i would like to try more garlic varieties

i am growing my first garlic this year. elephant and the new garlic hill is doing great. It is now time to get some variety in.. Based on experience what can anyone recommend as far as a good selection and supplier .. I would like a good range that will do well in the northeast.


thanks
-joe-

Here is where I buy mine http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/

Enjoy reading. The site is a great reference source.

Jerry

that is a fantastic site... any recommendations?

Sorry, but no recommendations at this time. After reading my earlier post it sounded as if I had bought from the gourmet gardeners more than once. However I just recently placed my first order with them for this upcoming Fall plant out. I bought their GA56 - All Warm Winter Area Sampler Assortment. I figure with a little luck and know how this will be a one time cost in that in the variety pack there will be a couple that will grow well under my growing methods and conditions and will provide me with garlic for years to come.

If all goes well with this assortment I may try some different varieties next season.

Here is a picture of what's left from my past May harvest of some Walmart produce dept. garlic I planted last Fall. From one bulb I harvested around a dozen bulbs like the larger ones in the picture. When fresh it had a mellow garlicky taste. As it cures in an air conditioned room that stays between 70º and 80º it is getting stronger, but not hot. Come Fall I plan to replant two of the bulbs shown in the picture.

Good luck on your garlic growing endeavor.

Jerry

Since you're in a cooler region, I'd recommend this one:

55. Assortment #5 - All Hardneck varieties - Cold/cool winter Gardener's Delight-
- We are Now Accepting Orders for Hardneck Assortments for 2009. -
One pound - Prime mix of cold winter hardneck varieties for the Northern states and other cold or cool winter areas. This assortment contains only the flavorful hardneck cultivars that grow so much better in the Northern areas of the country and other areas, usually mountainous, where cold winters are the norm.

It's from the samplers page, http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/assorts.htm

One of these days, I'm going to have enough space to plant a pound of garlic from this place! LOL

I didn't notice the variety packs.. i wish I had the room to plant a year's worth. but it does seem like a nice selection... i will never keep them identified.. I hope the shapes and colors are different enough!

joe - for the past two seasons, I have set garlic cloves from those I purchased at the local supermarket. So far, I've not been disappointed - lots, and lots of garlic come the following June. Our local gardening show on TV - Almanac Gardener - says garlic is easy to grow here in NC.

I happened to have purchased some really great garlic last year, and every clove gave some nice heads. Hopefully some will still be around this fall, and if I can stop my hubby from eating every last one, I'll plant some of those cloves for next year.

I did pop in an elephant garlic this year.. I read through the gourmet garlic site and think i will try a few of their mild and smooth garlic to roast on a fire or put on the tomato sandwiches. . but with those prices.. definatly going to the supermarket..

-joe-

I also got great results from the grocery store garlic. I don't know what kind it was. Horseshoe who is an experienced market grower in NC posted that you get larger heads by starting with larger cloves. So I picked out the ones with the largest cloves and I believe it did make a difference.

FYI, you can break apart your pods of garlic and freeze them to use throughout the year. So, if you order some and don't have room for it all, just freeze the leftovers!

Well, first of all: You guys one this forum are sooo coool! First you turn me on to the Seeds from Italy site and now this garlic site.

Second: I went ahead and bought the variety pack for the south. I debated with myself about this, but decided to go ahead and spend the money and buy. I've really not had very good luck with the garlic at the local Brookshire's. Often past it's prime and bland in flavor (at least for me). Not that I'm complaining. I love being out in the boonies. Its just a slight adjustment. Sometimes I have to mail order what I want. So the regional source for good garlic is a great find for me.

Thank you!

this is great.. I ordered the the suggested 55#5 with the 2.00$ extra for the larger head. I also ordered red toch - an artichoke variety garlic thad souds like a good one to roast and spread on toasted Italian bread. I did not realize that garlic freezes well.. I was thinking of putting them in oil and into the fridge.,. is there any prep to freezing them or do I just peel them and pop them in a freezer bag. This will save a lot of room..

thank you very much everyone for the ideas.
-joe-

The garlic I have is not mild - hubby and I both prefer garlic that others would consider "hot." I'm gonna have to choose some cloves from those I harvested in June, to be sure I have some for fall planting.

jus how "fall" do you plant.. around frost (mid october up here) or fall like in cabbages around labor day... or will they really care and I can plant them when I get to it after harvesting the summer treats.

-joe-

joe - I usually put garlice cloves in around the time daffodills are supposed to be set - that might be a good guide for you.

The garlic I have now are the offspring of some that were sprouting in my vegetable bin last year. I didn't make a note of the date, but it must have been around daffodil planting time otherwise I would not have bothered to set the cloves.

They grew nicely until cold weather set in, then stopped until spring arrived. When the tops started to fall over in June, I pulled them carefully (I have read that it's important not to bruise them) laid them on a table under my covered porch and let them dry.

In addition to the taste, I really like the way these have stored. The ones I set the year before didn't store well at all.

Our local gardening show "Almanac Gardener" said that if you use garlic from the store, be sure they have roots. The ones that have no roots are from China.

Edited for spelling!

This message was edited Aug 18, 2009 12:03 PM

june... hmm... I popped in some elephant garlic from the store in june - is is growing but small. I will leave some in to overwinter and sample the rest... plant the new ones when I move the lillies around. and by the way.. the no roots on Chinese garlic is very interesting.. you never seize to amaze.

-joe-

joe - Hubby and I tried (eating) elephant garlic once, but we didn't care for the mild flavor. My son is a cook in an Italian restaurant and he persuaded me to try roasting it.

i don't particularly care for it, but it's large size is great for grilling.. we grill the whole thing than split it in half - cover with oil and grill a little more.. when soft we spread it on itallian bread.. it is pretty good but You are correct.. we need to find a different grilling garlic.. I am excited to get a few different varieties. our local stores don't carry much more than the basic garlics.

We plant garlic down here in October. Of course, y'all probably have snow by then up there! LOL

Funny..

.. we are in flannel roasting marshmallows and pulling in the last of the fall crops in early october. waiting for the first frost early in the month. dreading the wood splitting and stacking to warm the toes over the winter... . I love it. - but sure could use a taste of TX. come february.

i put mine in at the end of sept. here Elaphant Garlic is really a Leek just thought i bring that up. Paul

have you tried using the greens as leeks.. that would kill two birds right there.. in fact are any of the garlic greens of any culinary use?

Somebody say, "garlic"!? Yumm!

JJ...you can set your garlic out around your first frost date, even a week or so before, and have a great crop. That should get it settled in good for Winter.

Also, FYI, I don't know how far you are from Bethlehem but there is a fantastic garlic festival there each year, usually in October. If it is not too far a drive I bet you'd enjoy it. Not only can you buy garlic varieties there but also sample lots of good garlic foods (most likely even garlic ice cream!).

Shoe (another "garlic head") *grin

Bethlehem is not too far, and i think i've heard of it before.. if It's not on the weekend of punkin' chunkin' in PA. i will go and let you know how it was.
thanx

-joe-

Oh my...that's a tough call between a garlic festival and a punkin chunkin! Sounds like fun to me, either one!

Happy Gardening!

Shoe

I have been ordering from Gourmet Garlic Gardens for 3-4 years; I usually order the hardneck assortment, and it has done very well in my area. This year, we harvested over 60 beautiful, large heads of garlic (can you tell I love to cook with garlic?). I usually receive 4-5 different varieties in the sampler. So far, I've loved everything I've received. I keep thinking that eventually I'll settle on 2-3 favorite varieties, but so far I'm having too much fun sampling. Communication with Bob is good (and usually fun--he's got a good sense of humor). Website has lots of good information, and the planting /growing instructions with included your order are excellent--I've shared them with fellow gardeners.

That is a lot of kind words.. i did place the order from gourmet and am looking forward to growing them.. i hope there is enough to sample some before I plant them..

-joe-

I usually don't want time to fly by as I've so many projects I want to get done, but the garlic order has me all excited. Can't wait until September when I should be receiving this garlic. I'm just starting a new lasagna bed now (a new experiment for me), should be ready right when the garlic arrives.

joe - if you are going to sample your garlic - eat the very smallest cloves. The biggest cloves will produce the largest heads of garlic.

Honeybee, you'd do your plants justice by harvesting the scapes. Not only will you have some greens to use but it will help to keep the energy going into the bulb and not into seed.

In the past I've always seemed to leave some bulbs in the bed, either forgot them or they died down too early. What happens is the bulbs will send up numerous green leaves the following Spring (several leaves from each clove within the bulb). Those are delicious and very tender.

Shoe

Thanks, Horseshoe - I, too, have found wayward garlic in my beds - will look out for them next Spring.