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Good Morning: there is someone on here (TG I think) who has done just that - replanted the biggest cloves every year to get a natural selection process going on and his garlic havest has improved over the years.And Wyevale have Germidour if you want to trial it against new seed.
AArgh - I'm not a botanist but in general* all the cloves in a bulb share identical genes and natural selection is neither likely* nor necessary to explain the fact that the biggest bulbs and cloves are more likely to grow from the biggest cloves of the previous generation.
Quote from: Vinlander on September 26, 2010, 23:21:01AArgh - I'm not a botanist but in general* all the cloves in a bulb share identical genes and natural selection is neither likely* nor necessary to explain the fact that the biggest bulbs and cloves are more likely to grow from the biggest cloves of the previous generation.Sorry to go a bit off topic but I would love to have a clear, informed answer to this. It's the same with shallots (or rather it's the opposite) - we are advised to plant smaller bulbs for a better crop. This year I was none to pleased to get larger and fewer sets yet they have produced my best shallot crop ever both in size and quantity. So should we ignore advise to plant smaller shallots and larger garlic cloves?? :-\
It's the same with shallots (or rather it's the opposite) - we are advised to plant smaller bulbs for a better crop. This year I was none too pleased to get larger and fewer sets yet they have produced my best shallot crop ever both in size and quantity. So should we ignore advice to plant smaller shallots and larger garlic cloves?? :-\
A lot harder to weed though, unless you grow them up in potting compost and transplant them like leeks - but with a lot more fiddly care...Since a mature shallot can produce seed alongside a usable bulb I'm hoping to remove the need to buy them in every year.Cheers.