In article ,
Jan Flora wrote:

I was just trying to grow what I bought at the grocery store. I remove
the outer covering from a head of garlic and set it in water until it
starts to sprout, then separate the cloves and plant them. I always end
up with a mild, onion-looking thing at the base...

And they never bloom.

I have a stand of wild onions and a HUGE patch of garlic chives that
re-plant themselves every year! They do well.

First off, quit stripping the paper cover and pre-sprouting them. Just
plant the individual bulbs. Don't break the clove up into bulbs until
you're ready to plant. Use lots of compost. You're in Texas, so you're
up to your eyeballs in bullshit down there -- shouldn't be hard to find
some good composted cow manure. *smile*

giggles True dat!


Okay, now go read the stuff on Filaree, figure out which "types" will
thrive in your climate, then go hit the Seed Savers site and see if they
sell what you want. They're way cheaper than Filaree. (Not to diss
Filaree, but in this economy, we have to be frugal if we aren't rich.)

Absolootly. Might be fun to try one of the elephant varieties if I can
get them to grow.

Seed Savers won't tell you if they're hardnecks, softnecks, etc., so get
variety names from Filaree and look for them by name at Seed Savers.

Shipping from Filaree to you guys down there in the small states may be
cheap(er). It's expensive as hell to get them to ship to me in Alaska,
but I've done it and their stock is first rate.

It's expensive to ship anything to Alaska. Are you greenhousing up there?
What about growing indoors?


Some types of garlic store well (mostly the softnecks that will grow
well down south) and some won't. Some are great for braiding into those
picturesque garlic braids, which sell like crazy for lots of money at
Farmers Markets, if you're so inclined.

Those are widely available south of the border for cheap. I had one for
years by my front door, the cats finally tore it apart one day. Nearly
every little shop in Nuevo Laredo has one by the door.


Different garlic varieties are like different wine varieties. Figure out
which you like. Some are HOT. Some are mild with a long aftertaste. Some
are great for roasting. You'll crack up when you read a real garlic
nut's descriptions of the flavors.

Long live the stinking rose : )

lol Indeed!


Jan

PS: If you eat a lot of garlic all winter long, you won't get sick,
because people with germs/colds/the flu won't get close enough to breath
on you and share their germs. Works for me!

I work nights. That helps me avoid a lot of it since there are not
nearly as many people. Good handwashing practices will remove a LOT of
exposure to the cold virus. Did you know that the majority of flu' and
cold viruses are passed hand to eye? I learned that in our annual
infection control inservice. I work in health care. :-)

Thou shalt wash thy hands every time you come home from shopping! It's
not paranoid to keep a container of hand disinfectant in the car and
clean the steering wheel from time to time... Doorknobs and telephones
at work get cleaned nightly.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people
until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein