Message Board - BigPumpkins.com

Maine

Anyone have any tips on soil prep? I am getting ready to plant in the next 2 weeks. Also I read the following has anyone ever tried this:

When your soil is fully ready to be planted, take the bulbs you want to plant and break them apart into their individual cloves (Being sure to keep each variety separate from others. Soak each varieties' cloves in water containing one heaping tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and liquid seaweed per gallon to protect them from fungus as well as give them an energy boost. Leave the cloves in the soda water overnight or long enough for the clove covers to loosen so the liquid comes into contact with the surfaces of the cloves. Garlics clove covers can contain fungal spores, or conidia or the eggs of pests such as mites and are best discarded rather than planted since the first thing the cloves do is to shed them, anyway. The baking soda helps neutralize the fungi. Commercial growers don't have time to peel cloves bare but gardeners do.

The cloves should then be soaked in rubbing alcohol or 100 proof vodka for three or four minutes and then planted immediately. The alcohol kills pests and pest eggs and any pathogens the first soaking missed. Every time I have done this, the treated garlic turned out better than the untreated control group.

10/16/2011 1:01:45 PM

Ontario

Wow....no...but thanks for the info....I am just getting ready to plant myself. I added fresh t-mix, sand and some Zeopro to my soil this year and then tilled. I am looking for a bit better drainage, as I had a Pythium problem last year.

10/16/2011 4:01:20 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Dr G, & BP, I grow garlic each year, and am going to be planting on Thursday!!! I soak approx 4 hrs. in h2po2(HydrogenPeroxide) mix,10%/90% water, instead of baking soda, (hoping to erradicated any fuglies from the cloves). Slough off the skins... Then a quick soak in Rubbing Alcohol...1 minute is enough... then plant em!!! Fresh home grown garlic is WAY better than store bought stuff!!!! I think this tutorial was originally written by the late Travis Weedman...(only the good die young) & is now available w/ modifications on several garlic sites! Also recomendations for a lite dose of root development fert, at planting time...as cloves will prbly only grow roots, this year!!! for you northerners!!!!LOL I will prbly have 2/3" tall plants b/4 first frost, which is why I will mulch w/ 4/6" of straw!!!! LOL
PS...Easy to grow...Good Eats!!! If you are a Garlic fan!!! Growin yer own will make you a Garlic NUT!!! Peace, Wayne

10/18/2011 2:18:14 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Dr. G...not sure about any specifics on soil prep...except nice & loose!!! Easy for bulbs to expand...& weed control!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...I grow in raised beds, and add peat moss each year as needed to keep it nice & loose!!!

10/18/2011 2:21:15 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

GThumb, sorta thinkin yer original quote is from the folks in Wisconsin, which is where I got most of my garlic stock from this year!!!! Great folks!!! Peace, Wayne
If you really love garlic...do the final soak in the 100% Vodka, then save for Bloody Mary's!!!! LOL Just kiddin of course!!!!

10/18/2011 3:44:56 AM

pizzapete

Hamilton Nj

i tryed garlic for the first time last year and had okay results but my soil was very wet over the winter,this year i bought 12 pounds of garlic to eat and plant,lol wanye is right im a garlic freak now i know what real garlic tastes like ,i also did the soak in fish emolshine and bakeing soda ,heard u can even use a beer for the acholhole rinse before planting , hope mine coms out bigger this year ,also i forgot to cut scapes early did not know about that,lol, goodluck !!! pizza

10/20/2011 11:28:16 PM

LIpumpkin

Long Island,New York

any names of good suppliers I can buy from?

10/21/2011 5:41:44 AM

Maine

Thanks folks I grew some really nice garlic this year and saved the best and biggest 40 heads to plant in the next week or so. I think I will try the above on half my cloves and see which has better results next year.

10/21/2011 6:51:33 PM

RayL

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Hey guys. I grew garlic this year. Got some nice heads. I planted about 150 bulbs last weekend. I am trying elephant garlic for the first time. planted about six inches apart in nice composted soil. Here are this years results http://www.plantyourown.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=107&catid=newimages

10/21/2011 7:07:19 PM

pizzapete

Hamilton Nj

ive never bought from internet cause it is all 16.00 dollars a pound,lol pizza

10/25/2011 7:54:59 PM

Milford

milford, CT,

I have grown garlic for a few years and this year plnated 150 ..Siberian, Muzik, California Early, and Elephant..last years crop was excellent..I agree ..way better than store bought!!

10/25/2011 9:00:54 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

RayL...a bit confused...150 bulbs...or cloves? If you broke up 150 bulbs into cloves to plant...150 x approx 8 cloves per bulb!!! Sweet!!!! Grow em Big!!!! LI, try wegrowgarlic.com ... or Keene Organics, from WI, I think? Peace, Wayne

10/28/2011 1:34:14 AM

Ontario

I am still planting...one more bed to go.... so far I have about 680 full size cloves planted. I am also a big advocate on starting your own seed...so far I have planted over 200 bulbils, about 250 1st year seeds, and over 400 2nd year seeds. If you continue this practice year after year, you will never have to buy seed garlic again, and the bonus is you will have the strongest healthiest plants you will ever grow!! Growing from seed only takes a small area, they don't need the same space as full size cloves until you plant your 3 year old seed...for me will be for the 2013 harvest...when I should have over 1500 cloves from the 400 plus 2nd year seed I planted this year. If you have not started this practice I suggest you let some of your garlic go to seed next year and harvest for the fall planting in 2012. Good Luck!!

11/4/2011 11:11:28 AM

big moon

Bethlehem CT

I have always had good luck planting ordinary store bought garlic cloves. It is all softneck, but it seems to grow well and taste really good too. Might be worth a shot if you haven't ordered garlic and would still like to grow it in 2012. I will hopefully plant this week. I used to plant around columbus day but I would get too much top growth before winter. Last year I planted on veterans day and the cloves still had time to root in for the winter.

11/5/2011 6:24:03 PM

Maine

I put in 150 really nice cloves last weekend. I have one more variety I need to get in today that I picked at my local farmers market yesterday. NOt sure what it is but its big and purple..lol

Bpmailey- The garlic I planted last weekend was from garlic I grew this summer and do plan on letting a few plants 'flower" next summer to get bulbils. What do you do wih all the garlic?

11/6/2011 7:10:18 AM

Ontario

Dr.G I talk at about 4 different fairs and festivals on growing and braiding hardneck garlic. This past year I ran a braiding seminar at the Stratford Garlic Festival and provided 13 plants for each registrant to braid their own and take home. I am hoping to expand this next year to a few more of the events I speak at. I also supply friends and family with garlic for eating and starting their own, as well as giving braids as gifts...the rest I eat and save the best to replant for next year... I have not bought store garlic for over 5 years now... and hope I never have to again!!

11/6/2011 10:16:50 AM

Maine

BP- that sounds great. What variety of garlic are you growing?

11/9/2011 5:52:20 PM

Ontario

Hey Dr. G.... I grown almost all porcelain hardneck varieties, Northern Quebec, Lenningrad, Music, and several others...all produce nice large 4-6 clove bulbs. Garlic will climatize to the growing climate and soil you grow it in. So there are many porcelain varieties out there now as folks are growing garlic from seed, so in 4 years you will have your own porcelain variety. I have grown several of the other hardeck garlic... the Rocambole varieties.... but they grow 10-12 cloves per bulb which I do not like as much. I did find a Rocambole called Gourmet Red, which has 5-6 cloves per bulb which I have planted a small amount of. I stay away from the softneck garlic all together... how about you?? What's in your patch??

11/12/2011 8:12:45 AM

OLD-ROOKIE

NILES , CALIF

Been growin garlic for ten years;
I dont care if they are softneck or hardneck garlic;
my taste is for hot garlic the hotter the better;
you can put them in some fresh salsa, and you swear;
\ after you put your garlic in , you wont need to put a jalepeno in.
I use the same compost as what i use for my pumpkins;
I rotate my patch every 2years so they dont get fungus
georgia fire, romanian red; duganis; hot but strong after taste. I braid my garlic with a string; it comes out
looken like i weaved it through;this works for all garlics

11/12/2011 3:40:47 PM