How long can I store Seed Garlic?

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Toomanymatoes
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How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#1

Post: # 81361Unread post Toomanymatoes
Thu Oct 27, 2022 2:08 pm

I purchased too much seed garlic this year. I was thinking about storing it for planting in fall 2023, but so far what I have read is that it is recommended to plant it within 8 months. My garden space is limited (can't harvest the garlic until July) and my attempt at using a 20g pot last season was a failure.

Anyone have any experience with planting garlic bulbs stored for 12-14 months? My basement stays around 70F and 61RH.

Just trying to decide if I should risk storing it, giving it away or eating it. I suppose I could try to find space to plant in the spring. I am in Zone 6 Canada.

Thanks!

rossomendblot
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#2

Post: # 81371Unread post rossomendblot
Thu Oct 27, 2022 4:23 pm

I don't think they will store for a year, May is about the limit here for the best storing varieties. Is there anywhere you could interplant them? Last year I planted some in the strawberry bed and they did really well, the garlic grows tall and above the strawberry foliage so there is no shading, and they appreciate the cool and damp soil. Otherwise you could harvest it early as green garlic.

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Toomanymatoes
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#3

Post: # 81374Unread post Toomanymatoes
Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:23 pm

That is what I figured in regards to storage. Thanks for the good suggestion of interplanting! Unfortunately, I don't really have a 'garden'. Just two small raised beds (each of which will have garlic) and many pots. I do have a community garden plot, but I planted my garlic already. I might have to figure out some additional areas where I can put some more, possibly the perimeter of the plot.

Otherwise, I will either try pots again now or maybe I will wait until Spring and plant up some pots. Just need to read up on Spring planting.

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Tormato
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#4

Post: # 81377Unread post Tormato
Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:50 pm

Since it is likely too late to plant now, you'll likely have to wait until spring. And that's if your garlic can make it that long. I'm assuming you have a hard neck variety, which lacks the long storage ability of the soft necks. So, if you don't wind up eating it, perhaps you can find another gardener close by who could plant it, and share any harvest. I have no idea how hard necks do, if they do anything, in a spring planting.

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pepperhead212
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#5

Post: # 81378Unread post pepperhead212
Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:06 pm

Do you have any friends you could share it with, like I have, that I saved my extra seedlings of everything else with? I got one lady growing almost as much as I do of everything else, in just a couple years - no garlic yet for her, but probably next year. Might still be time, though for you up there, but I don't know.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

rossomendblot
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#6

Post: # 81379Unread post rossomendblot
Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:09 pm

Toomanymatoes wrote: Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:23 pm That is what I figured in regards to storage. Thanks for the good suggestion of interplanting! Unfortunately, I don't really have a 'garden'. Just two small raised beds (each of which will have garlic) and many pots. I do have a community garden plot, but I planted my garlic already. I might have to figure out some additional areas where I can put some more, possibly the perimeter of the plot.

Otherwise, I will either try pots again now or maybe I will wait until Spring and plant up some pots. Just need to read up on Spring planting.
Why do you think your pot grown garlic was a failure last season? I've tried growing garlic in containers a few times and never been really happy with the result, but I think that's because I only ever use pots for the small, leftover cloves and then forget to water them enough when the weather gets hot.

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Tormato
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#7

Post: # 81394Unread post Tormato
Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:20 pm

If growing in pots is difficult, read up on growing in doubled pots to see if that would be worth trying.

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Toomanymatoes
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#8

Post: # 81398Unread post Toomanymatoes
Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:36 pm

Tormato wrote: Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:50 pm Since it is likely too late to plant now, you'll likely have to wait until spring. And that's if your garlic can make it that long. I'm assuming you have a hard neck variety, which lacks the long storage ability of the soft necks. So, if you don't wind up eating it, perhaps you can find another gardener close by who could plant it, and share any harvest. I have no idea how hard necks do, if they do anything, in a spring planting.
Nope, not too late at all! Actually, this is the time to plant. Hardneck garlic specifically. Softneck is not a good choice where I am. I am pretty sure I read that you can plant the hardneck just after the ground thaws pre-Spring as well. I need to double check on that though. I only really intended to plant in the fall. I am sure I can find another gardener to give them to.
pepperhead212 wrote: Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:06 pm Do you have any friends you could share it with, like I have, that I saved my extra seedlings of everything else with? I got one lady growing almost as much as I do of everything else, in just a couple years - no garlic yet for her, but probably next year. Might still be time, though for you up there, but I don't know.
Actually, I belong to a community garden. So, plenty of gardeners to offer them too! I gave away many tomato and pepper seedlings to them last season.
rossomendblot wrote: Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:09 pm Why do you think your pot grown garlic was a failure last season? I've tried growing garlic in containers a few times and never been really happy with the result, but I think that's because I only ever use pots for the small, leftover cloves and then forget to water them enough when the weather gets hot.
Well, I only planted one 20 gallon fabric pot. I planted 9 cloves (or so?) of three different varieties. Nothing came up. Everything I planted in my raised beds (about 35 cloves) came up just fine. So, I assumed the pot froze or went through too many freeze thaws. However, it may just be that I did not water them. I never even thought about that to be honest. I will probably try 1 pot again, just to see. I will place it in the sunniest part of my yard as well.

After some more thought, I think I can squeeze them all around my community plot without disrupting the areas where my tomatoes and peppers will be going.

Thanks for the suggestions!

rxkeith
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#9

Post: # 81405Unread post rxkeith
Thu Oct 27, 2022 9:10 pm

your garlic may keep until spring if stored properly, but it won't be in as good of shape as it is now.
i kept garlic over winter in the fridge that i received as a surprise bonus in a seed swap. i didn't have
much choice. it was november, and we had about eight inches of snow on the ground already, and it wasn't
going anywhere until maybe april. i spring planted when there was still snow on the ground. it grew, but did
not size up well. i replanted in the fall, and it grew fine, the following year with normal size bulbs.
it usually isn't too hard to find someone that wants garlic for planting if you have exhausted all attempts to find
places to plant what you still have. i think you will find a home for the surplus.


keith

mama_lor
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#10

Post: # 81419Unread post mama_lor
Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:47 am

To keep until next fall would be very difficult. It would need to be specific varieties, grown in the most disease free soil and have great storing conditions.

Unless your climate has cold summers, container garlic is pretty much a failure. They really dislike warm soil.

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Toomanymatoes
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#11

Post: # 81480Unread post Toomanymatoes
Fri Oct 28, 2022 9:44 pm

Well, I went back to my community garden plot and just made some room for the most of the remaining garlic. I need to stop buying so many different varieties of plants. It's a problem...

I will plant what I have left in containers to see if I can make that work. I think I will try to insulate them on the outside with piles of leaves and maybe water them a bit during the winter.

These are the varieties I planted for those interested:
Ajo Rojo
Armenian
Belarus
Belatic Croatian
Eagle Creek
Fish Lake 2 (Pink Porcelain)
Gaia's Joy
German Porcelain
Guatemalan Ikeda
Hungarian
Khabar
Marino
Mennonite
Ontario Giant/Puslinch
Persian Star
Prussian White
Siberian
Wildfire
Yugoslavian

All the smaller cloves from the above will be going into containers, as well as the following I grew last year:
German Red
Kostyn Red
Music
Northern Quebec
Russian Red

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bower
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#12

Post: # 81502Unread post bower
Sat Oct 29, 2022 7:19 am

Wow! You did go nuts on the varieties... glad you found space for them all. :) Can't wait for show and tell at harvest time.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

greenthumbomaha
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#13

Post: # 81519Unread post greenthumbomaha
Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:44 am

Do you have a system for keeping track of the numerous varieties you are growing?

Too many faded tags and memory mix ups for several years now. If you haven't already done so Toomany ... make a sketch of where each clove is planted. Tape the sketch to the wall because that can get lost too. I have no tips for keeping the varieties in order while you are harvesting. It's always a madhouse and I forget as soon as I turn around in the heat.

In recent years there has been only one addition from a wonderful grower here on the forum. I kept that totally seperate from the other plants. Then one of my son's friends who grows the funny stuff thought he would "Help" me by trimming all the almost cured garlic still on racks down to an inch and combine it in a box.

Passing this on so you never experience such a sad day !!!

- Lisa

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Toomanymatoes
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#14

Post: # 81542Unread post Toomanymatoes
Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:53 pm

Bower wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 7:19 am Wow! You did go nuts on the varieties... glad you found space for them all. :) Can't wait for show and tell at harvest time.
I hope I have something to show! My harvest this year was pretty unimpressive. Fortunately, the seed bulbs this year were huge! So, hopefully that translates into big bulbs for me next year.
greenthumbomaha wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:44 am Do you have a system for keeping track of the numerous varieties you are growing?

Too many faded tags and memory mix ups for several years now. If you haven't already done so Toomany ... make a sketch of where each clove is planted. Tape the sketch to the wall because that can get lost too. I have no tips for keeping the varieties in order while you are harvesting. It's always a madhouse and I forget as soon as I turn around in the heat.

In recent years there has been only one addition from a wonderful grower here on the forum. I kept that totally seperate from the other plants. Then one of my son's friends who grows the funny stuff thought he would "Help" me by trimming all the almost cured garlic still on racks down to an inch and combine it in a box.

Passing this on so you never experience such a sad day !!!

- Lisa

Thank you for the reminder! I do record everything with paper/pencil as I plant and then put that information into Excel.

I am always worried when I dry my pepper and tomato seeds that my child will create a 'gust of wind' and blow the seeds into each other! So far so good though.
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bower
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Re: How long can I store Seed Garlic?

#15

Post: # 81550Unread post bower
Sat Oct 29, 2022 6:25 pm

I do a map for mine on a sheet of card that I can grab and take with when I have to check who's who. This has become a stack of years held together with a paper clip. I like your spreadsheet - neat! ;)
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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