I've only ever used sprouted garlic from the grocery store, so I need some advice, please.
Do you have a favorite variety of garlic? Any go-to suppliers?
I'd like something that can be stored after harvest. Thanks for your help!
Down here in I've grown germidour with great success for years (as long as the alium leaf miner doesn't find it!) - really big heads that will easily keep until mid-summer the following year. I do buy from a supplier, but this year I may well use my own cloves. The flavour is quite subtle.
Climate is minus 15 to plus 40 with pretty damp winters, although good sunny days too. 350m altitude.
I got some Casablanca from Wilko. The bulbs were ok and cheap, but I made the mistake of planting them in pots in the greenhouse so they didn't get a cold snap. I would grow again perhaps using my own cloves but giving them some cold . Although the pkt said sow in spring I might experiment with autumn planting.
I've only tried Solent Wight, Iberian Wight and Early Purple Wight. Iberian is the only one we grow at the moment because it's ready at the start of June so I can harvest it all and use the raised bed for something else like squash, sweetcorn and tomatoes. Not sure how long it lasts as we get through all it by early winter! Early Purple was good if you want a really early harvest, but it doesn't store very long. Solent Wight was good and apparently stores until March from a July harvest, I would definitely grow it if we had more space. All three varieties produced nice, big bulbs.
The only place I've bought garlic from is SimplySeed, GrowSeed or the local garden centre.
It was our first year of garlic harvet this year. 2 bulbs from a Morrision GTG box plus one pack from wilko. Will look at being better prepared next year.
I grow Elephant Garlic. Big, fat, not too strong cloves from plants that grow 4'tall with huge pompom flower heads that the bees love.
Mine are still in the ground as I'm enjoying the flowers too much!!
I leave or replant the smallest cloves immediately as I want to grow a big Elephant Garlic patch to rival the big perennial leek patch (they look very similar.)
Thanks, everyone! I'll look into your suggestions. I have to shake my "not sure if this is gonna work, I don't want to waste too much money or time or space" mentality and try a few
Once you've found one you like, you can keep some cloves back each year to regrow. Look on it as a one time investment that will repay you with interest for years to come.
(28-08-2020, 08:11 PM)Veggie Wrote: [ -> ]I grow Elephant Garlic. Big, fat, not too strong cloves from plants that grow 4'tall with huge pompom flower heads that the bees love.
Mine are still in the ground as I'm enjoying the flowers too much!!
I leave or replant the smallest cloves immediately as I want to grow a big Elephant Garlic patch to rival the big perennial leek patch (they look very similar.)
I was at the local market today and bought a head of Elephant garlic off a stall holder. It cost me 2 squid but I have six large cloves to plant from it.
I also have some of my own grown elephant garlic which is not much bigger than normal garlic and a load of small cormlets from it which I have planted as well.
I usually buy from the garlic farm - they often have stalls at fairs I go to. Though for obvious reasons I don't think I'll be picking any up soon. Once you have a decent crop you can save the cloves so it is an investment.
I prefer I autumn planting varieties. I've tried the cheap bulbs and I'm sure I got garlic rot from them and the results are poor ( imo) compared to good varieties suited to the UK.
I have to grow in an area away from my veg plot now - so only grow a few clovesthese days.
I've grown elephant garlic for years - I've never run out and like VC there's always some in the ground.