No_Shade555
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indoor Garlic growing

Wanted to open this topic up to some of the knowledgeable people on this forum. After a large success with my hot pepper grow indoors, I have really upscale my set up and am looking to venture out into other vegetables and herbs ( specifically cilantro and garlic for homemade chimmichuri, and yes I know chimmichuri is traditionally made with parsley lol). Does anyone think it is possible to grow garlic indoors? How does one even start growing garlic? I feel like any garlic at the supermarket would be sterile. Any ideas on how one starts this journey would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

-Shade

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applestar
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There are definitely crops that are easy to grow indoors especially with a little supplemental light, and then ones that can be grown with effort/significant supplemental light and/or heat and air circulation, additional pollination or extra growing space.

Then there are crops that seem unlikely unless you dedicate extraordinary time and effort.

I think garlic falls in the last category. For garlic to form bulb, you have to dedicate a long time , even if you are growing the soft neck and turban warm area varieties (I believe the growing period without the freeze is January to May or so, and with freeze, planting starts around November?) …I think hardneck northern varieties need the period of frost during the growing period (typically October/November to June/July)… and I’m not sure if you can provide the controlled daylight lengths that is probably needed without them catching on. (Because I think they also sense the presence of the sun in the sky by gravity/solar tidal forces, etc.)

Mostly, I think you would be better off using the space for something else.

IF you will be satisfied with just growing garlic greens and harvest greens with or without the seed cloves, then yes.

You can buy seed garlic bulbs — garlic bulbs which are separated into cloves for planting. They are available to order from various sources now since garlic is planted in the Fall through early Winter, or you can try with organic grocery garlic by refrigerating them to get them to sprout.

pepperhead212
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I agree with apple - for what you will be getting in the square footage, and how long it will take for the garlic harvest, you are better off growing other plants. But if you do, you'll want to get some Creole or Asian garlic (turban varieties), as these are some of the types grown in areas that don't freeze.

No_Shade555
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Applestar,
what you and pepperhead just explained to me is incredibly interesting, but also confusing. I guess I did not realize how different and nuanced garlic growing is. So if I am understanding both of you correctly is that I would need to plant bulbs before a frost? That seems so incredibly reverse of everything I have learned lol. For me in New England that wont be a problem. I could drop the bulbs in the soil within the next 3 weeks and be right in time for the frost. Also, what light patterns are most efficient for garlic? how much and at what intensity?





applestar wrote:
Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:02 pm
There are definitely crops that are easy to grow indoors especially with a little supplemental light, and then ones that can be grown with effort/significant supplemental light and/or heat and air circulation, additional pollination or extra growing space.

Then there are crops that seem unlikely unless you dedicate extraordinary time and effort.

I think garlic falls in the last category. For garlic to form bulb, you have to dedicate a long time , even if you are growing the soft neck and turban warm area varieties (I believe the growing period without the freeze is January to May or so, and with freeze, planting starts around November?) …I think hardneck northern varieties need the period of frost during the growing period (typically October/November to June/July)… and I’m not sure if you can provide the controlled daylight lengths that is probably needed without them catching on. (Because I think they also sense the presence of the sun in the sky by gravity/solar tidal forces, etc.)

Mostly, I think you would be better off using the space for something else.

IF you will be satisfied with just growing garlic greens and harvest greens with or without the seed cloves, then yes.

You can buy seed garlic bulbs — garlic bulbs which are separated into cloves for planting. They are available to order from various sources now since garlic is planted in the Fall through early Winter, or you can try with organic grocery garlic by refrigerating them to get them to sprout.

No_Shade555
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I am incredibly curious,

why does garlic need to have a frost? I find that to be really interesting.

-Shade


pepperhead212 wrote:
Sat Sep 04, 2021 7:28 pm
I agree with apple - for what you will be getting in the square footage, and how long it will take for the garlic harvest, you are better off growing other plants. But if you do, you'll want to get some Creole or Asian garlic (turban varieties), as these are some of the types grown in areas that don't freeze.

pepperhead212
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Not all garlic needs a frost, just some. And rocambole varieties are notorious for needing a deep freeze, not just a frost. When I started out, I had two varieties not grow at all, when we had a mild winter, getting down to the 20s for lows. For that reason, I never grow them - I never know if that will happen again! Still, hardnecks in general grow better in cold, and some varieties seem improved by an incredible cold snap.

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applestar
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Heh. Hate to tell ya, but I have zero interest in figuring out a way to make this work. …Mostly because even if I could present all of the requirements that I can imagine, I have no way of endorsing them as viable, and I don’t think I would ever want to try them out to see if they do work — which is the way I usually make any kind of supporting statements — such as growing garlic cloves and garlic clove bottoms indoors during the winter for harvesting a bit of garlic greens to brighten the winter dull drums — I’ve done it before one or more times and know what to expect and share as an experience — pro and con.

I’d be curious to know what you find out though, to add to my “gardening knowledge archives”. :wink:

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applestar
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Plants are aware of seasons and obviously keep some kind of internal clock in terms of days and hours of warmth and growing — to maturity.

Some fruiting trees need to experience the full on winter cold and freeze to know how “old” they are and when it’s time to start blooming and fruit or make the cloning bodies that will propagate.

Some plants are biennials and live for only two years/seasons. First year to grow and second year to bloom, fruit/make seeds/bulb and split into cloves and die.

No_Shade555
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That is just so crazy to me. I would never think any fruting vegatable would be able to survive the frost of a winter. I continue to learn so much from ya and I appreciate it. Been really enjoying this forum. I will let you know if I figure out something realistic besides ordering an industrial freezer.



applestar wrote:
Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:31 pm
Plants are aware of seasons and obviously keep some kind of internal clock in terms of days and hours of warmth and growing — to maturity.

Some fruiting trees need to experience the full on winter cold and freeze to know how “old” they are and when it’s time to start blooming and fruit or make the cloning bodies that will propagate.

Some plants are biennials and live for only two years/seasons. First year to grow and second year to bloom, fruit/make seeds/bulb and split into cloves and die.

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Gary350
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I am no garlic expert but I have learned how to grow ok garlic just by planting soft & hard neck at different times to see what grows best. Once I know what works best that is how I plant my garlic. I live in TN 30 miles south of Nashville we are in the intermediate zone our winter low is usually about 15°, I am suppose to be able to grow hard neck or soft but hard neck always grows best for me. Hard neck keeps better in kitchen pantry than soft. I watch lots of YouTube videos to learn how people grow their garlic, I learn garlic does best if I keep it cold in my refrigerator 3 months June to Sept 1st then plant garlic Sept 1st. Hard neck garlic will be up in 3 days & grow 6" tall tops in 2 weeks but soft neck does not grow for a month. Fall is the time when garlic cloves grow roots for the plants to store up energy over winter then when winter is over our May warm weather garlic starts to grow again. About July garlic is ready to harvest. I plant my garlic in the sunniest location in the garden plants need all the sun they can get 14 hours or garlic will be very small. If you can not grow 75 large garlic 300 small garlic will give you the same size crop. I planted 95 garlic cloves in a square bed that does not take up much garden space 32" by about 48" with cloves 4" apart in rows 4" apart. This year I forgot to keep my garlic in the refrigerator so my hard neck garlic is not growing in 3 days like it should. The sudden temperature change from cold refrigerator to 70° makes garlic start growing quick. I tried to grow garlic from the local garden supply store it does not row well, they have no clue what they sell. I have much better luck with hard neck garlic I buy at the grocery store. If I did more research on garlic maybe I can find a better garlic to grow in my geographical location. Garlic grows in 2 stages, fall it grows roots & short tops, cold weather it just sets and waits 4 months for warmer weather, spring garlic grows again and ready to harvest in about 6 to 8 weeks. I plant garlic 2 months before 1st frost the more growing time my garlic has in fall the better it does in spring.

Best garlic I ever grew was when I lived in Phoenix AZ area. I planted garlic Nov 1st. Weather is sunny, NO clouds, & 65° all winter with 2 weeks of freezing 22° weather last 2 weeks of Feb. Garlic was 3" diameter tennis balls size May 1st.



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