Any way I can still plant garlic?

[sheeshshe]

I didn't plant any in the fall. Could I essentially start it in the house now and plant it outside later?

[sheeshshe]

I was thinking about drying it too. never done it before, but I now have a dehydrator and it sounds like fun!

why are garlic starts so darn expensive anyways? if I were to grow it from seed, when would I have to start those?

[Father's Daughter]

why are garlic starts so darn expensive anyways?

Garlic planting stock is not only pricey, but sometimes hard to find. Look at it as a one-time investment since you can save your own planting stock from each year's harvest. Although, if you ask a garlic farmer, they will often tell you that you need to buy new stock each year...

[stella1751]

Glad you asked this question, Sheila! I still have some Music in the fridge that Eric sent me. I check it weekly, and I think it might make it until the ground thaws, which should be in six to eight weeks. If it makes it, I am planting it.

[jal_ut]

Although, if you ask a garlic farmer, they will often tell you that you need to buy new stock each year...

Sure, good for the farmer. Actually since we separate the cloves from the bulbs and plant them, it is vegetative reproduction and the gene pool is never changed. Your variety will stay true to type forever. Plant the biggest cloves and eat the smaller ones. You get larger bulbs from the larger cloves.

I have never tried spring planting garlic. I think you will at least get a larger round, but you may get a multi-cloved bulb that is not as large as a fall planted clove makes.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't buy garlic starts, I just plant grocery store garlic... Buy a head of garlic and separate it into cloves and plant those. That works for fall planting. For spring planting, as jal_ut suggested, you may end up with just a larger clove that way, not a multi-clove head, but it will grow.

[applestar]

Just be aware of where the store bought garlic came from. You don't want to plant the ones from short-day regions since you are in Maine. Around here, most supermarket garlic seem to come from California, but I can buy more locally sourced ones at the Amish market and health food markets (most farm stands are closed until spring or that's where I would go). I haven't been lately, but we also have indoor flea markets that also have permanent produce stands so that sort of place might be another possibility.

Most mail order sources only sell garlic sets for fall shipping. But maybe it's different if you can go to their walk in store. What about Johnny's or Fedco stores? Didn't you say they are nearby for you?

[jal_ut]

At harvest, softneck garlic can be braided then hung in the shed or garage to dry. Hardnecks don't braid. I just spread them out on the floor of the garage or shed and let them dry. On a table or bench would be good too. In this regard, they are treated just like onions at my place. Once dried the garlic can be stored in a cardboard box in the basement. They keep exceptionally well.

I tried a couple of softnecks that I got from the grocery store. They did not do well here. I got some hardnecks from a local grower and these are doing excellent here. I got some Musik from a farmer's market and it also does well here. Yes, garlic starts from a catalog are expensive. The plus side is, you know what you are getting. Know any local growers?

[sheeshshe]

I order from Pinetree. They're close to me and I'll be putting in my order soon. Maybe I shall order some? I don't' want to fail at it since it is costly to start. When I did some last year, the cloves were tiny. I did however forget to water them they were in a different section of my garden.

Shoudl I go for it? hmmmmmmmmm..... or maybe I could get some from fedco, I'll be heading there too in May