recommended garlic

[hawthorns]

im open to offers on different garlic to grow.

[lynda66]

i just got some from the supermarket, dunno what sort it was.

[zazen999]

I got my bulbs from the local fruit and veg shop, planted the first of the moon/non-moon trial today.

[SarzWix]

For a good all-rounder, that grows well, stores really well & doesn't mind growing in clay; Cristo (or Wight Cristo) is great. Fairly common in the GCs too.

[T-lady]

I love Early Purple Wight coz it has really large cloves and I hate fiddling round, peeling little cloves (also we LOVE garlic!)

[Protea]

I also can heartily reccomend early purple wight. I gre some other varieties this year but what with one thing and another they were left in the ground too long and rotten in the foul summer weather! so i can't say how they performed.

I've always beena bit dissapointed with solent wight, it seems to form very small bulbs on my soil so although they store for longer than early purple i don't grow it anymore.

I always get my bulbs from The Garlic Farm for all things garlic - very reliable seed and good cultural information too. I've already bought mine for this year from the game fair!

[yorkshire sam]

I grew 'Marco' last year, started them in pots around Oct and planted them in march at the lotty. I got lots of apple size bulbs which are now hanging in my garage. I am growing 'Marco' again next year - have the bought more of it though as we use a lot of it.

[Duronal]

Solent wight is very good too.

[BayViewPlot]

Putting my faith in early large purple from garlic farm this year...

Grew their multi-pack last year and everything got rust (also last year with marco and cristo!) but the early purple ones grew largest.
The elephant garlic was great though as well as the lautrec so might have a few of those too.

[Stacey Steve]

I bought mine off a market stall (Chinese stuff, well just about everything comes from there now).

I have retained the best bulbs each year for replanting and it has got better each time.

According to an expert (largest IoW grower) provided year don't get any disease, by next year these will be perfectly suited to my soil type and local climate.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i always understood no point buying garlic from garden centres as it's no different to the garlic you get in supermarkets - garlic is garlic is garlic ??

[Demeter]

i always understood no point buying garlic from garden centres as it's no different to the garlic you get in supermarkets - garlic is garlic is garlic ??

Different varieties will grow better in different conditions - the ones you buy in supermarkets are likely to have been grown in or around the Med or somewhere like that so they will not necessarily grow well in our climate. A certain farm in the Isle of Wight targets UK growing conditions.... And of course any garlic from a supermarket or farmer's market will be suited to the UK if it was grown here originally.

Also, I would be a bit suspicious of supermarket garlic in case they have treated it with something, like an anti-sprouting agent, which might make it trickier to grow.

Having said that, lots of people have said they've grown supermarket garlic successfully so maybe it's all about swinging the odds in your favour?

[Duronal]

Hmmm isle of wight garlic reminds me of growing up there. They have a garlic festival every year to celebrate the harvest. I really should have bought some when i was down there last......

[DavidJP]

If you ever do get down to the island, the garlic farm has a wonderful display of different garlic types, well worth the visit if you get a chance.