Garlic save and re-use?

[glut]

I am feeling inspired because my garlic shoots are looking so pretty at the minute. I am growing 3 varieties this year (purple moldovan, early purple wight and solent wight) and was wondering if it was possible to keep one bulb once it has grown and freeze it to use it again next year? It is probably a daft question! I am only on my second season and last year didn't manage to successfully store any garlic as I worried about leaving it down the bottom of the garden hanging in the shed and I figured the house would be too warm?
Any advice?

[zazen999]

You won't have to freeze it.

Choose a few of the biggest cloves, and replant in the autumn.

Keep doing this and after a few years, you will have garlic suited to your growing conditions.

[BarleySugar]

I've been doing this for 4 years now, and it really works. I'm getting bigger bulbs now than the ones I started off with, and it saves money too. Always makes sure you save outside cloves from the biggest and best bulbs for replanting.

[Claire72]

plan to grow garlic this year for the first time. Is it easy? Have planned to include it in my onion bed, will that be ok?

[yoanbob]

we reuse every year, started with a supermarket bulb, I just leave one in the ground, then about now I get lots of shoots that just need lifting and spacing out.

[zazen999]

plan to grow garlic this year for the first time. Is it easy? Have planned to include it in my onion bed, will that be ok?

It couldn't be easier.

Get clove

Put in ground, pointed end up - about 1-2 inches down.

Ignore for 6 months or more.

Take out of ground [usually when the leaves go brown].

[lyndap]

I save my own grown bulbs every year.Can either lift and replant biggest cloves november time(I find winter planting best)or leave a bulb in the ground,then lift and separate when green shoots appear and replant where you want(in the ground or in tubs).

[Birdie Wife]

Agree with all the posts already made - and just wanted to add that storing garlic is really easy. I keep mine in a mesh bag in the porch beside the kitchen, whcih is handy for me, but probably the worst place to keep it for storing as the theory goes that garlic likes a cold period, then starts sprouting when spring warms up the cloves. Freezing it will probably damage the cell walls so don't risk it. If you want to be on the safe side, keep your cloves for planting in a consistently cold but dry place (avoids the risk of mildew etc) and plant out in November-ish. Mine is just coming up now, Purple Moldovan is beating Cristo and Poreclain

[Alice]

Follow Zazen, Claire, but do it now. Garlic needs a cold spell or it won't split into cloves. I find November planting gives the best results but you can plant until March. Your onion bed will be fine.

[TimH]

I've been doing this for 4 years now, and it really works. I'm getting bigger bulbs now than the ones I started off with, and it saves money too. Always makes sure you save outside cloves from the biggest and best bulbs for replanting.

How do you store them once lifted, in a cool dark place?

Cheers

Tim

[carlseawolf]

I'm trying something new this year as i planted my garlic last autumn in a bed at a depth of 6" and have put onion sets on the surface between the garlic rows to maximise growing space - so far the garlic green shoots have broke through the surface.