Using saved garlic

[caroline7758]

Have just been thinking about ordering some garlic and having seen the prices am wondering whether to use some of my own. Do I need to do anything or look out for anything when choosing cloves to re-plant?

[caroline7758]

[jennym]

I choose the biggest cloves, and look for firmness and no mouldy or rotten bits. Some used to dust the garlic in Flowers of Sulphur before planting, to give some protection against fungal diseases. Don't think it's approved now, though.

[chriscross1966]

I think you can still get suplhur....

All the elephant garlic I planted this year was home-saved.....

chrisc

[antipodes]

For the last two years I used supermarket garlic and it gave me better heads than the garden centre stuff...

[caroline7758]

I'm thinking of trying a mix of supermarket and home-saved.

[goodlife]

Caroline..I've been using home-saved now for..umm..more than 10 yrs..
Every year only the fattest and best looking cloves are used..no damage or evidence any kind of desease or markings..that way you end up with good size bulb and garlic that is most suitable for climate in your location.. ;)

[chriscross1966]

If you're going to use supermarket, look out for UK grown and organic if you can.... UK grown means they should be a good variety for growing here, organic means they aren't using shocking chemicals to supress onion white rotso there's less chance of importing that particular nasty ...

chrisc

[Sally A]

I never have any of my own to save, despite growing 90 plants last year it all went by new year; this year I'm doing 2kg, ie 180 plants.

I've noticed the Really Garlicky co now say 25 bulbs to a kilo, from the variety they are selling have only found it to be about 15 bulbs, with an average of 6 plumptious cloves per bulb.

Free delivery for £35+ orders - I reckon you would be better off phoning them for 2kg, ie 50 rather than 30 bulbs to negotiate rather than ordering at 80p per head.

Saying that Music is my preferred crop, the bulbs are really succulent, and nothing tastes better than that first new potato salad with fresh broad beans, some green garlic bulbs, celery salt........stinky but lovely.

I've always found the Really Garlicky co good to deal with (no I don't work for them, they are way up in Scotland and I'm down here in Zummerzet).  (Translator - Somerset to Scottish optional but recommended  ;D)

[Deb P]

I've saved and used my own Marco garlic the past two years, it has performed better than the two other bought types I grew in the same bed! I also used the outer bigger cloves only, ate the smaller inside ones! ;D

[caroline7758]

I never have any of my own to save, despite growing 90 plants last year it all went by new year

I won't have enough to last all year but reckon if I use a few of my own bulbs I can buy quite a lot for the price of the mail order ones.