First Garlic Harvest

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JohnJones
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First Garlic Harvest

#1

Post: # 21639Unread post JohnJones
Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:47 pm

I love garlic in all it's forms, but I had never grown it before I planted a number of old grocery store bought cloves from various sources just to see what happened. Had no real expectations as I planted in December, January and Feburary using nice older sprouting cloves and tiny inner cloves, again, just to see what happened. Here is the result...
20200605_124107.jpg
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bower
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#2

Post: # 21641Unread post bower
Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:54 pm

They are lovely JohnJones! Congrats on your first garlic harvest (and welcome to a new addiction!) :)
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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JohnJones
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#3

Post: # 21650Unread post JohnJones
Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:19 pm

Bower wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:54 pm They are lovely JohnJones! Congrats on your first garlic harvest (and welcome to a new addiction!) :)
Oh, you can be assured I'm a budding addict. Already perusing all the varieties available to up my garlic game. I was shocked at the results from scraps that would have ended up in a landfill.

And thank you!!

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MissS
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#4

Post: # 21659Unread post MissS
Fri Jun 05, 2020 10:16 pm

Yep, you are hooked now. They turned out so very nice. Imagine what will be next year.
~ Patti ~

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Whwoz
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#5

Post: # 21667Unread post Whwoz
Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:03 am

Yes a beautiful harvest there. The secret now is to keep your biggest and best as seed for next season. Using the biggest cloves will lead to full size bulbs for that variety quicker

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AZGardener
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#6

Post: # 21674Unread post AZGardener
Sat Jun 06, 2020 7:10 am

Well done [mention]JohnJones[/mention]. Very nice harvest.
USDA Zone 9b, Sunset Zone 13
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GoDawgs
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#7

Post: # 21718Unread post GoDawgs
Sat Jun 06, 2020 2:36 pm

Nice job, JJ! Those are really pretty. Welcome to your new addiction. :D And guess what... it's time to start ordering garlic for fall planting if you're looking to expand into other varieties. As fast as seed went this spring, I'm wondering if the same will happen with garlic bulbs.
Last edited by GoDawgs on Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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pepperhead212
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#8

Post: # 21721Unread post pepperhead212
Sat Jun 06, 2020 3:42 pm

Great harvest [mention]JohnJones[/mention] ! Only problem is, you won't have enough - you are going to need more next year, more the next year, more the next year... :lol:

About 4 more weeks for me. Hopefully, the rain won't be like last year. :(
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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JohnJones
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#9

Post: # 21759Unread post JohnJones
Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:34 am

For those of you with experience, what are some dependable soft neck varieties. I'm in the Deep South, USDA Zone 8a.

Also, any favorite seed garlic sources would be appreciated.

Dicthamus
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#10

Post: # 22093Unread post Dicthamus
Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:03 am

How about this: They're *all* dependable. I've been planting grocery store softnecks for probably 20 years now, none were bad. Probably a different kind every time I bought some, that's why I don't think it matters what is being sold at that particular moment. If I ever come across garlic at the store with very large cloves, I'll buy enough to cook with, and an extra five or so additional heads to plant. So, for me it's not what variety the garlic is, but the clove size.

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bower
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#11

Post: # 22097Unread post bower
Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:55 am

I have a friend here who grows softneck for market, and uses supermarket bulbs for seed, and she also said she'd never had a problem. There is a risk of introducing a pest or disease which we all hear about, but maybe the careful handling and inspection of cloves you plant is more important than the source. Like Dicthamus said, the clove size determines your bulb size, so scouting for good planting stock is a smart thing to do.
According to what I have read, softnecks (Artichoke or Silverskin) are most reliable for the south, but you can also grow Creoles to a large size (which are supposed to be especially tasty) as well as Asiatics and Turbans, and some Marbled Purple Stripes. If you wanted to go the other road, of trying out named varieties, I've heard good things about Filaree Farm, and their catalogue is amazing. Expensive, but probably a good place to get a special garlic that you'll grow your own seed from in years to come, or just to read and learn about the different varieties.
https://www.filareefarm.com/seed-garlic ... ed-Garlic/
Southern Exposure sells garlic too, and has a good reputation, although their catalogue isn't as clear as Filaree.
A third way that people find locally adapted seed garlic is to look for garlic at local markets or farms in the area. I found this online, that might be helpful, although it is a bit dated.
http://extension.msstate.edu/newsletter ... ic-growers
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
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ponyexpress
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#12

Post: # 22108Unread post ponyexpress
Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:23 am

JohnJones wrote: Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:34 am Also, any favorite seed garlic sources would be appreciated.
I think I'm a believer in getting seed garlic from places that are similar to you. I'm in Massachusetts so Fedco (Maine), Maine Potato Lady, and Sun Moon Farm (NH farmer friend) have performed well for me. I have also bought from Filaree Farm (Washington) and may try them again. Also bought some from Burpee but not sure if I'm still growing them. I had an issue with Burpee where I bought their Northern Garlic collection. One of the varieties is Ajo Rojo. The bulbs were puny in size when I grew them. It seems that it's a Creole type which is better suited for the South. Not sure why they include it in Northern collection.

Bower wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:55 am I've heard good things about Filaree Farm, and their catalogue is amazing. Expensive, but probably a good place to get a special garlic that you'll grow your own seed from in years to come, or just to read and learn about the different varieties.
https://www.filareefarm.com/seed-garlic ... ed-Garlic/

A third way that people find locally adapted seed garlic is to look for garlic at local markets or farms in the area.
Yes, buying from the local farmer market can be a good way to get bulbs inexpensively. I agree with your sentiments on Filaree. I had good luck with them before.

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JohnJones
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#13

Post: # 22135Unread post JohnJones
Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:45 pm

Thanks for y'all's thoughts!! The rabbit hole opens...

Bronx
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#14

Post: # 22376Unread post Bronx
Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:31 am

Getting ready to dig out mine thie weekend. Grew them from grandchildren of a store bought bulb.

This is only the second year I'm growing my own so I'm new at garlic growing too. What I didn't expect, because the cloves I planted were white, were my bulbs have purple streaks in them. That makes me interested in what I'm going to dig up this year.

One thing I've done differently than you is I wait for the stems to get browner; they almost look like they're dead and only the center part of the stems still have some green in them. Don't know if that matters or what I'd get if I dig them up sooner. Maybe next year I'll try digging a couple up sooner and comare them.

Anyway, yours look good. Hope they're as tasty as mine.

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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#15

Post: # 22382Unread post Whwoz
Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:18 am

[mention]Bronx[/mention] It is recommended to dig them when they have about 4 to 6 green leaves left. The bases of these leaves from the protective skins over the bulb and cloves. If you have allowed all the leaves to die off, you will not have any skins on the garlic and it may not cure as well and maybe more suspectable to rotting in storage unless they have good airflow around them. Due to our very wet spring I missed pulling mine when I should have and have no skins over the cloves, they are holding OK so far hanging in a protected area with good air flow around them.

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ponyexpress
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#16

Post: # 22385Unread post ponyexpress
Sat Jun 13, 2020 11:14 am

A couple of my plants have turned brown and they have not sent the scape up. Not sure why that happened. I pulled those plants and am letting them dry. They did not bulb for some reason.

Paquebot
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#17

Post: # 22446Unread post Paquebot
Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:53 pm

As some have said, growing garlic can be addictive. I was happy from 1983 to around 2000 while growing just one nameless variety. Internet came into my life and hundreds of varieties available, Didn't take long before I was growing 27 varieties. An area couple were growing garlic for a produce auction and not making any money. Turned most of my stock over to them and We Grow Garlic was born. That imploded after a few years and I'm right back to where I started but it is now Martin's Heirloom.

Martin

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JohnJones
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#18

Post: # 22447Unread post JohnJones
Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:08 pm

Bronx wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:31 am Getting ready to dig out mine thie weekend. Grew them from grandchildren of a store bought bulb.

This is only the second year I'm growing my own so I'm new at garlic growing too. What I didn't expect, because the cloves I planted were white, were my bulbs have purple streaks in them. That makes me interested in what I'm going to dig up this year.

One thing I've done differently than you is I wait for the stems to get browner; they almost look like they're dead and only the center part of the stems still have some green in them. Don't know if that matters or what I'd get if I dig them up sooner. Maybe next year I'll try digging a couple up sooner and comare them.

Anyway, yours look good. Hope they're as tasty as mine.
Thanks! I was watching the plants pretty close having never harvested garlic before. The biggest ones showed a quick turn in the quality of the green leaves so I dug around the base a bit and could tell they were ready. They're drying nicely, thankfully. I'll be growing a whole lot more this winter.

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JohnJones
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#19

Post: # 22501Unread post JohnJones
Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:06 pm

Whwoz wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:18 am @Bronx It is recommended to dig them when they have about 4 to 6 green leaves left. The bases of these leaves from the protective skins over the bulb and cloves. If you have allowed all the leaves to die off, you will not have any skins on the garlic and it may not cure as well and maybe more suspectable to rotting in storage unless they have good airflow around them. Due to our very wet spring I missed pulling mine when I should have and have no skins over the cloves, they are holding OK so far hanging in a protected area with good air flow around them.
Here is a good video (from today!) on garlic harvesting featuring my favorite YouTube gardener. A guy who has grown garlic for decades perfectly describing how to harvest it...


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ponyexpress
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Re: First Garlic Harvest

#20

Post: # 22572Unread post ponyexpress
Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:13 pm

Paquebot wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:53 pm That imploded after a few years and I'm right back to where I started but it is now Martin's Heirloom.
I see that your garlic is at Filaree's website:
https://www.filareefarm.com/seed-garlic ... RLOOM.html

Do you just grow for them or do you have your own shop?

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