growing garlic

[tiggy]

hi new to this site and although I have pottered round my garden for a couple of years now, this year I have been a bit more adventurous in what I grow. would like to try some garlic.
someone told me I can grow it straight from the bulb I can buy in the shops for cooking with. just select a clove peel and plant. is this correct. also can you tell me how it grows. does it grow in the ground or on a stem.
sorry if this sounds silly but I do not know.

thanks

[decam0]

Hi tiggy
They say to buy from growers so that you get desease-free stock, and they're possibly right, but Dr.D.G.Hessayon - that well known gardening expert - says you can grow garlic from shop-bought bulbs and he should know!
My first garlic was from a bulb from the shops, and I now use some of the harvested cloves for the following year. I will someday buy 'proper' stock and see if it makes any difference.
You split the bulb into cloves and plant 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in March in a well drained spot. They then throw up leaves like broad grass and the cloves develop underground into bulbs. There's nothing to do apart from watering in dry weather until the foliage turns yellow in July or August. Then you dig them up and allow them to dry, and store them in a cool dry place. Easy-peasy!

[decam0]

P.s. Plant in a sunny spot.

[tiggy]

hi thanks for you help. have to admit although I am a few months late I have started a couple off and will wait in anticipation.

getting of the subject of garlic do you know if I can grow peppers from
the seeds inside the pepper. As I am sure you can tell I am trying to garden on a budget.

thanks

[decam0]

I don't know...I've never tried that. I would think you'd have to let the pepper (which, of course, is the seed case) dry up so that the seeds ripen, and then plant them. Or maybe the fruit needs to ripen on the plant so that the seeds inside ripen too. Hmmmm....I think you need another viewpoint on that one. I suppose you just have to think about what Mother Nature would do, and then you shouldn't go wrong. What you don't know is... what has fertilised the pepper? You may not get an exact replica of the parent plant. It's worth trying though, just to see what you'll get!

[decam0]

I've had another thought!
If you plant the seeds from an apple or an orange or a lemon etc etc, you get a seedling. Soooooo...the seeds should be okay to plant straight out of the pepper. Give it a go!

[tiggy]

thanks again for quick response I will try it.
will post and let you know if I am successful.

[uggabugga]

tiggy-
you can indeed grow garlic this way, I'm doing the same for the first time this season. pry apart the cloves and each piece can grow a new plant.

[Franco]

I planted the seeds I got from a store baught cantaloupe and they are growing really really well so I assume you can do the same for peppers. I actually took the seeds out of a bell pepper from the store but I havent planted them yet.

[tiggy]

hi everyone thanks for all your help. only been a member on this forum for a few days and you've all been very helpful. will definatley be posting more when I need help in future.