I grow garlic every year. It's so easy. Plant in fall. Harvest in mid summer! I love it! I've had NO problems 4 years strait. Very easy to grow. Here's a link that got me started.

Skip

Here is a link that might be useful: The Garlic Store

Thanks Skip,
the Web Site is great.
Two Questions... any place local to buy bulbs in SJ and where do you "Cure" yours? ... the site says to put it in the shed ... don't know about your shed, but mine is not 70 degrees in the summer nor is it low humidity! Looking forward to giving it a try in the next week or so, soon as I can get some bulbs either local or through the Garlic Store. Again, thanks

I go to the local market, (Shop Rite), and find the biggest bunch of garlic I could find, (but not elephant garlic, it's not a "true" garlic), then seperate the cloves and plant them. I hang the harvested garlic with leaves on, and tied in a bunch in my garage. It's not 70 degrees or low humidity, but it seems to do the trick. Sometimes you can only make due with what you can. My father would always hang it in the utility room where the washer, dryer, & heater was.

There's nothing wrong with growing elephant garlic, but I just like the regular garlic better. I've always wanted to try some of the different types on that web site, but always find myself running to the store at the last minute to buy a bunch of garlic and get it in the ground before it gets too cold out.

Skip

Skip, thanks for the help! Every year we go to Cooperstown in the fall and I buy some tasty garlic up there at a farm. I think I'll use that as we like the taste of it, and also since I missed the cut-off date for the Garlic Store.

Hi
Can you eat "uncured" garlic--right from the ground? It may be a dumb question, but I'd like to know. What is the difference between "cured" and "uncured" garlic? Thanks for the info in advance.
Pat

Curing garlic properly means it will store better. You can eat uncured garlic.

Garlic in the markets is almost always the 'softneck' kind and not a good kind for the northeast. Better is the hard neck which can't be braided but has a stiff stem sticking up in the center of the head. But anything purchased from a northeastern garlic grower would do fine. I got my start of German Red from a local grower and am now growing it along from my own cloves.

This is my 1st year to plant garlic. After planting I covered my rows with mulch to add protection from the winter and to minimize the weed growth in the spring. They have taken off so well I have growth already (4 to 6 inches). I'm concerned that unless I do something to protect them they will die. Should I be concerned? Should I cover the new growth with additional mulch? Need advice. Thank you.

Is there anything specific i should look for with buying garlic at shoprite? I'd want to know if I should find something labeled organic or the like so I know the garlic would grow.

As mentioned before, the garlic found in grocery stores is usually a softneck variety - they have a longer shelf life. If I had to settle for grocery store garlic for planting, I would choose an organic one. I keep reading that garlic and certain other veggies are treated to prevent sprouting, but if you've ever left garlic, onions, potatoes or sweet potatoes in your cabinet too long, you've probably seen them start to sprout anyway.

There are places from which you can still order garlic planting stock. Check Landreth Seed, Parks, Burpee. October is ideal for planting in our region, but I have planted in mid November with good results. If possible, it's best to get the cloves into the ground while it is still warm enough to get some root growth going, but not essential.

Hardneck garlics are said to be better suited to our region, and they have more of the healthful substances for which garlic is known. That being said, there are softneck varieties that will do OK in our area and have amazing taste as well.

If you find a hardneck variety to plant, just remember to cut the scapes off in spring when they begin to curl. These are "topsetting" garlics and you want the plant to put all its strength into developing a large bulb, not the bulblets and flowers that would develop on top of the scape. These scapes are edible - taste like a cross between garlic and scallions - keep well in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

Good luck!

You can get some of the hardneck garlic from local farmers' market. Some are moderately priced. Also get some of the softneck garlic from store, organically preferred. Softneck stores longer than the harneck.

Online ordering costs so much.

Do not cut all the scapes. Scapes set the bulbils and you can plant those too. It takes about 3 years to get garlic bulbs.

I went to the Harvest/Garlic Festival in Sussex County last weekend. Quite a drive, but worth it, and the foliage was lovely.

Came home with bee pollen, three NJ wines, three scented geraniums, and a nice supply of large 'Music' garlic for planting. There were so many tempting varieties (Spanish Roja, Inchilium Red, Tuscan, Thai Purple ...) but there are space limitations to consider. Also for planting this fall, but from another source, I have elephant garlic (not a true garlic, but a leek) and shallots. Now just hoping for the convergence of time off and decent weather for planting.

Is anyone else planting garlic this fall? What varieties are your favorites?

The weather was perfect to plant garlic. I put all down last weekend.

I planted about 10 varieties, most are for testing. The local ones are Music and German White. Then I planted quite a bit farmer market white garlic, for cheap price and long storage. I can't afford to buy all hardneck garlic to plant.

Also, I planted tons of bulbils. It is more labor intensive (can be easier if you want it fast). This takes more time to get regular size, but much cheaper. Also, I'll be using a lot of them for "garllion" or young garlic greens.

Will be happy to trade some garlic next summer when I harvest them.

Friday, 10/17/2014, I prepared a new area and expanded my garden adding 20 square feet of garden space that was one native grass. I turned some of the grass under and picked some of it out. Saturday, 10/18/2014, I made 4 rows and planted the garlic cloves from 4 garlic heads that I bought at the supermarket. So if previous comments are true, I probably planted a softneck variety in Northern Virginia. I tried to find someone to trade for garlic bulbs, but had no success. I am told that if you plant the garlic cloves about 2 inches deep, they will begin to develop roots in the fall and break the soil in the very early spring. Harvest is predicted in July/August. Has anyone tried this? Do I need to take any precautions to protevt the softneck variety since our winter typically gets down to about 0 degrees.

In VA, you do not need much winter protection. But it certainly helps to put on some organic mulch, like shredded leaves, wood chips, etc.

I planted garlic 2 years ago for the first time, I planted in October but because we had a mild Autumn they come out in November and more then half died because of snow. Last year I waited till past mid November and I had a great harvest, half was softneck the other half hardneck. I have seen big head of garlic at Costco, they look like softneck, has anyone planted those or similar one?

Here is a link that might be useful: Summer Garden Final Harvest

When did you plant in October before?

Dom, I wonder if you had a more tender garlic. Mine usually come up before winter snows and freezes and they're fine. Despite a good winter mulch, some might show a little frost damage, from which they recover well. Last winter was no exception.

Garlic is believed to have originated in some pretty harsh conditions.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA: Origins & Distribution of Garlic

+RedSun, I can't remember exactly, but been the first time I was following what I was reading on the net, if I would have to guess I would have to say the beginning of October.
+agardenstateof_mind, you could be right because I had planted 2 types and some did make it and they are the softneck that I planted last year and will be planting this year.
Has anyone planted garlic this year, like I said in my previous post I will plant in late November.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening in New Jersey

In general, the softnecks are better suited to milder climates, the hardnecks to the regions with colder winters. At least, that's what I've read. Although I've tried some of the softnecks because I'm interested in some of those varieties, the hardnecks seem to yield consistently better results for me in my zone 7 garden.

Garlic, elephant garlic, shallots, and red onion sets are all awaiting planting ... won't be able to get to that before the weekend ... hope the weather is somewhat cooperative.

I don't know if I mentioned before, but I have been purchasing garlic grown here in NJ for use as planting stock. Aside from desiring to support local farmers, I figure this planting stock is possibly better suited to our conditions than stock grown in California, for example. This fall was my first visit to the Harvest & Garlic Festival in Augusta, NJ. Quite a drive, but a nice selection of garlics, as well as many other interesting, locally produced items.

Cold weather seems to be approaching quickly. I hope you'll be able to get your garlic planted soon.

+agardenstateof_mind, yep I got them in in time, here a video I made when I planted the garlic.

http://www.gardeninginnewjersey.com/its-garlic-time/

Here is a link that might be useful: Itâs Garlic Time.