Collecting Garlic Seeds

[Durgan]

31 July 2012 Collecting Garlic Seeds 31 July 2012 Collecting Garlic Seeds
Seeds collected, washed in water and allowed to dry.

14 July 2012. Garlic. Final preparation for storage 14 July 2012. Garlic. Final preparation for storage
Garlic was trimmed in preparation for storage.There are slightly more than 100 bulbs for storage.

14 July 2012 Garlic. Scapes allowed to form seeds. 14 July 2012 Garlic. Scapes allowed to form seeds.
Scapes allowed to grow to form seeds. Now in the flowering stage.

1 July 2012 Garlic Harvest 1 July 2012 Garlic Harvested.
Garlic was harvested today, about 140 plants were harvested. Sixteen of the largest were set aside for planting for the 2013 year. The soil was loosened with a fork then the plant pulled. Ten plants were slip knot tied into a bundle and hung to dry in partial shade. Later they were hung in the shed for curing. There were about ten rejects due to damage or malformed bulbs, and ten plants with small bulbs were set aside for immediate use.The harvest was almost identical to previous years. My garlic bulbs has six cloves of almost the same size.Ten plants with scapes still on were left to produce seed. Almost all the mulch applied in 2011 has disappeared.The soil was very dry.I pull my garlic when the lower leaves start to die off,usually within the first five days of July.Storage garlic is better pulled early rather than late. It stores longer.

5 June 2012 Garlic Scapes Removed. 5 June 2012 Garlic Scapes Removed
The scapes were removed from the garlic plants. Twelve were not removed so bulbils (the garlic seeds) can be produced, and after three years with successive planting will produce normal size clone bulbs.

15 May 2012 Garlic Growth 15 May 2012 Garlic Growth
A new area is selected for garlic each year. This area tends to be rather wet but is well drained. The wetness was of some concern, but it now appears to be beneficial.The garlic plants this year are the most robust seen over the last five years, and there is two months before harvest about the 10 of July 2012.

22 March 2012 Garlic Thriving 22 March 2012 Garlic Thriving

24 Ocober 2011 Planting Hard Neck Garlic 24 Ocober 2011 Planting Hard Neck Garlic
About 100 cloves of hard neck garlic was planted in a 8 by 8 foot bed. Cloves were planted at six inch spacing with the base firmly pushed into the soil at a depth (base) of about two inches. The bulbs were saved from the 2011 crop, and were large, with from five to seven cloves in each bulb. The bed was mulched with wood chips to limit the effects of the normal winter thawing and freezing cycles, and to limit moisture loss due to evaporation. The vegetation has no difficulty pushing through the mulch in the Spring. The bed wont be touched until the scapes (seed pods) are removed, and then the harvest about the 10 of July 2012. A new bed area is selected each year, which is laced with compost and worked into the underlying soil.

[corwinlame]

Hi Durgan.
Thanks for sharing this information, I also want to planting garlic seeds but I don't have any idea about this plant so can you tell me where I can buy this seeds? I also want to get information about soil which type of soil I have to prefer for planting the garlic seeds?

[chowder]

I have never grown from seed,just cloves.When do you plant the seed and how?How long before you get heads of garlic?Could you explain your process a bit please.Thanks.

[Contrary Housewife]

You can treat the 'seeds' just like the cloves, as far as planting goes. The thing is, they are generally very small, (chickpea size) which means you are going to get small garlic the following year. You can take those cloves and replant them and get bigger heads the 2nd year.

It's generally recommended that you use the cloves, as they are bigger and can produce better, but the seeds work too, if you get them. My garlic did not put up any scapes this year (not surprisingly).

[chowder]

Thanks for the info,CH.I always get scapes on mine,so just thought I would like to try some seeds,just to see how it works.I always get great crops of garlic,such an easy crop to grow in my garden.I cook with this alot and now I have my kids hooked on it too.Seems every year I have to plant more just to accomodate everyone.

[Contrary Housewife]

You should also be aware that letting the scapes grow takes something away from the bulb. If you cut the scape before it develops much then the plant can put more energy into developing the garlic head.

[chowder]

I always cut the scapes off,but was thinking of planting a few extra cloves and just leave those on.I like to experiment just to see how things work.I will always plant my cloves for my supply of garlic,because I always get such a good crop.Already planning for next year!!!lol