igl,

Your info is correct, though most garlic doesn't arrive until after August 15th for zone 5, so 'coming in June' is very strange. Although in Georgia garlic digging is in the 1st week of June so in mild winter areas they can mail/ship much earlier than in the midwest. I'm in Zone-5 and plant 10/1. R.S.

Not weird considering that most garlic sellers run out fairly early despite their unreasonably high prices which one would think might discourage people, I know it does me.

So, yes, they are harvesting now and the crop will be ready in June for this fall's planting.

That said, I still have a great deal of garlic from last year that has neither sprouted nor rotted so I guess I could put in a summer crop just to see what is going on, eh?

Perhaps, I should try to make it last until I plant in September--worth a try.

It is a little early to be planting garlic, but there should be no problem keeping your seed until fall.

I just opened a box of garlic last week that had gotten misplaced. I was surprised that it looked so well-no sprouts and no shriveling. I planted it to retain the seed for next year. It's up a couple of inches.

Hi, I'm in the Chicago suburbs, southern Lake county. I'm growing garlic for the first time myself. I planted mine in late October, later than I had intended. I planted in a raised bed and mulched with straw, like you said. Early spring I pushed the straw aside and was dismayed to find the bed covered in ice. But the garlic soon sprouted and is growing great now! I can't wait until harvest time to see what I get. Good luck with your garlic!

gin-gin: Perhaps since we live close to each other we should do some garlic chatting. Send me an email.

Done!

If you plan on growing garlic, one thing I think that really helps is having one of those steel broad forks to open up and aerate the garlic beds.

Stevelau, do you use the broadfork before you plant, or during the growing season?