Garlic

**Mrs Dobby** · 15-05-2007, 07:59 PM

Supermarket garlic can be grow, especially if its sprouting, you just plant it root down, shoots up about the same depth again deep as it is long and let it grow.

However, I'm afraid you may well find that supermarket garlic has been sprayed with something to inhibit growing, or may be a variety that isnt suited to uk conditions, or that needs to be vernailsed (exposed to shorter days and lower temperatures) to grow, or a type that needs exposure to freezing conditions in order to split into individual bulbs, or that there isnt enough time for it to grow fully (so the yields are reduced), or even as it isnt from certified disease free stocks that it may well prove to be very disease susceptible!

But having said that, its worth a go, as Nick always says, it has two choices!

Personally we grow garlic thats specifically for overwintering (San Marco) thats going really well, and spring planted varities that go in in March.

**Alice** · 15-05-2007, 10:10 PM

Hello Stu and welcome to the Vine.
Garlic is fully hardy and can just be planted in the ground.
About your other questions
You can plant garlic in Oct/Nov to get the best crop. You can use garlic from the supermarket but it may be a variety from the Med which does not do so well here (you don't show which part of the country you are in. You can do this if you go into personal profile and update). There is a company in the very north of Scotland (Nairn) - The Really Garlicky Co (I think) who market a variety called Melody through supermarkets. If you can find that it will be fine. (You can also buy from them online for a bigger price). Or some people think for an October planting you are better to buy a named variety from a supplier.Garlic does best if it has some frost to split it into cloves.
Or you can plant garlic in March. There seems to be a school of thought that says for a March planting supermarket stuff will be fine. Your crop will not be as big but should be worthwhile.
I planted garlic in October and March so waiting to see what the difference will be. Interesting - well for me anyway.
Or you can plant garlic in Mar

**Mushroom** · 19-05-2007, 04:30 PM

hi,
we planted garlic from the supermarket last year, and it did grow. However only half of turned out ok- the other half had either eelworm (little worms on it) or botrytis (black sooty stuff.) these 2 problems can affect stuff you grow from the supermarket.
I got some expensive bulbs from a garden centre too last year, but on opening them, half of it was mouldy and the rest didnt grow.
I'd say its best to get bulbs to grow from a garlic specialist mail order, but its only available in winter i think.

**jacob marley** · 19-05-2007, 06:13 PM

The Garlic farm on the ilse of wight is the best place to start you can buy by mail order and they put the growing instructions in as well i think you are bit late now for this year jacob

**terrier** · 19-05-2007, 09:45 PM

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/index.asp

If you like garlic, this'll really make your mouth water.

Welcome to the 'vine.

**Stu8706** · 19-05-2007, 09:50 PM

Last bit.
If i buy my first bit of garlic from the farm when is the best time of year to plant it

**terrier** · 19-05-2007, 09:54 PM

Try the web site. All the info is there for loads of different varieties.

**Stu8706** · 20-05-2007, 01:17 PM

Thank you all.

**olive tree** · 20-05-2007, 04:33 PM

Hi , i planted garlic from the supermarket and pulled it up today cos i thought it wasnt doing anything and it was like a red spring onion,it hadn't split into cloves which i didn't mind but then i saw this awful worm thing in the compost! Yikes it was about 2 inches long,orange with loads of legs what is it? Needless to say it made my skin crawl and put me off the garlic which i must say smelt very good.
Netty

**olive tree** · 20-05-2007, 08:24 PM

Hahaha what a fool am i? Its just with all these threads of bugs and stuff i thought maybe i'd got a bug of mass destruction!
Thanks x

**Alice** · 20-05-2007, 10:15 PM

If you buy your garlic from the farm Stu, the best time of year to plant it is about November.

**Flummery** · 21-05-2007, 10:23 AM

If it was orange it could have been a wireworm. They eat your plants! they can devastate a spud crop.

**Sebbster** · 21-05-2007, 12:15 PM

Olive Tree, check out this link...

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/insects.htm

Pictures of bugs here including the wire worm..

**moggssue** · 21-05-2007, 02:40 PM

I think I've seen those cockchafer grubs in my soil - but luckily I forcibly removed them! Do they do much damage, the thing I had looked as tho it had jaws made for chomping?!

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