Breaking garlics dormancy

[gixxerific]

Can you put garlic in the refrigerator to break the dormancy or is the fridge or neither?

[jal_ut]

I think planting it will break its dormancy.

I would not put it in the freezer if you plan to grow it.

[gixxerific]

I have heard several places on forums though I believe that you can put it in the freezer for this reason, you never know what you can believe sometime though. Just checking.

I'm sorry I just remembered what I heard is put it in the freezer in the fall than plant, that this was supposed to get the garlic going.

[jal_ut]

I don't believe that you can freeze any garlic or onion to the zero degree temperature of a freezer and have it survive. Try it if you want to do the experiment. Don't put your whole batch in there though, just a couple of cloves.

Garlic and onions store and remain dormant through winter if they are kept dry. Let them get wet though and watch them start to grow.

Not all varieties of garlic are winter hardy in the North. This is because if it freezes, it will die. Some varieties have a bit more frost resistance, but as I said, I don't think any will survive zero degrees. Fall planted garlic is protected from those severe temperatures by the ground, and also by the snow. The bulbs will shortly send out roots and start a leaf. It is the moisture in the soil that breaks their dormancy.

You can test this too if you like. Put a couple of cloves to soak in water overnight, then put them in a dish on some damp paper towels, and cover the dish. Just like sprouting seeds. See what happens.

[gixxerific]

Yeah I don't know if it works or not but here is qoute from another site from their version of our HG (though not quite up to HG's standards)

Actually, thanks for bringing that up. The original poster is in Zone 9 California. She does need to put the garlic in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks before planting it, or else dump a bunch of ice cubes on the ground a couple of times during winter to simulate cold temperatures. Garlic does much better when it has encountered some cold temps in the early stages. I used to refrigerate it before planting, when I lived in California.

This was from last year. I also found another stating basically the same thing. He was in Florida stating that he had pre-chilled (in the fridge not freezer) some garlic that did okay and had some non-chilled garlic that didn't produce anything.

The thing that brought this up was on a totally different forum I said something about this but was corrected from "freezing to "refrigerated" by one of their main people.

Just trying to clear all this up. I guess I was just wrong about the "freezing" word, or maybe all of it. I don't know.

[madfoxdog]

Plant your cloves before the onset of winter. I plant mine at the start of December and and always get a good crop the following summer.

[BrianSkilton]

I've heard that garlic needs to be stressed a little to bulb, but I have never heard of putting it in the freezer. Anyway all you should have to do is plant it, like jal ut said all the garlic needs to break dormancy is a little moisture (just not to much). It also helps to take the "skin" of the garlic so they can sprout.

[Ozark Lady]

I keep garlic, on top of my freezer... up on the top of the fridge.
That is so I remember to use it!
But, it will start to sprout.
I let the garlic decide... when it sprouts... I plant it.
Some times I get decent bulbs sometimes, not so great.
I save the little ones, and simply replant them in the fall.
I have garlic sprouting right now, from a braid made of homegrown supermarket garlic that sprouted.
Garlic likes warmth... Not cold.
I can't imagine anyone putting it into the frig or freezer for any reason at all...
Maybe if it is baked and you plan to use the leftovers...

[rainbowgardener]

Site specificity! Jal_UT and some of the rest of the posters are in places where there are plenty of chilling degree days. They don't need to do anything more to their garlic, which has had all the dormancy it can handle and just needs to get warmed and moistened.

The quote is from some one in zone 9 or 10. I grew up there. Most years we thought it was a big deal if it ever got below 40 some night. There they probably do need to provide a bit of cooling (but NOT freezing) for the garlic.

NO GENERAL RULES!!

[gixxerific]

It's refrigerated people, forget about the freezing that was my mistake. It is supposed to simulate the coldness of winter!!!!

[Ozark Lady]

We are talking about garlic, the bulbs that you eat?
Hey, my kitchen does not get cold... it sprouts there...
I use the top of my fridge to start seedlings, it is very warm there.
I did read somewhere about a northern and southern garlic...
Gee, I have never, ever seen garlic that will not sprout in a warm kitchen. That is what is amazing me...
I know alot of places don't get frosts..
What I can't get my head around is... garlic sprouts in my warm kitchen... but needs cool to break dormancy....
It needs cool temps to grow well... is that my confusion?
In hot weather it will bolt really fast.
I have never tried the fancy garlics that you can mail order...
Maybe it is just the supermarket cheapies and the ones that I grew from them... which would be clones... that sprout so easily?
How odd to me this is!
I know, no generalities... I am amazed... not arguing.

[gixxerific]

I have no idea about this myself. But there were NUMEROUS claims about this last fall. I couldn't find them all. NUMEROUS so I would have to assume it has some merit to it.

If not than I'm a big fat idiot. Though I'm not fat or an idiot.

[Ozark Lady]

Well, I can't see ya...
But, definitely you are not an idiot.
I am simply awestruck that garlic would be difficult to get to sprout.
Now growing it is a whole 'nother kettle of fish, and it needs the cold to help it grow.
I have got to simply keep on learning.
You know, it is awesome the cultural differences in gardening even.

Hey, I have folks say, what do you mean you can't grow onions and peas, they are sooooo easy... No they are impossible!!!

It is amazing to me. I know, the garlic I buy could have cold stored. But, not the ones I grew... I harvested them in really hot weather, they dried overnight, then I braided them, and hung them in my kitchen.

I know my kitchen is rarely below 70, often above... so how come mine break dormancy and sprout in my kitchen?

I must have always seen odd garlic! Surely I missed something somewhere.

Not you Gixxx... just differences in areas, and in the plants apparently.