GARLIC~~THE KIND YOU COOK WITH

[Barbara Lockyer]

Does anyone know where you get garlic to grow in the garden? to be used in the kitchen? anyone with experience in growing it? I would like to give it a try!

[John Walker]

There must be plenty of sources on the internet.
I'm not sure about using the stuff from the store unless you have a local farmers market. (I'm sure there are a lot of opinions out there)
Here in KY I just pulled mine that I planted last fall.
I must say it is the easiest crop I grow.
plant in fall, mulch beds for winter, clear ground in spring, foilar feed and cultivate and in mid July when the tops start to go brown viola!!!,
Eat some, give some away and keep a few bulbs for next years planting...

[david e kelley]

Www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com is a wonderful source of gourmet garlic and a treasure of information. Growing garlic is easy, fun and great food. Try a variety pack selected for your area and watch it grow over the winter, harvest, enjoy, then save some for next years crop. After a few years you will be impressing your friends with gifts of beautiful organic garlic, not something from china grown and treated with who knows what.
Stay natural.
David

[Johanna Greenberg]

I've purchased garlic from Seeds of Change several times and had great success. I agree with John, one of the easiest things I grow in the garden. I plant in fall for early summer harvest and just picked mine 4th of July weekend.
Good Luck.

[Maya]

Before you buy anything, check with your county's cooperative extension to be sure you can grow it where you are, as well as the best varieties for your area. Here is a website that talks about growing garlic in hot climates and why you need to check. There are a couple of paragraphs specific to Florida.

[Donna Trott]

It is the same as what you`buy in the markets- just watched the video & they confirmed it on there!

[Ian]

Hi, I buy garlic in the market and have successfully grown it for a couple of years. However, I have been told by other KGI members that most garlic on sale in the supermarkets in the USA comes from China... So you need to check where it originally came from. In my case the supermarkets in France sell French garlic so no problem.
There is a video on this site by Roger Planting Garlic
Ian

[Barbara Lockyer]

I appreciate everyone's replies with all the info on garlic~~I think I will try some from a local store and see how it does before I get into fancy expensive varieties.. The weather here is so unpredictable, I don't want to waste my money! We use it all the time but fresh bulbs surely must be the best!

[Ian]

They are the best
I have a huge bunch drying in the sun hanging from the roof of my terrace...
All the best with it
Ian

[NatGreeneVeg]

While this may work for some, it may not work for others. I wouldn't necessarily recommend just any local store. Regular groceries sell softneck varieties of garlic because they have a longer shelf life than hard neck varieties. But hard neck varieties are preferred if you're going to devote time and space to grow them. You also want to plant at the right time in your region. For me in MO, it's September. No earlier, no later.

This means that fresh bulbs, while of course ideal, it is more important to plant at the right time. So I'll keep the bulbs I have now, because they'll remain dormant for a few weeks if I keep them dry and stored in a cool, dark area with good ventilation.

I recommend you try your local farmers market. You'll have the best chance of getting cloves which have been grown locally, therefore a better chance that they've acclimated to your local climate. Always a plus to get seed stock from a local gardener. Ask other local gardeners, join local gardening groups, or try the seed exchange via places like GardenWeb which has a very active plant/seed exchange and you can search member offerings for what your're looking for.

[Barbara Lockyer]

thanks...our local farmer's market isn't all that great but we have several neighborhood markets that have opened and they might be a source....will check that out. if nothing else, I can just try a few to see how they do.

[Angelita J. Prado]

we have plenty in the Philippines. Planting is best with the use of mulch, I tried planting it in the school garden with students. It is a tropical crop. I wish i can just share you anytime...

[Glenn Fletcher]

I always imagined that garlic required a warm mediteranean type climate, but thats not true. It's as tough as old boots, often puttting on growth in the middle of winter in Yorkshire. One thing i think it does need though is a free draining soil. It does not like sitting in the cold and wet. I always plant in the late autumn for best results.
I now plant the garlic some distance from my onions as it is prone to rust. This does not affect the garlic, but can be tranferred to the onions and ruin the crop.