I'm going to have a go at Garlic this year for the first time.
I'm just going to use supermarket Garlic as seed - any advice on the best stuff to get ?
Generally, people advise against using supermarket garlic- can't remember why but someone will be along to tell us, I'm sure!
Importing diseases, something like that? I've been thinking of my garlic this year just now, coming in from a stint in the plottie...a couple of my own bulbs are earmarked, but then I'm going to try Birmingham Bull Ring's best for the remainder...
Best sort to get? Don't think you'll have much choice with s/market stuff, just large firm cloves is orl.
From what i've read, the advice is as stated above - don't use supermarket garlic. It is not virus free and is likely to have been grown abroad in a much warmer country and may struggle in the UK. Mind you, i have hear anecdotely of people having some success with it....
I finally 'killed' (by eating) an elephant garlic bulb I brought back from NY four years ago. I know it's not a true garlic, but....it was grown in Chile, sold in NY, brought back by me to Brum, cloves saved & planted - and it went on, and on, and on, year on year. I remember one year I sent Tim the Runt of that current year's litter?....can't remember what it weighed in at, but can remember that the postage was hefty ;D
So...I'm giving Brum garlic a go this year..
Quoteany advice on the best stuff to get
The biggest you can get and only use the biggest cloves, eat the small ones!!
Quote from: Tyke on October 04, 2008, 16:42:43
From what i've read, the advice is as stated above - don't use supermarket garlic. It is not virus free and is likely to have been grown abroad in a much warmer country and may struggle in the UK. Mind you, i have hear anecdotely of people having some success with it....
I used a bulb of my wife's organic garlic garlic, straight out of her kitchen cupboard last/this year and had a good harvest. I don't know if the fact it was organic makes any difference though.
I think some of the non organic garlic is heat treated to stop it sprouting so if possible use organic - if you shop around you should be able to get some that the country of origin is close to home (the nearer the better ad the climate is the same)
i once got some from a supermarket that was grown in the Isle of Wight which is were all the expensive seed stuff comes from - otherwise france is a good bet
As TG says - BIG!
The stuff that I see in Tesco is barely worth planting, even for Green Garlic. I would be ashamed of it!
I planted some supermarket garlic the firt year but I wouldn't again. After all that nurturing ended up with weeny titchy bulbs that weren't even worth eating. Last year a friend of mine gave me a few bulbs of something purply skinned from the garden centre and they grew lovely and had a great taste, totally different from the shop bought stuff.
get some of the stuff grown on the Isle of Wight, its better in our climate.