Hi,
Could someone tell me whether it is OK to use garlic from Sainsbury's to plant on my lottie or do I really need to buy it for 3x the price from a garden centre? What is the difference?
Many thanks,
Piglit
stuff from sainsburys may contain diseases. Talk to Emma Jane or Tim - you do not want to get white rot. Specifically bought stuff for growing is guaranteed disease free. Sainsburys garlic may not be hardy enough. Seed garlic is specifically bred for growing in the uk and you can choose whether to get an early, sort keeping variety or a late long keeper, or a mixture of both. You do not know what you are getting from the supermarket. Seed garlic usually grows larger than shop bought stuff, so you get more in the end.
But then some people have had good results with supermarket stuff. You pays your money, you takes your chance...
Whilst it probably is better to buy from proper suppliers, i just threw in cloves from tescos last year and every one germinated, no probs with disease either, and they have stored well. supermarkets may have treated the bulbs true, and you dont know what chemicals they have used either, so aquilegia is right - your choice!!
Ahhhh, you may have been disease free last year....but you don't know what that crop left behind..... such a bringer of joy me!
As Aqui said, you do what you feel you want, or can afford to do. Many people grow spuds from supermarket spuds and not seed ones and they have great success and a excellent harvest. I buy good seed versions of both because my plot is riddled with every disease going and I want to try and get the strongest plants in to start to give them a good chance.
THanks EJ ;D the good-will spirit still flowing i see!!!! ;D ;) ;D
but your right, i i no knowledge of the 'seeds' heritage, and if bought from a reputible supplier you gain a head start for your crops.