Jimmy wrote:
I want to grow some garlic, but can I just use the elephant garlic I buy at
the store and just plant the cloves or do I have to do something different?
Never seen garlic plants or anything garlic at the garden centers. In zone
5.



I never plant anything that I buy from the supermarket. You don't know
if or how it has been treated or if there are any diseases that wouldn't
affect consumption but would affect new growth.

Potatoes, for example, are treated to prevent sprouting. Also, there's
no indication if the spud carries any diseases as I noted above. The
same may or may not apply to other supermarket produce, but to be safe,
I use nothing but certified seeds/sets.

Garlic set can be bought quite cheaply. Garlic needs a long season to
mature as well. Even if I get mine in this week, I don't expect to get
very large bulbs by October. I plan to try overwintering my garlic for
next year.

..

Zone 5b in Canada's Far East.