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chefgumby

garlic

chefgumby
14 years ago

Can anyone suggest any good garlic varieties to plant for fall? I know it may be a bit off topic this time of year with the weather and all( Okc here, rain, lots).

I've grown a lot of small-scale veggie gardens in the past( restaurants gardens mainly and backyard projects), and never had desire to make room for it (cheap at the market, ya know). As I understand however, there's a variety of softnecks that do really well here and with not a lot of space requirement. I've heard suggestions of French Silverskin, Red Toch and Graves. My main concern is flavor and keeping ability.

Any advice is appreciated, happy gardening and stay dry!

p.s. I just gotta say...being from Oklahoma, born and raised, I love the salt-of-the-earth, nitty-gritty, tough it out pride that all Oklahoma gardeners inherit. I know we'll all have nice harvests this year despite early setbacks. Oklahoma gardeners persevere. Must be "in the dirt."

chef

Comments (13)

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    14 years ago

    Chef,

    So far, every variety of garlic I've planted in the fall has done well here in southern OK, and your winter weather is very similar to ours so I think you'd get the same results there. Thus, I think you could plant whatever suits your fancy. In addition to the varieties you mentioned, many people here grow German Red, Spanish Roja and Inchilium Red. Another heirloom often grown in Oklahoma, but generally among seed savers and I don't know it it is commercially available, is Darrell Merrell's Mom's Oklahoma Rocambole. I don't know if Lisa sells it at the Tomato Man's Daughter or not, but in recent years at least one member of the Seed Savers Exchange has listed it in the yearbook.

    Another heirloom that may have Oklahoma roots is available from Sandhill Preservation Center and is a topsetting garlic called Old Homestead.

    Most of the garlic I raise keeps for many months if stored in my tornado shelter, which doubles as a root cellar. (Lots of storage space behind the steps.)

    With almost 19" of rain here in Love County in the last 12 days, it is beginning to look like the spring garden may be a washout--but there's always the fall garden to look forward to!

    Dawn

  • chefgumby
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Much appreciated for the response, Dawn. I'll put it all to good use. Out of curiousity, are leeks grown the same way here? I know there is blanching involved and whatnot, but as far as planting in the fall for spring harvest? Stay dry!

    chef

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    14 years ago

    Good Morning, Chef!

    I grow leeks in the spring with onions, planting them at the same time and treating them virtually the same except for the blanching of the leeks.

    If you start you leeks from seeds, you plant them here about 4 weeks before your average last freeze date.

    If you start with transplants (which I order online because they are not available in stores here), your transplant supplier normally will ship any time you need them in the late winter to late spring, but will recommend the date they feel is best for your specific location. I order my transplants from Dixondale Farms and they usually ship mine in mid-February. The leeks make their best growth when temperatures here are in the 55 to 75 degree range and they love moisture, so they grow like mad in our spring weather.

    You probably could plant them as a fall crop for a winter harvest but I think it would be difficult to plant in fall for a spring harvest. Leeks, like onions, are biennial and will bolt if cold temperatures push them into false dormancy for even just a few days.

    For fall leeks, I'd plant seed in early September and expect to harvest in December or January, and perhaps even sooner if a deep cold spell arrives. If you plant a variety like "Lancelot" that matures quickly, you should be able to get a winter harvest from a fall planting before excessive cold arrives.

    Dawn

  • chefgumby
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for all the help, Dawn! What exactly is Tomato Man's Daughter? Is it a plant swap of some kind? I don't have much in the way of things to swap, but I'd be curious anyhow. My grandmother grew lots of old Oklahoma veggies and a Oklahoma heirloom plant swap seems like it would be fun. Thanks again!

    chef

  • hiites
    14 years ago

    I've planted a few hardneck varieties and have finally settled on one as a favorite, German Porceline. It grows very well for me here in Stillwater and the bulbs get 4-4.75 inches in diameter. Flavor is very good and it keeps well for me. just my 2 cents.

  • soonergrandmom
    14 years ago

    I don't see any garlic listed, but you can contact Lisa.

    Here is a link that might be useful: TomatoMansDaughter

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    14 years ago

    Chef,

    The Tomato Man was Darrell Merrell, a long-time seed saver from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who preached the gospel of growing heirloom plants and was a driving force behind the heirloom tomato movement in Oklahoma for many years. He passed away last year after a battle with cancer. He sold heirloom tomato plants every spring (and some other veggie varieties as well) from the old home place near Jenks where he'd grown up.

    A couple of years ago, Mr. Merrell's daughter, Lisa, returned home to Oklahoma and joined him in the family business. At that time they changed the business' name to The Tomato Man and Daughter. After Mr. Merrell's death last year, Lisa continued the business but has changed the name to The Tomato Man's Daughter to reflect reality. She continues the tradition of raising and selling heirloom varieties and is, in fact, hard at work on expanding the business. (I think her dad would be so proud of her.)

    Long before he became known as The Tomato Man, he also saved and shared heirloom varieties of garlic, which led to one of his nicknames "The Tomato Man With Garlic Breath". His mom's rocambole is one that he grew for decades and passed on to others to grow by generously sharing the garlic with them.

    If you visit the website Carol linked above, you can see the business location and hours. If you are interested in heirlooms, check out the Top Ten list. My favorite Darrell Merrell tomato is Royal Hillbilly. If I wasn't so far from the Tulsa area, I'd buy some of my plants from Lisa every year just out of appreciation for all her dad did to encourage folks to grow heirloom varieties. Since I'm way down south, though, I just raise my own but always recommend Lisa's business to anyone in that part of the state looking for heirloom tomatoes.

    I don't know if Lisa carries garlic in the fall, but I certainly hope she does.

    Dawn

  • chefgumby
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Much appreciated! I'm sure I'm not the only one day-dreaming of fall veggie gardens right now, with the weather and all. Looks like my 2010 garden might require a trip to Tomato Man's Daughter. Eternal gratitude!

    chef

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    14 years ago

    Chef,

    You're welcome.

    With this weather, I suspect a lot of us are already dreaming about how much better the fall garden will be. Of course, we have to survive the spring and summer first.

    Dawn

  • elkwc
    14 years ago

    Chef,
    I have 10-12 varieties of garlic growing now that are looking good. If you would like to try a bulb or so of any of them let me know. Provided they continue to do well I would be glad to send you a few. Each bulb has several cloves which would let you try them and see what does well for you. Just send me a pm if you are interested. Jay

  • chickencoupe
    9 years ago

    Today, only, Baker Creek is accepting order for garlic and not charging for shipping. Order must be placed today. I have not ordered (yet), so I cannot verify this.

    Use code: fallshipcolor>

    I didn't understand, before, the numbers on the garlic my family eats. Realistically, we're eating an average of 1-2 cloves of store-bought groceries per day. AND this doesn't include garlic powder we use.

    So, I'm trying to get an idea of how much garlic I need to plant and I'm looking to actually buy some. Naturally, I became perplexed of the varieties available. After running the numbers I'm thinking a stronger garlic would be better. I mean, why plant 200 garlic cloves when I can plant half of a stronger variety. But what if I don't like that variety?

    Perhaps I should buy just one order of a stronger garlic and see how it goes while planting a majority of a common mild garlic. I like the smooth taste of the store-bought varieties. I've eaten local wild garlic and it just didn't do well.

    Any suggestions for a hefty garlic that is still smooth?

  • AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
    9 years ago

    I noticed on the Cherry Street Farmers Market site someone tomorrow will be selling gourmet garlic. Don't know if you are close to a farmers market, but that would be one way to try different garlics.

  • chickencoupe
    9 years ago

    That's an excellent idea!

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