MAYBE, most garlic sold in grocery stores is impoted from Asia. This product is irradiated so that any orginisms are killed, etc. The garlic might grow but, you won't get the same product that most of us on here get. Bigger, tastier, STRONGER flavor... Buy your starter "seeds" from a local farm, ( that grows thier own) or on-line. The best time to plant is in the Fall. You will be happy with the results over all.

Store garlic is irradiated? I did not know that.

Well, since I just harvested something like 85-90 bulbs, I may never buy store garlic again.

Okay... thanks for the information!! But since I don't know very much about garlic, can you give me any suggestions or recommendations as to what kind I should try and a good, reasonably priced source for it?? I DO like a good strong garlic taste. I would like to have one that would be easy to grow and would spread rather quickly and easily.

Again, any information, suggestions, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Um, garlic doesn't spread as like, ground covers do.
For each single clove you plant a bulb will grow around it making one single bulb with several cloves.
There are many sources to purchase seed garlic. I would stay with the hardneck type meaning a single stalk will emerge from the bulb as it grows. Typical varieties of hardneck are: Music, german white and the list goes on and on. There is a site: www.gardenstategarlic.com This is a cooperative of farms in N.J. that sell garlic to eat as well as plant. Most bulbs will have 6-8 cloves to them. Planting each clove will return 6-8 times that in bulbs.
Best planting time is mid-October. Prepare your bed with good mulch and make sure the soil is well drained. You don't want the bulbs sitting in wet soil. I could go on here but, it's too much to type:) The site I spoke of can provide all the info. you will need. Al;so, if you can find a garlic festival in your area, then attending one will give you all the resources you could ever need.

jeffnfran, I know that garlic will not "spread" like a ground cover will. Maybe I used the wrong terminology... if so, I'm sorry. Years ago, I had a friend who grew garlic, and it DID spread, multiply or whatever... by seed, hanky-panky going on underground, or by something... but, it DID spread, multiply, or whatever you call it when you plant one and wind up with multiples over time. Sorry I'm so uneducated about garlic, but I AM trying to learn!!

I live in the northern part of West TN and to my knowledge, there are not any garlic festivals around here. There is an Iris festival, Banana festival, Strawberry festival, and a couple of others, but NO garlic festival.... or, at least none that I am aware of.

I DO thank you for the link though. I will check it out.

Actually, it's becoming more common for grocery stores to sell organic produce from local farms. I tried that along with my purchased seed garlic.

Last fall, as part of my garlic planting, I also planted organic cloves from an organic bulb purchased from Whole Foods. They did rather well and seem just as tastey as the original.

I also only planted the largest cloves and ate the smaller ones. I'm not familiar with any differences between "seed garlic" and "edible garlic."

Let us know how it goes beebiz!

Thanks penguin!! I did some further google research yesterday. On a couple of sites I read that the most common "grocery store" garlic is the Silver White. All of the descriptions that I have read about the Silver White say that it is an excellent garlic with a good flavor and good warmth, and that it grows well in most places. Judging by the pictures that I have seen of it, it looks just like the kind that my local grocery store carries in bulk. I think I'll try some. What's the worst thing that can happen????? Maybe I get disappointed and use the tiller to turn it into the ground!! Won't be much in the way of mulch, but it should keep the local vampires away.... right????

Thanks again!

Oh, I didn't consider garlic from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's
Those should do well. Problem is ( if you are concerned) you don't know the variety.
There are some varieties that are a bit spicy, where some are more mild. I'm told that Elephant garlic is a pretty mild variety. Where something like Music is a bit spicy. Maybe more like a slight tang. Nothing like say a chile taste.
If you like, when the time comes, I could get some varieties for you from the person I buy from here in N.J. and simply send you a couple of each variety. I think he charges $3 each bulb and is certified organic.

Since garlic's a bulb, the easiest way to check for irridation is to take a few cloves, stick in a plastic bag, and sprout them in the fridge (just like forcing tulips for Christmas). I buy from bulk at a farmer's market and have to presprout. By all means grow some store garlic, some speciality garlics, and compare them, once you find your favorite for your soil, go with that.

Thanks for the information guys!!

jeffnfran, I might take you up on your offer this fall. I love a good strong garlic taste. However, I don't care for garlic that is very hot/spicy/tangy, or whatever you call it. In other words, I don't like for it to burn my tongue. I like hot things. But when I eat them, I have horrible heartburn for several days to a couple of weeks! :( I also love garlic that I can pull when it is very young and eat it like you would green onions. A Cajun friend of mine taught me that a long time ago!

Again, thanks for the info and suggestions guys!

I absolutely cannot do spicy. It burns my mouth and gives me stomach aches. I can't even eat onions unless they're well cooked down. Something in the raw onion, I guess.

But for some reason, I have no problem with garlic, even raw.

My issue with store garlic is that it almost always starts to sprout before I finish it all, so I guess it isn't irradiated, after all.

I have all my stuff labeled, from broccoli to garlic to lilacs to irises. I like to know exactly what I'm planting. Then I know what to look for if it works out, or what to avoid if it doesn't.

I didn't get all of my garlic planted last year before the blizzards started to blow, so I planted a couple rows this March. I pulled some today that had pretty much collapsed. They consisted of a single garlic clove, yeah, kind of like green onions.

lilacs of may: Why not try planting one variety of garlic that I would consider, spicy..If you don't like it then you can always give it away? Sure, no problem in sending you some when it's time to plant.. but, when is planting time for you in Colo.?? Here in N.J. it's around mid-to-late October.
Our garlic fests. here aren't until around then also.
The garlic you planted in March and pulled now, just didn't, by the sound of it,have enough growing time.
When garlic is planted in the fall, the roots begin to set first, and some top plant starts and goes dormant when the real cold weather hits. Then in early april the plant begins growing again. The plants are then pulled early to mid-july.
I suppose the growing season in Colo. is alot shorter, yes?
I could always contact the guy I buy from and set up some way of getting the bulbs sooner.

Jeffnfran,

I would appreciate that. Thank you. Last year, I think I got my seed garlic delivered in September or October, and I was planting in October all the way through November, since the ground was still workable.

Yeah, the spring-planted garlic didn't have enough time to grow. I pulled one tonight, cooked it with some rice, and ate it. It was good, very flavorful, but I only got the one little clove. Not really even worth planting.

Actually, my fall-planted garlic started poking above the soil in late March.

Our last frost day this year was June 4. It fell to 31 degrees. Usually it's in May, with first frost in October. Although, that said, we've been known to have blizzards in early-mid September, when it's still officially summer.

lilacs,

Around mid-April, I did cover the garlic I planted in November to help them catch up. I only lifted the cover (but left the hoops) when I saw the nights were consistently over 50F.

Have you considered any season extenders?

{{gwi:364972}}

LOM (lilacs of may)
Yes, you most definately should a small hoop house to help extend your growing capacity. Around my way. we only need to mulch, but you folk out in blizzard land should consider hoops.