Teach me your GARLIC!

[charger]

Howdy!

We've been growing garlic for about 10 years. We dug this years harvest today. (so-so....) NEXT years crop will get planted this fall in a different place from our past. We moved last fall. (New owner of old place agreed to let me dig our garlic when it was ready. Already planted before we sold the old place)

Some background on my past efforts. We had a swamp... Gumbo clay, ground water levels almost at surface until mid summer usually. Over the years, I've added tons and tons of compost, raised the garden about 10", but it was still a swamp.

Now we're on top of a hill. The highest point in a 3-county area. It drains well. The soil is NATURALLY better than anything I was ever able to mix up. Full sun. (Old place had 3-4 hours of shade on 90% of our garden) And one other thing I like, better air movement. (NO trees around garden for several hundred yards, plus we're on that hill. The wind almost never stops here)

I'm about to plant a crop I want to do well with. (I'm obsessed with growing a great garlic crop) ( )I want NEW, FRESH ideas. What types do you grow? What are your "tricks"? I only have 4 months to make up my mind. HURRY!

[jeanette]

i've never had much luck with garlic, i usually forget where i planted it.. i'm thinking of planting some in an old tractor tire..

[Pharmer Phil]

I have had to adjust my garlic attempts to match Minnesota's fickle weather.
Too wet=bad
Too dry=bad
Sandy soil in areas of my garden are the best, by sandy, I am saying moderately sandy, organic rich soil.
I haven't had any luck up here with hard neck, soft neck seems the ticket.
When I first moved here, I was told I could plant garlic, in the fall, same as I did down south.
Tried three times, failures.
Planted this spring, in a sunny, raised spot that has an incline towards the south, very early (snow was still in shady spots in garden) and by golly, I think I've got it!

[Compost Pharmer]

Sounds like you mastered the garlic thing. Gonna try some sometime, ifin we ever get rain again.

[trudy]

Wow Phil I figured the hardneck was the ticket for up there. I've started out with the softneck cuz thats what I was told would do best down here so thats what I planted. The first year they did ok, then the second year it seemed they didn't get as big. I like decent size cloves. So I traded for some hardneck just to see how they would do here and so far they have produce the size I like. Yawl know how crappy my soil is but where the garden spot is has lots of sand. So maybe sand is the key with garlics. But then again the softnecks I dug a couple weeks ago were still small to me whereas the hardneck did the best. trudy

[flowerpower]

I plant hardneck in the fall and (sometimes) softneck in the spring. The most common varieties here are German white or red and Russian white. The climate here is very similar to parts of Germany.

Don't forget that Garlic is a heavy feeder. After I plant in the fall, I cover the bed with about 2 in of "spoiled" hay. In the spring I add a little more hay for mulch. You should always save the biggest cloves for replanting. This way you are not buying new stock each year. It saves $$$.

[kabuti]

Hi, here in CA I was getting my garlic from Seeds of Change & will order again before Aug. when we plant. I have elephant garlic I found at Casa de Fruita fruit stand near Gilroy, it was baseball size & di not grow the first year so I forgot about it then it came up last year & I saved & planted the large cloves. People have never guessed what it is when it was growing, they think it is Corn! Any way it is so mild & good & planting some other varieties in the fall too. I am able to just cut off the water & leave it in the ground till ready for use as dry here all Summer/Fall. Good luck.