Anyone Plant Garlic

[hunterridgefarm]

I have planted a trial row of garlic for next year to see how it grows. I have read a lot about planting and harvesting garlic and talked to a couple of people that grow garlic.

I only ordered 4 bulbs which gave me about 30 cloves to plant. I fertilized, added lime to bring the PH up. I read garlic likes a high PH. Planted the first of October and already have shoots up about 6-8". I need to cover with straw so to not freeze this winter. Garlic needs the cold weather to form the blub...so I read

If this produces well next June/July I will plant around 20-40 pounds to start with in October next year.

I remember a few years back a thread on TBN that showed a member that grew a large quantity of garlic but cannot locate the thread.

So, does anyone here grow garlic...any pointers?

I found this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/283881-garlic-question.html but the one I remember showed a large harvest ready to dry. Don't remember the members name.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Ok...this may be the thread I was thinking about. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/photos/179078-garlic-harvest.html

magicheater needs to chime in here and give some pointers on growing garlic

 

[oosik]

No tips here. I love garlic and eat it on just about everything except ice cream. Have a local farmer growing commercial quantities and exporting it world wide. He's so good at it - my time would be wasted in any attempt. Besides, I've got a world of pocket gophers that eat just about everything.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

oosik,

I don't have gophers but if squirrels eat garlic I'm a dead man!

 

[Baby Grand]

oosik,

I don't have gophers but if squirrels eat garlic I'm a dead man!

Oh, but you'd have such tasty squirrels!

Was this the thread you were thinking of:?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/264776-garlic-growing-tips.html#post3086563

 

[randy41]

i grow elephant garlic. this is in zone 7a. i usually plant it this week. i till then stick the cloves in the ground and then mulch. i use pine straw for mulch since there's plenty around here. i haven't tested the soil. i sell some of it and then keep some for seed garlic. its a good crop to grow here since the deer don't touch it and therefore can be planted pretty much anywhere. at the market i sell at there's a high demand for elephant garlic but a high supply of regular garlic. this year i harvested from about 150' of it.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My neighbor planted some Elephant Garlic about 30 years ago, and it still comes up volunteer every year at the edge of the yard. I usually have plenty and never have to plant any. I just go out and snip of the blooms when they start coming on and then just dig them when the stems turn yellow.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Oh, but you'd have such tasty squirrels!

Was this the thread you were thinking of:?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/264776-garlic-growing-tips.html#post3086563

That is one of the threads I was looking for. Seems I sometimes have issues with the search function.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

So do you guys have a lot of organic matter in your soil?

One of the people I talked to said he mulches leaves and manure to get his to grow.

I plan to try the elephant garlic if this produces a good bulb. I had tons of request for garlic at the farmers market this year. But instead of spending a lot of money this year I thought it would be best to do a trial and see how it would grow in my soil.

If it does good I will buy $200-300 worth next year. Sale half the harvest and save the other half.

I know I read one thread where a TBN member planted the whole garlic head instead of the cloves...of course I want mention any names but there is a tractor with a very similar name...Jinma tractor:laughing:

 

[jinman]

I know I read one thread where a TBN member planted the whole garlic head instead of the cloves...of course I want mention any names but there is a tractor with a very similar name...Jinma tractor:laughing:

Now, who would that be? Yes, I planted whole bulbs, but that was an experiment. When planted in my garden, I broke apart the cloves. I went to Walmart one day and they had a webbed stocking full of garlic bulbs. I brought them home and there were 20 bulbs. I took each bulb and treated it with some 10 year old Greenlight Rotenone. They don't even make that product anymore. The current product is called Rooting Hormone and is IBA, an acid that promotes root growth. I knew it was the wrong time of year, but I planted a flat of whole bulbs in potting soil and then put them in a little refrigerator for two weeks. When I took them out, it was Katie-bar-the-door. I had a gazillion sprouts everywhere. I don't think any of the bulbs did not sprout. I had a garlic forest, but at the absolute wrong time of the year.:confused2:

So I proved two points: 1) Grocery store garlic will grow just fine, especially with rooting hormone. 2) My sense of timing is terrible.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

And Jim your experiment helped me:thumbsup: I know not to plant the whole blub.

But more importantly the store bought garlic. I read not to plant it as it would not grow. But now that I see it worked for you I will buy some this weekend and try it. It would be a lot cheaper than buying "seed" bulbs. I have rooting hormone and should have enough warm weather to get the roots started.

Only problem is we have a new Super Walmart opening and the old Walmart is depleting their stock. But the Super store should be opening this weekend!! Of course the crowed will be terrible

 

[Stimw]

I bought some seed garlic in a pack at Walmart 4-5 years ago, $4-5. I then bought a couple bulbs at the grocery $.49 each.
When they came up I could not tell the difference!
All I did was just plant them, no special fertilizer at all.
If you think you have a market I think I would jump in small now if you can and be ready with it sooner than later. ??

 

[randy41]

i've never done anything with amending the soil when growing garlic. well drained soil helps as does plenty of rain or irrigation. weed control is important also.

 

[charlz]

I mulch mine in the Fall with shredded leaves. In the Spring I throw down some 16-16-16 fertilizer and mulch them again to help keep down weeds. I plant on roughly a 6" by 6" grid pattern which leaves me enough room to get between the pants with a 4-tine cultivator if I need to do some weeding.

When you harvest you need a place to keep them out of the sun but with maximum air movement. Do you have a open shed or somewhere you can hang or lay them out? I lay them out on my north side deck in a spot that doesn't get any direct sunlight. Seems to take about a month for the flavor to really develop. I like to wash mine at harvest and then once they are ready from drying I trim the roots and tops.

Did you plant a hardneck or softneck variety?

 

[Pete Judd]

I have several types of garlic in a raised bed at one end of my food plot garden. They will take over the garden if not careful. They can spread like wild fire in a few years. My garlic patch is 2x10 ft, and I have to give a lot away each year.

 

[weedpharma]

I have been growing purple hardneck garlic for a few years. I plant in April (sthn hemisphere)and pick in October/ November. Purely for home use but enough to give some away.

I have grown some in sand and some in clay loam. The best result was in sand with compost, the clay loam was a failure with very little growth.

Weedpharma

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Thank for the feedback guys!!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I mulch mine in the Fall with shredded leaves. In the Spring I throw down some 16-16-16 fertilizer and mulch them again to help keep down weeds. I plant on roughly a 6" by 6" grid pattern which leaves me enough room to get between the pants with a 4-tine cultivator if I need to do some weeding.

When you harvest you need a place to keep them out of the sun but with maximum air movement. Do you have a open shed or somewhere you can hang or lay them out? I lay them out on my north side deck in a spot that doesn't get any direct sunlight. Seems to take about a month for the flavor to really develop. I like to wash mine at harvest and then once they are ready from drying I trim the roots and tops.

Did you plant a hardneck or softneck variety?

charlz, I planted the softneck variety. From what I read online for western NC the softneck does better than the hardneck. I will try some of the hardneck next year just to see what happens.

I called one of the produce stands I sell wholesale to yesterday and they have garlic at $2.79 lb. I feel certain they bought it at the large farmers market in Asheville NC. I will go be today and get more information on it but will buy some to plant. I should be able to get a discount since I sale them my overstock from the farmers market cheap.

I was planning to hang my garlic under my screened in porch of the east side of my house. It only gets about 3 hours of sun early in the morning. Do you think that would work?

I should have the ploebarn/workshop up by then and if so will hang it in there. Only other option is the basement or garage. The greenhouse should be empty that time of year with the shade cloth over it but it still may be too much light and too hot in there to hang it?

Looking online at the places I buy seed I did not realize there were so many different varieties. It makes it hard to determine what to plant.

 

[randy41]

here's a picture of garlic hanging from the rafters of the roof over the deck. this is from several years ago and is regular hardneck garlic. I think the variety is music. you could also hang it in a hay barn.

 

[DFB]

Looking online at the places I buy seed I did not realize there were so many different varieties. It makes it hard to determine what to plant.

You should investigate what types seem to sells best in your specific area. One kind may be more popular than some of the others. The price could be a factor too. Sometimes its tough to price what your worth with the flood of chinese garlic on the wholesale market but discriminating consumers know better. At markets I frequent some growers just specialize with garlic offering a variety of different types to garlic lovers. Here in Vermont there is a garlic Festival held every Fall its one of the largest events and draws loads of customers and vendors from far and wide!

The Annual Southern Vermont Garlic & Herb Festival