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...

They are lovely JohnJones! Congrats on your first garlic harvest (and welcome to a new addiction!)

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!!

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

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

Well done [mention]JohnJones[/mention]. Very nice harvest.

Nice job, JJ! Those are really pretty. Welcome to your new addiction. 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.

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...

About 4 more weeks for me. Hopefully, the rain won't be like last year.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

[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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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?