Saving Garlic Bulbs, and Using Seed..

[Shortie]

Hi

I dug up my garlic on the lottie yesterday and am wondering if I can save the healthiest of bulbs to replant in October.. Is this something oftem done or should I only restart with shop bought bulbs?

Also, one garlic went to seed - how do I go about using this? When should I plant it; should I plant insitu or in pots to start with; will it take 2 years growth to get decent garlic from seed?

Cheers!
Shortie

[momol]

Hi shortie,

I planted over wintering garlic last year, I used the shop bought ones and some from the garden centre. I think it should be ok to use self save garlic ( which I am doing it now ). As garlic planting is new for me, I hope I am not giving you a misleading info, hope other grapes will be along soon to correct me. As for planting from seed, I have no idea.

Cheers,
Momol

[Geordie]

Hi Shortie,

There is nothing to stop you selecting your own garlic cloves for replanting. Just remember that garlic is asexual (ie does not need a polinator) so the result will be an exact copy of the one planted....so plant the best cloves you have. In this respect if you get poor results this year, planting the same cloves will only result in poor results next year.

garlic seeds produced in the bulbils will take about 5 years to produce decent cloves and then its not guaranteed....so perhaps makes no sense over planting the cloves.

[Shortie]

Fab, thanks both. I hadn't thought about garlic being asexual Geordie, but then I guess there's no flower to mix pollen etc into...

Cheers for the seed info.. you're right, it definately doesn't sound worth while sowing them if it's 5 years!!

I'm guessing a 'best cloves' check is to look for the ones that are blemish-free, solid and lthe largest I can choose?

Cheers again!

[carlseawolf]

I'm using the best of this years harvest to re-sow in november , it is said garlic remember the conditions they where grown in and adapt to them each time the next generation is sown.
this statment does not mean plant them in the same bed as last year , but more temp ,water and sunshine in your area , and it will take several years for them to adjust to give prize winning bulbs.
as referance i planted tesco bulbs 15p each and they all produced a bulb ,but they also bolted and have stored well so far. ( two months out of the ground )
on another point all my seed pots where out of a sack of pots ( i used the little ones nobody wants to peel) and had as good a crop as the person in the next plot who got them from a seed merchant .