Garlic for 2021

[pepperhead212]

It's that time! I know some have already planted theirs, since they are much colder, and some even warmer than I am have planted theirs. I always wait until about a week into November, and this year is much warmer than usual - in the 70s for a while. I got my ground ready a couple of days ago, and today I started working on the garlic.

I got all of my garlic separated, and counted out, and it will be soaking overnight in a solution of kelp and potassium bicarbonate, then tomorrow, I'll rinse them briefly in 50% isopropyl alcohol, and plant.

I have 32 huge cloves of German Extra Hardy from a pound of seed garlic, and the same number of cloves almost as large, from just under a pound of Estonian Red, using my largest heads. Then 60 cloves of Metechi from a pound of seed garlic - still large cloves, just not huge like those other two. And I have 33 cloves of Montana Giant, from a little over a pound, from last season. Any extra area I have will get planted with shallots. And maybe some elsewhere, too.

So what kinds are other garlic lovers growing for the coming year?

 

[taxlady]

I have a whole lot of tiny bulbs of garlic that were locally grown. Do you think those would work? And, any tips for planting them? Do you think it would work in pots that are kept outdoors? I live in a climate that has very cold winters, though this winter is predicted to be less cold than usual.

 

[blissful]

Pepperhead, we have our favorite garlic, Russian Red, a hardneck. It has 3 - 5 cloves, very large cloves, nice sized heads. We've been growing it for at least 5 years. We had some animal dig up almost a 3rd of our garlic last year so we are really looking forward to this coming year, to make up the difference. We planted about 230 cloves which will be ready for harvest in July 2021.


We used to sell garlic and plant about 1500 per year, but we have so many other things we want to fit in all our gardens, there's not enough room for more garlic.

 

[pepperhead212]

I have a whole lot of tiny bulbs of garlic that were locally grown. Do you think those would work? And, any tips for planting them? Do you think it would work in pots that are kept outdoors? I live in a climate that has very cold winters, though this winter is predicted to be less cold than usual.

What kind of garlic do you have, TL? It seems that this would be too late to plant up there, though if it has been warm you may be able to start them now. Also, you say you have "tiny" bulbs, so I assume the cloves are also small, and it's best to plant the large ones. I usually save the few small cloves for cooking, when separating the cloves.

Rocambole types are best for the very cold areas. I don't grow them because I can have mild winters, and some don't get enough of a deep freeze to form a head.

 

[larry_stewart]

I planted mine 1 1/2 weeks ago, And I saw a few pooping up ( about 1 inch ) already I assume due to the warm weather we've had this week.

 

[Kathleen]

I planted mine last week, but they have already shot up a few bits of green to check out the lay of the land. I planted a soft-neck organic garlic out of California because it sounded great and "is suitable for braiding." Priorities!

 

[pepperhead212]

Garlic and shallots are in! I did 3 rows in the wide row that my squash was in, and that my rosemary and sage are in - a row I haven't grown garlic or any alliums in for at least 8 years. The rows are about 10" apart, garlic 5" apart, and the shallots 9" apart for the large, 6" for the small. I had 32 shallots to plant, and a little more space than I needed, which I why I spaced the larger further apart, than usual. I dumped some ground up leaves in them - I'll let them settle, and put some more in later on, or some straw.
The finished 3 rows of garlic and shallots, mulched with leaves, same row the squash was in. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

It's funny how large those metechi cloves were, yet they were my small cloves! There were a few average sized cloves, but most were what I would consider 2 cloves, when cooking. Those German Extra Hardy Porcelain and Estonian Reds were so large that I consider that size 3-4 cloves. That's why I like these kinds so much.
The small metechi cloves! In a 10 x 13 inch tray, for reference. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Rocklobster]

We've been having great weather taxi..you still have time to get them in..do it quick because next week could be a totally different story

 

[larry_stewart]

Garlic and shallots are in!

I didnt know Shallots went in in the fall. I always thought they were planted sam time as onions.

 

[pepperhead212]

Larry,

Some put them in when the onions go in, but the ones I tried in spring did not produce much by fall time; same with the seed shallots. Planting in the fall often produces clusters of 6-8 shallots by June, before I harvest garlic.

 

[larry_stewart]

Larry,

Some put them in when the onions go in, but the ones I tried in spring did not produce much by fall time; same with the seed shallots. Planting in the fall often produces clusters of 6-8 shallots by June, before I harvest garlic.

Thats godo to know. Last year I planted them at the same time as my onions. Actually had a better year than Ive had in the past ( ive only grown them a few times). But they weren't as big as I would have liked.

 

[taxlady]

What kind of garlic do you have, TL? It seems that this would be too late to plant up there, though if it has been warm you may be able to start them now. Also, you say you have "tiny" bulbs, so I assume the cloves are also small, and it's best to plant the large ones. I usually save the few small cloves for cooking, when separating the cloves.

Rocambole types are best for the very cold areas. I don't grow them because I can have mild winters, and some don't get enough of a deep freeze to form a head.

All I can tell you about type is that they are hard neck. I got them with a produce basket that gets them from local farmers. I would rather not cook with them, since they are so fussy to peel. The heads are about an inch in diameter, give or take. I guess I can roast them and then just squeeze the garlic out without peeling them. I did that with one head of these little garlics. It was still a bit fussy, but not as bad as peeling all the tiny cloves.

 

[pepperhead212]

TL, At least those are hardnecks, though the cloves sound as small as some of those softnecks I've gotten that were super-small, due to so many being in the head. Those things are probable very fresh, if they are that difficult to peel - that is what the 3 weeks of "curing" helps with, though I'm sure those were harvested longer ago than that! And that size is too small to plant - many of those cloves I planted today were larger than those bulbs.

I did find out that someone in Newfoundland on one of the garlic forums planted their garlic last week! So it must not be too late for you.

 

[taxlady]

TL, At least those are hardnecks, though the cloves sound as small as some of those softnecks I've gotten that were super-small, due to so many being in the head. Those things are probable very fresh, if they are that difficult to peel - that is what the 3 weeks of "curing" helps with, though I'm sure those were harvested longer ago than that! And that size is too small to plant - many of those cloves I planted today were larger than those bulbs.

I did find out that someone in Newfoundland on one of the garlic forums planted their garlic last week! So it must not be too late for you.

I had another look at them. You are right. Those cloves are not as tiny as I thought. I'm pretty sure there were more, tinier cloves on that one garlic head I roasted.

 

[bethzaring]

I planted my garlic between 2 and 4 weeks ago. Nothing has sprouted through the ground. It has been around freezing or below since I planted. I planted around 385 cloves this year. Around 275 cloves of German Extra Hardy and 55 cloves each of Purple Glazer and Red Chesnok.

 

[blissful]

Beth! Oh that is so great. I wish we had more room to put in more. Yay for next July.

 

[pepperhead212]

That's a lot of garlic, Beth! Do you sell some, or are you just worried about vampires? My friends are always joking with me that this is something I never have to worry about.

 

[bethzaring]

That's a lot of garlic, Beth! Do you sell some, or are you just worried about vampires? My friends are always joking with me that this is something I never have to worry about.

Didn't realize it is a lot off garlic! No I don't sell any. After 30+ years of growing garlic, I am STILL trying to figure how much to grow to be self sustaining in garlic. I use a lot in canning; tomato sauce, V-8 juice, green chile sauce, chicken broth. I need about 50 bulbs just to replant every year. The past 7 years I plant in a 4'x18' raised bed. This year I planted the cloves a bit closer together to get more planted in the bed. Here are photos of my past two years canning efforts. The green chile sauce takes the most garlic of anything I can. Except the year I canned garlic chicken stock!

 

[blissful]

Awesome Beth, I use most of my garlic in salsa, over 100 jars this year, the rest is minced and frozen (except for the seed garlic, the biggest ones).

 

[larry_stewart]

A few years back I grew about 60 bulbs which lasted me about 6 months. The following year I doubled up hoping to last a full year, but by the 10th month they were starting to sprout, so I used what I had left. Last year I was in the 140 mark, but had an issue with overwatering , and about 1/3 the crop was affected, still useable, but had to use it quickly, as I knew the shelf life was going to be poor. This year I got 220 in the ground. Hopefully Ill be able to avoid the over watering issue ( partially my fault by over watering, partially a soil issue ( still my fault, but I amended the soil for better drainage), and cant blame Mother Nature cause it was a very dry season). Ill be looking into freezing or any other way of using/ long term storing it. I love garlic, its such an easy ( and usually predictable) crop.