Garlic Time

[neoguy]

I planted a small bed on October 2. 1 head of Bogatyr, got 6 nice cloves out of it and I planted 15 of an unknown hardneck the same day (I’ve been growing this unknown variety for about the last 12 years). A couple of the Bogatyrs are poking up through the soil this morning.

I planted the rest this morning, another 105 cloves of the unknown hardneck. A total of 126 planted..

I amended the beds with rabbit manure, composted chicken manure, coffee grounds, some organic fert I came across called Numus and Plant Tone. I put a little of the Numus into the planting hole and I scratched the Plant Tone into the top of the soil. Hoping for some big heads next year.

[caascher2]

Hey Neoguy..do you soak your garlic bulbs in baking soda and water before planting? Have you ever dipped the cloves in alcohol before planting? Last year I just planted my bulbs and got a good yield. The garlic I got this year has instructions to do as stated above. Just wondering if this makes for larger bulbs or what. I amended my soil with some composted horse manure and some organic compost sold at one of our nurseries, so that should help. I still need to plant my cloves.
Thanks,
Carol

[shelleybean]

I also planted in early October. I put in Elephant garlic and Music, a hardneck variety from Italy. Nothing is up yet though. Just compost and 5-10-5 for me so far.

[Worth1]

I left some in the ground from last year and it is starting to come up.

Worth

[neoguy]

Hi Carol,

I've never soaked my garlic before. When I first became aware of these forums, I read like crazy. There were a number of GW forums that suggested soaking in this for so long and soaking in that for so long. I thought about it, but, you know, what has worked for me in the past was good enough to do again.

So, to answer you question, NO! I didn't soak them in anything. I kept the plants whole, I didn't cut the roots or the tops, I let them dry since harvest. Today I simply peeled the cloves from the head and planted as I described above.

Hope this helps.

[tomatoaddict]

I grow hardneck garlic and I also do nothing special.
Just plant the cloves.
I haven't planted yet this year because of the warm spell but will do it this weekend.
I am planting:
Music
Metechi
Zimmermans
Transylvanian
German white

USDA Garlic for propogation:
Chet's
Chinatown
Thuringer
Rojo De Cuenca

[rxkeith]

i'd like to plant my garlic, but the weather just won't cooperate. the copper country had a record amount of rain in september, and october has been more of the same. its a good year for mushrooms. they are all over the place. if only i knew which ones were safe to eat. gonna be a problem if the temps. drop below freezing. we'll get buried by snow if that happens. still time though. 3 new varieties i'm trying are kettle river giant, lemon garlic, and a northern white. other varieties i grow are music, georgian crystal, nootka rose, siberian, chesnok red, 3 italian varieties, and a few others. some of my soft necks got wiped out by the freaky winter weather we had last spring.

keith in calumet

[neoguy]

I wish I could harvest fresh mushrooms

[johno]

I'll be planting my garlic sometime within the next few weeks. I don't soak or peel them...

The majority will be a variety that came to me with the spelling, "Collosial." I hate to change the spelling even if I think it's wrong...

The next most numerous will be Italian Hardneck, found from a feral population a year or two ago somewhere in the Northeast. Both of these are great, spicy but not too hot hardnecks. They both yield the largest bulbs.

Others include an unknown (to me) hardneck variety my dad has been growing for many years - he got it at the grocery store originally... also two unnamed farmers market varieties, one from here and one from the Dallas farmers market (they are the two earliest to mature,) Asian Tempest, and a Chinese softneck. I planted Osage bulbils last year, but nothing much came of them - I hope maybe they'll return this year, as they are native to my area.

I tend to plant about a month later than most around here. I think there's too much top growth before freezing weather otherwise.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by johno

I tend to plant about a month later than most around here. I think there's too much top growth before freezing weather otherwise.

Could you elaborate on why that's not good? Thanks.

[Worth1]

Suze, too much top growth tends to cause the garlic cloves to be smaller.
At least that is my opinion and that of others.

Worth

[neoguy]

Suze, interesting question! Last year I planted very late for me, mid November. I did get some good tops about 6-8", because of unusually warm temps for December. But, the overall harvest was smaller than expected, about 1 3/4" to a few at 2 1/2". In the past, I always planted the first couple weeks of October. This year I've gone back to early sowing, about 20 some cloves in early October, the rest, just over 100, just a few days ago. All hardneck, by the way,

Worth, is too much top growth related to the warmer weather climates (wish I lived in one, in between hot and COLD)?

[Worth1]

neoguy I think so, hard neck garlic is almost impossible to grow down here you have to get a variety that will.
It is to warm, it does great in the winter and then about a month or so before its time to harvest all of the cloves sprout.
Then it gets to hot and everything dies until next year.
The elephant garlic just rotted it was so wet this year.
The garlic I did get was and still is very good, ‘though very hot.
I think the rain was my worst enemy this year but I will try again. I know those little devils are down there just waiting to sprout.

Worth