We can definitely grow it... my old neighbour used to give me a bag of baseball-sized garlic every year that she grew. Mine always did pretty much what you said - but I didn't have mine in enough sun I think. Make sure you are planting in full sun, or maybe you need to try another variety?

I have also had it overwinter and still not amount to much the following year. LOL. Hope you get some going!

Plant your hard neck garlic cloves in the fall in full sun. Push them down into the soil about 2 - 3 inches. It is optional to cover with straw, I didn't last year but my mom and sister always do. In the spring they will sprout and you will have great garlic bulbs that year.

If you are buying soft neck garlic be sure to plant them in the spring before May 1st so that they will get a cold snap to start off with.

Also, do not buy California Garlic rather buy Canadian garlic. California garlic is for the hotter temperatures.

Garlic needs to stay moist constantly. They say that when garlic dries out that is how it stays.

Brenda

I posted a reply and FN lost it so let me try again.

I plant hard neck garlic in the fall. I divide a clove and plant each clove about 2 - 3 inches down into the soil. The area is in full sun. I did not cover my garlic last fall but my sister and mom do all the time. This spring they sprouted immediately and will be nice large bulbs for this fall. They have scapes on them now, so I need to cut those off (chop into pieces and freeze for later use, so that the bulb will grow larger.

If you plant soft neck garlic, plant them asap in the spring, before May 1 so that they can get a cold snap at the start.

Do not buy California garlic (they are for hotter climates) rather, buy Canadian garlic.

They say that garlic should not dry out once planted because that is the size that the bulb will stay.

I think I remembered everything that I wrote before. GRRRR when the reply you post goes into cyberspace somewhere!

Brenda

Interesting that the FN all of a sudden came up with my first posting while I posted the same message again. This is where it would be nice to be able to edit a previously posted message.

Brenda

My mom and grandmother always swore that you have to use your own garlic for seed. Then when I heard this same advice on tv by a commercial garlic grower, I thought there must be something to this. So with this theory, when you plant boughten garlic seed, the garlic won't produce large heads the first year. But the next year when that garlic has acclimatized to your soil and growing conditions, the heads will be much larger.

Like Brenda said, getting the garlic planted early is the key. It's the first thing planted in my garden and the last to be dug up, sometimes not until mid to late October. It needs as LONG a growing period as you can possibly give it, as well as good moisture.

Thanks for the help... These are 3 yr old bulbs..
Now I know my problem, they need moisture... I have them in a very sunny spot but very dry.. Doesn't seem to matter how much I water either.. They will be moved to a better spot & given a 2nd chance.. Thanks again... Jan

I have some hard necked garlic growing. It was planted in the fall. My question is, do I cut off the flower heads that are forming? I don't remember it doing that before. Thanks.

I was watching a gardening show yesterday (can't remember which one) and they were in a veg garden and were talking about garlic. You can use the green tops to flavor food, and they said to remove any flowers so the bulb will get larger.

What shall I do with mine ? Move it in the fall, as the tops have all wilted down.. Pretty sure there is no way to revive them..

Jan, are they hard neck or soft neck?

Brenda

Sorry,I don't know... Can't remember what variety it was or where I got it.. It just keeps coming back every year & doing nothing.. Starts out good & falls over..

The tops on my hard necked garlic have now died down. I've dug some up. The bulbs are not very large, but the cloves are plump and full. My question is, I want to save some to replant in the fall. Should I harvest all the bulbs now? I won't be replanting for at least 1 month. Do I just let them dry and wait until then?

Definitely, harvest now. In fact, normal harvest for all is when half of the leaves are yellowed. If you find the individual cloves are so plump that they have separated the large bulb wrappers (and it looks like a clump of small bulbs rather than one large), then technically you have dug too late. Not a terrible thing, but these "overripe" bulbs don't cure as well and won't last as long for winter storage. No difference if you are going to replant them.

My bulbs for replanting and for eating are treated the same. I cure them out of the sun in a dry place, with stems attached for about two weeks. Then I cut the stems off, twist off the dried roots, and bag them in paper bags. If you are flexing the bulb when you remove the roots, that is not good. Just leave the roots on until you're ready to use the cloves. Remember not to use plastic bags, unless they are netted, like those for onions.

Rick

Thanks Rick,
That's exactly what I wanted to know.
According to your description, I've left them too long. But I've copied your advice, and hopefully I'll remember to do it properly next year. Thanks.

I'm in the process of gathering information on growing garlic in Manitoba Canada. Any suggestions: websites, growers organizations, etc?

As you can see by looking back at this old thread that I was growing garlic in 06 and I am still planting bulbs from my original supply. Last year was a very good year. I harvested them at the proper time this year and cured them for storage. I only have a couple fresh bulbs left right now.
I only plant about a dozen or so, because I have a very small garden, but it grows very well. I plant the hard necked variety.
I don't have any suggestions where you can get more info, however.