Re: Garlic SFG

kygardener 10/22/2018, 2:04 pm

I have not tried garlic before but now I think I will. I am in zone 6a, is it too late to sow seeds for this year?

**trolleydriver** 10/22/2018, 4:44 pm

Plant cloves not seeds. Best not to use grocery store garlic cloves. You need to find out whether you need hardneck or softneck garlic depending on your climate. Up here in Canada I grow hardneck garlic and my favourite variety is called Music. I am hoping to plant my cloves this week.

kygardener 10/22/2018, 5:57 pm

Thank you for the quick reply.

**sanderson** 10/23/2018, 3:08 am

Contact your local Ag Commissioner's Office or Master Gardeners for the varieties that grow well in your specific area.

kygardener 10/25/2018, 7:23 pm

Will do, Thank you.

**Scorpio Rising** 10/25/2018, 8:38 pm

I am in northwest Ohio, and my planting date for garlic is Halloween, but it is pretty forgiving. Order some and stick it in—it is so rewarding!

**sanderson** 10/26/2018, 2:48 am

I checked some companies that sell hard neck garlic for planting and it looks like they are sold out. If there is a farmer's market, see if anyone is selling local garlic.

OhioGardener 10/26/2018, 9:12 am

sanderson wrote:I checked some companies that sell hard neck garlic for planting and it looks like they are sold out. If there is a farmer's market, see if anyone is selling local garlic.

Got an email this morning from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply that they have Garlic on sale for 25% off.

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - Grow Organic

**sanderson** 10/26/2018, 6:05 pm

Thanks, OG.

**Scorpio Rising** 10/27/2018, 12:01 am

Pinetree (Superseeds) still has a nice selection:

https://www.superseeds.com/search?type=product&q=Garlic

Garlic SFG - Page 2 3170584802

CapeCoddess 10/27/2018, 4:56 pm

Just pulled apart about 10 bulbs while watching a movie. All ready to plant now sometime this week. rock on

OhioGardener 8/27/2019, 9:17 am

High Mowing Seeds posted an informative garlic article, Guide to Growing Great Garlic

Dan in Ct 8/28/2019, 7:13 am

Here is a great guide from Old Farmer's Almanac and I learned a couple of things. I have to start prepping the beds and maybe build a small raised bed for my daughter who wants to learn how to grow garlic this year. Have taken a couple of years off but miss my home grown garlic. Always grew German Porcelain and now will be growing German White and German Red. The German Red is supposedly slightly spicer. Getting the seed garlic from The Garlic Farm, fairly local so no need to acclimate the garlic. https://www.almanac.com/plant/garlic

**sanderson** 8/28/2019, 2:17 pm

I have a new bed waiting for the garlic cloves, California soft neck. This spring, the bottom of the older bed with the garlic fell out so the crop was small and not good for long storage. Ever optimistic!

**Scorpio Rising** 8/28/2019, 7:34 pm

Good article!

I do not have a “cool, dry space” for garlic, taters, winter squash...onions....I have a basement, It is nowhere near 40*F.

Who has this?

Anyways, I have 2.5 squares ready for my garlic! I had a bad year this year; and one thing I did glean from the article is to separate the bulbs a couple days ahead. I don’t think the cloves that the paper husk tears do very well...will take better notes!

Thanks!

**donnainzone5** 8/29/2019, 11:33 am

Scorpio,

Like you, I don't have that cool, dry space for winter storage.

Although my garage is insulated, it still gets below 40F altogether too frequently, and often below freezing. Either I'll train myself to bring things indoors when such temps are likely, or purchase a small refrigerator for the garage.

**Scorpio Rising** 11/3/2019, 9:28 am

Today is plant the garlic day for me; I have my tried and true German Hardy Red, and am trying a few variety Georgian Fire! Supposed to be spicy, hope so! I go 9/SF. Supposed to be cold but sunny. Will top off the beds, and plant the garlic after church.

OhioGardener 7/26/2020, 3:20 pm

Got my pre-order in for garlic today. The 4'x12' bed that is squash this summer will be dedicated to garlic over the winter and until next July when the squash will be ready to plant again. The bed will be half Music and half Russian Red. I am only planting 4 per square this year. Last year's were 9 per square, and the bulbs seems restricted in development, so this year it will be 4 instead.

plantoid 7/30/2020, 5:43 am

I'd been faithfully & carefully keeping back four big bulbs in ideal storage conditions for alate May early June planting of the cloves... filled aa complets 4 sq foot bed at 9 per sq ft . They poked their heads up then everyone of them died before they got to an inch tall . Not sure if it was a sharp late may overnight frost that did it or that someone put a hex on me ....I'm still trying to puzzle it out .

three new big grocery counter bulbs have been purchased , split up into cloves ..& got planted in early July with and inch of MM over their heads . The experiment was restarted in the same bed , just to prove or deny it is something in the bed .

I'm a tad miffed about it all for those original garlics that died out were self produced from the same stock strain of annually harvested bulbs for the last seven or more years

karynne 10/31/2022, 4:19 pm

I can't find an answer to this. In the fall do you water the garlic after you put the cloves in the ground and cover them up with leaves, etc? Or just put them in and not water?

thanks!
Very Happy

**sanderson** 10/31/2022, 4:54 pm

If you are entering a rainy spell, you wouldn't have to specially water. Just, remember though, the general rule is never letting the Mel's Mix dry out. I water the composted amended beds well, then plant.

karynne 10/31/2022, 5:30 pm

sanderson wrote:If you are entering a rainy spell, you wouldn't have to specially water. Just, remember though, the general rule is never letting the Mel's Mix dry out. I water the composted amended beds well, then plant.

Thank you!! Cool

I went ahead and watered. Some of the cloves I am planting (Music) are huge, I might do 4 per square for those.

**sanderson** 11/1/2022, 2:41 pm

4 or 9, your choice. Very Happy

Four (4) might be better for the larger varieties.

**donnainzone5** 11/1/2022, 2:53 pm

I knew it was going to snow today, but since I wasn't able to get any yard help until late yesterday afternoon, I gave the irises priority.

Ah, the problems created by knee surgery! The little I accomplished created a great deal of pain.

The temp is supposed to drop to 17-18F tomorrow night, which I hope isn't enough to freeze the Mel's Mix. This year's designated garlic bed was made with concrete blocks, which should insulate it somewhat.

I do hope there's still time to plant my home-grown and purchased garlic!

**sanderson** 11/2/2022, 2:10 pm

I hope you are able to get the garlics planted real soon, especially the purchased garlic. Do you still have to clean and amend the bed?

I still haven't planted mine due to a stupid head cold that won't go away. I still have to remove and replace the straw mulch and amend with more composts.

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