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Garlic

GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
in Fruit & veg
We have been unable to buy any garlic for planting this year.  We thought about buying garlic 🧄 from the supermarket and planting it at the allotment.  Has anybody done this ? If so, have you had success with it?  Many thanks.
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited November 2020
    They usually advise against it - for the same reasons as potatoes, but someone was asking about garlic the other day, and they'd planted some cloves from a supermarket purchase. I think they were growing quite well. 
    There's a Scottish company who have stock. I was looking at it recently. I'll see if I can find it  :)

    Here you go
    https://reallygarlicky.co.uk/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The problems with planting supermarket garlic are 

    1. They’re usually imported and not a variety developed to perform well in the UK climate. 

    2. Garlic grown for cooking is unlikely to have been grown in virus-free soil.  Garlic sold for growing should have been grown in virus-free soil and should have a certificate stating this. Garlic affected by virus is likely to be stunted and weak. 

    If you can get some good ‘seed’ garlic it’s well worth your while. 

    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    I planted supermarket bought garlic a few years back and have been growing and replanting it since then with mostly good bulbs produced each year. Particular good crop this year. I think a dry sunny May really helped it here.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Thanks everybody for info 
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I've been growing supermarket garlic for the last 5 years no issues with it, I did buy one that was grown in this country to begin with as something from spain or china won't really like our weather.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Very sensible @Skandi .... stuff grown in Portugal and Algeria or wherever doesn't like the East Anglian climate ... I'm sure of that.  A friend in Suffolk has a garlic farm ... getting the right variety for the climate and conditions is key. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Hello @GWRS  Ditto - 2nd year of growing garlic (here in France) and as the others say, just buy local, you'll probably find they cope best.  Yes, they can get disease and there's not much you can do about it.  It can also come from the soil not necessarily from the garlic clove itself.  Give it a go - always worth trying if you have the space.
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Fairygirl , o/h has ordered some Garlic from that company you recommend as it was reasonably price 
    Looked at a couple of other sites but when you had add  on postage it makes it expensive in my opinion  

    Just got to find some shallots now ? 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I hope that works for you @GWRS. I haven't used them before, but I'd certainly want something that would cope with my climate, not a variety only suited to a Spanish one  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Fairygirl , we where thinking of looking for garlic in supermarkets that was grown in the U.K. 
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