last year sent from Seed Savers Exchange. It says to cover the top of the cloves with, " 2 inches of soil then cover with a mulch 6 inches deep of straw, hay, or grass clippings mixed with leaves. Do not remove mulch in the spring; it helps control weeds, preserves moisture, and provides nutrients as it decomposes." LM

That sounds a good reason thanks ..

( Dave wonders where he can get a bale of clean dry straw from at this time of night 22.03 hrs. )

**sanderson** 9/25/2013, 11:58 pm

Can I carefully cover the little clover sprouts with lightweight wood chips? I used the chips as mulch this summer and I have a full garbage can of them. Thanks

Marc Iverson 9/26/2013, 12:05 am

I hope so. That' what I've got too, bark chips.

Rambo 9/26/2013, 1:48 am

Just planted my garlic and ginger so keep y"all updated.

**llama momma** 9/26/2013, 8:26 am

sanderson wrote:Can I carefully cover the little clover sprouts with lightweight wood chips? I used the chips as mulch this summer and I have a full garbage can of them. Thanks

Sanderson and Marc
I think the lightweight wood chips you mentioned would be lighter than six inches of grass, straw, and leaves. Don't you? I'm thinking about when it's wet from rain, ice, and snow.
Last year many little green leaves poked through thick wet leaf mulch. A few were stuck underneath and turned light green and white. Once I removed the leaves in the spring they took off. What I don't know is whether the smaller bulbs all came from those that were smothered during the winter. Just things to think about..

**camprn** 9/26/2013, 8:50 am

Sanderson, I believe you will not need a thick layer of mulch like those of us in the north.The reason for thick mulch in the north is to reduce the risk of heaving of the frozen garden soil. Heaving causes the bulbs to become disrupted and roots to break. In your case, the light wood chip material will be a perfect mulch for weed suppression.

Sponsored content


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.