Anyone have any recommendations on variety or timing?

What I read is to do soft neck types such as Lorz Italian or french thermadrone for areas like mine that don’t get so cold in the winter. Put them in the fridge for 6-10 weeks to do the vernalization. Plant out in late October into November . Keep the soil cool.

What about fertilizer? What’s the best way?

Thought about just using the store garlic also. Thermadrone looks real interesting as the flavor is supposed to be excellent paired with butter.

Where do you get your garlic?

Our feed store gets one variety and Kevin there wasn’t sure which type. They get it in in mid September.

Do you vernalize, chill your garlic prior to putting out? I doesn’t get cold enough here to do this outside. So the refrigerator is the only option.

Following as I’ve not tried garlic here in Florida but would like to.

Everything I’ve read so far suggests soft neck garlic types are the way to go at our latitude and climate. Creole and Soft Neck types. Creole garlics are said to have a wonderful flavor and thrive in areas with warmer winters. Locating creole seed garlic, there are several varieties within that group, is a little more tricky it seems, at least at a reasonable price. Maybe it is reasonable to spend close to $30 a pound for these garlics, but I’m going to keep looking for less pricey suppliers.

I’ve searched out local gardening forms here for coastal Texas and people do have successful garlic plantings. It is doable without too much trouble.

In the past, I have gotten my garlic from nearby farms. I also have a farmer friend in NH who gives me cloves for free. Since I've been growing them for a few years, I just plant the best ones from previous year.

I do agree that soft neck/creole garlic should do good for you. I have tried growing creole in the north and I don't get large cloves like I do with hard necks.

@karstopography Paquebot had an interesting way of fertilizing using horse manure and Milorganite.

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=1401&p=25033#p24972

post32059.html#p32059

I have ordered my garlic in the past from Filaree Farms with great results.

https://filareefarm.com

Thermidrome is very winter hardy, and likes a good winter. Not sure how good it would be for your climate, it is not very fussy however.
I think for you would work great varieties from Calabria, or Egipt, one can buy them here is store for eating, I tried them and they freeze over winter if it's cold.

A good base organic fertilization at planting followed by a nitrogen fertilization when the plants are starting to grow is a good combo. Also more heavy K once the plants are quite grown. So 3 fertilization in total, and good water during growing. This is really important, many people are afraid of watering their garlic.

I don't know if anyone over lists garlic under the heading of subtropical, but they would be the ones to look for if it is done. Then there is always the so-called Elephant garlic, which is a bit milder. Turbans may also be a possibility

Check out the Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic site under Subtropical climate in the shop if you want some ideas. You may get lucky and find some that are listed locally. Unfortunately phone will not let me link the site.

The Mexican market only has hard neck.
Doesn't work in Bastrop.
Regular store soft neck from store works very well.
Only plant the biggest cloves or you'll be sorry.
Never did any pre cill on anything.

Creoles, Asiatic, Turban, Artichoke, Silverskin and some Unclassified garlics listed at Garlicana would be good bets for subtropical trials.
https://www.garlicana.com/garlic-varieties/
They sell samples at $8 per quarter lb. That is, if you want to trial for especially flavorful or adaptable garlic types, and grow up seed.
But if you just want to try out garlic growing, for sure your unnamed locally sold garlic is a best bet.

karstopography wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:56 am
Where do you get your garlic?

I get mine from Mad River Garlic Growers. They are organic and in a similar growing area as me. Most of mine is grown from my stock at this point; I am growing Music and Rosewood. The Rosewood is still fairly new so I am still buying some to supplement from MRGG. I think the most important thing is to buy your bulbs from someone in a similar growing area as you. They know what grows well and what doesn't in your conditions. And if you buy something that grows well in your conditions, you are alleviating the years spent in getting the garlic to adjust well and avoiding the disappointments of trying something that just doesn't work for you.

When I started growing garlic many, many years ago, I tried all sorts of types. I read descriptions, it sounded yummy, so I tried. It wasn't until I bought bulb stock from a garlic festival near me that I was really successful. Talking to growers about successes and failures was key for me. For me, the porcelains grow well and store well in my area, but it took years to figure that out - something I could have avoided with simply talking to someone who actually grows near me.

Once I settled on a main type, I worked on building up so that I had enough to get me through the season and I was supplementing less and less with bought bulbs. I have settled on Music and am now building up Rosewood. I tried it at the suggestion of MRGG and it did not disappoint. I like a large bulb with large cloves. I planted 90 bulbs last year and am trying 100 to harvest next year. I am hoping that is the sweet spot for my garden; in a good year giving me more than enough to enjoy and replant all from my own stuff.

Your fertilizing will also be specific to your area based on a soil test and based on the garlic that grows well in it. Do you have any garlic festivals near you? If so, I highly encourage you to attend, talk to people - those local contacts are your best sources of info on how to start.

I LOVE growing garlic in my garden. The store bought bulbs don't have the intense flavor. And hey, a small benefit is no vampires in your home as you hang your bulbs around to dry for use through the 'off' season!

Thanks to all for the thoughtful, helpful and detailed replies. I did some more looking into what works locally and the list below are some of the ones suitable for my locale.

Siciliano (Artichoke)
Burgundy (creole)
Creole Red (creole)
Aglio Rosso (creole)
Donostia (creole)
Rose Du Latrec (creole)
Silverskin
Ajo Rojo (creole)
Lorz Italian (Artichoke)

I’ve found a good source for Lorz Italian and might look into tracking down a couple more types. I’ve got one spot picked out to grow garlic. Should be fun. I like growing onions and they do well here and from what I can tell, garlic has potential to thrive here also.

karstopography wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 11:18 am I like growing onions and they do well here and from what I can tell, garlic has potential to thrive here also.

I grew onions for the first time this year and will definitely grow again. In fact, I have already planned out a second space to double my harvest. No clue why I never thought of them! So yes, I think if you can grow onions, you should be able to grow garlic.

I shredded most my onions in my food processor, froze them in 3/4 cup blobs on a sheet pan, then wrapped the blobs in press'n'seal and froze them in zip-loc bags. The onions I grew are quite potent and I figure 3/4 cup of mine is probably worth at least 1 cup of store bought. Now as I cook, I can grab a blob and all the prep is done for me, just needs to thaw.

Be sure to post back next year on your garlic growing!

@karstopography , This is a site I found real helpful for southern garlic growing. Grey Duck is no longer growing/selling garlic but left their very handy website info on line for folks to read.

http://greyduckgarlic.com/Southern-Garl ... Guide.html

This fall will be the third crop of Lorz Italian from original bulbs I bought in 2020 from Southern Exposure. It's done well for me as has Russian Inferno and Siberian, both purchased from Keene garlic.

I've never pre-chilled my bulbs and they've done fine although in your location it might be helpful.

The beauty of onions, and hopefully also garlic, is that nothing wants to eat it other than people. Nothing bothered my onions, maybe garlic will be similar. Onions are so, so, so, low maintenance as compared to tomatoes. No tying up, no pruning, no caterpillar hunts, no staking, no fencing out this or that critter, no daily this or that that always needs doing. A lot of onions fit in a small garden space and garlic looks to be the same. Everyone in the family likes onions and the same is true for garlic.

And besides all that we folks in the south and south west can enjoy the green tops all winter and for a better part of the year.
I have some onion tops I'm going to dress my jambalaya I'm making tonight.
Fresh from the chemical free garden..

So true about humans being the sole predators of garlic. I even found onions are nipped by grouse and such in early spring but a taste of garlic tops is enough to put them off and nothing touches it..
The sensitivity of garlic is being a winter crop. It is in the ground so long, and it is affected by winter conditions which obviously don't impinge on our summer crops.
I love to see garlic up in the spring when there's nothing else moving. It's a boost for morale. I've also never grown a bulb of garlic that wasn't cherished or enjoyed by somebody... it is a pleasure to grow it and to have it in the kitchen.

I've been growing up the Creole Lautrec from bulbils and it's doing quite well here, although they are still smaller than average. They smell absolutely delicious and reminds me of Spanish Roja. I suspect there is some great flavor there in the creoles..

I'd buy your seed garlic as local as possible.

I decided to dig up almost all my garlic today (along with some onions that had soft, flopped over necks). I might be ahead of schedule on the garlic, but the garlic never stopped growing all winter and was all flopped all over on the ground.

Anyhow, it looks good to me since I didn’t have to do much of anything to maintain it. I think it also helped keep bugs and squirrels away. The garlic heads are rock firm and there’s no sign of anything like bug damage or disease. I’m letting it cure out in the shaded concrete table out in the breeze. This is all Lorz Italian softneck, except two smaller hardneck Spanish Roja. I may have a few more Roja out there.

I’m planning on dehydrating some of the cloves that might have been damaged on harvesting or looks loose or anything. I see how it goes with the remaining amount.

I already think this was a positive experience being my first time to mess with growing garlic. I will very likely grow it again.

@karstopography, good job! Mine didn't get in until Oct 15 so I've got about six more weeks to go if it grows like last year.
I've had good success with the Lorz Italian and will probably expand it. But I'm torn between doing that and trying another variety to grow too. It will probably be a Creole, artichoke or turban.

Glad to hear it was a good experience. Once they are cured and you're eating your supply instead of buying garlic, you'll see how worthwhile it is.
The Spanish Roja, bet you will really enjoy. It has a special flavor. I like to strip the outer wrappers off before hanging to cure, and wow the smell of the Roja is fantastic, almost better than eating it. Okay, as good as eatin it.