Garlic, yes, but only if it is a hardneck variety. Softneck varieties will not be hardy for your zone.

Ginger outdoors, no. Indoor only in zone 4 at this time of the year. But my turmeric, similar in habit to ginger, pouts in the winter and goes dormant. It resprouts late spring-early summer when the temperature has warmed in the house as well as outdoors. I summer it in a container outdoors.

FataMorgana

Hey FataMorgana! Thanks for the info. Yeah, the garlic is the wrong kind- of course. But, I'm going to try the garlic in the house. You know, this time of year I just get the urge to try something new! Thanks again, Pet out.

I did the same. Bought a clump at walmart; boke it into nice pieces and planted them slightly under the soil. Kinda ignored them. I must have watered them a little because they were by the impatients. The plants came up and had nice leaf stalks. This fall I even got 2 shots per plant with cones on the end. I did not know whether those were going to be leaves or what. Then a little red flower can out... one per day. Pretty cute little things.
I read that the stalks turn brown in the winter and the roots actually grow in the winter. I might just leave them in next year to continue growing. I like the foliage.

About your purchase: Plant half as an experiment; use half. If it doesn't work; buy more in the spring.
I planted the garlic and onions also from the farmers market.
They grew and then disappeared. Have no clue what happened. If you want onions probably much better to get a group of onion sets and plant them.
Good Luck,
Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: An interesting Gardenweb post about store ginger

Hey there Bugbite. Thanks for your info... and that link was fabulous! Pet out!

Just barely cover the ginger. They like to be shallow, or they will rot, and very well-drained soil. Mine grow like mad in the Florida sand.

I have grown garlic and ginger root from what I found in the grocery store.

Right now isn't the time for ginger but garlic should be good. Ginger is tropical and likes the heat but doesn't like direct sun. I plant mine in a container and it does okay. I didn't grow a ton but enough to keep me in supply during the summer.

Garlic is wonderful to grow and it's the right time year to do so. Just break a bulb apart and plant the cloves (skin and all) , right below the soil. Keep it watered and fed. You can even eat the tops!

Next year you will have garlic.

One caveat to what lnewport said. Garlic normally sold in super markets is a softneck variety which is *not* hardy and will not work for northern gardeners.

Check out the first link in the google search below.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic for northern gardeners

i've grown garlic for 50 years like my grandfather taught me. plant only the biggest fattest toes eat the small ones.2 inches deep if the soil is poor and mulch and 3 to4 if the soil is good and lite.rows 2 in. apart toes 2 in, apart. makes a good fence to keep out rabits. plant in late fall like tulips. they will be the first up in spring and ready to pull in mid to late july when a few center leaves are still green. if you leave them in the ground the papery skins will rot befor august if you leave them in all winter the toes are too close together to grow decent bulbs. if you plant them indoors you will not get bulbs unless you have full sun but you will get lots of growth until the bulb wears out and that can be used like chives, delicious.when you pull them in july wash them off carefully and hang them in sun for a day and shade for a few days store in cool dark oh be sure to pick off the flowers as soon as they apear they are called scapes eat them. e-mail me with questions

"Garlic normally sold in super markets is a softneck variety which is *not* hardy and will not work for northern gardeners. "

I haven't a clue about northern gardening so I do apologize. The garlic I grew has been the same for the last two years and they were rather easy to grow and they grew huge. I have bulbs growing right now in fact from this years harvest.

Not a problem! I remember planting some supermarket garlic when I was a kid (and didn't know better). I planted it in the spring and it grew well through the summer but never returned after winter - so many things wrong with what I tried but that's what happens when you don't know. Thanks for sharing!

FataMorgana