Rodger Whitlock wrote:
: On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 08:08:09 +0100, Seb Flyte wrote:

: ...I have 16 good heads and 200+ individual cloves. Many of
: these are of a good size and can be used. The smallest I will replant
: although I see this is not recommended.

: You should always put aside the best as your seed stock for the
: next season. If you plant the runts, you will be selecting for
: runtiness. Remember that even though propagated vegetatively,
: there is some variation in the progeny.

I always thought the main danger was accumulation of disease (mild).
Large healthy stock is an indication of being relative disease free (or
the "diseases" borne are beneficial :-). Certainly small runty stuff could
be because of a viral infection which will be continued.

Paradoxical I know but select the biggest cloves from the best heads for
planting next for next years crops.

: BTW, "best" means best bulbs (or heads) not just best cloves.
: When you lift your garlic, you should look over the yield and
: select the one or two bulbs that have a good compromise between
: number of cloves and size of cloves give the use you intend for
: them.

: If you only look over the individual cloves, you might be
: selecting ones that came from bulbs with many other small cloves,
: or very few cloves.


: --
: Rodger Whitlock
: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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