I have just been growing this for a couple of years so am feeling my way here.

My sister brought me some clumps of hers (she doesn't replant or pull, just when she needs it....not a good practice). I separated out the green grasslike plants and planted in a small bed. Harvested several bulbs and last fall planted the individual cloves from a couple of bulbs in short rows and mulched with straw between them to keep down weeds. This summer when the tops began dying, I harvest lots of huge bulbs.

This is all I have left except for the ones I peeled and put in white vinegar in the fridge. I planted more in the flower bed by the cellar a few weeks ago and they are up several inches now. I think I will go out and plant a few more. I know I won't have enough. I use lots of garlic in cooking.

I don't know (and she doesn't either) the variety. It is a hardneck type.

Very easy to plant and grow. You just break apart the bulb into individual cloves, plant like onion sets about 3-4 inches apart and that's it.....except for mulching. My first year, I used wide boards between the rows which worked really well.

Garlic grows like a weed with no care at all. If you want nice big cloves you take care of it.

Am I too late to plant it this year?
I've been reading some GW threads on garlic and still not sure if I could just buy what's at the grocery store and plant that.
I've got to go into Spfd later today so maybe I'll try Wickmans or somewhere and see what they have.

Christie I would give it a try. Someone once told me you couldn't use garlic from the store because they treat it with something to keep it from sprouting; don't know if that is true or not.

I have some clumps of seedlings growing in the garden.
That is how I got my start. I just separated them out and planted like green onions. You can sure have some of them if you can't find any bulbs. I don't know if they will make bulbs next year or not, but I think they will.

Let me know.

glenda

Thanks Glenda. I didn't find anyone that has bulbs for sale this late in the year but I decided to go ahead and plant a few from my store bought garlic. Potatoes are treated to keep them from sprouting too but they do eventually sprout so I suspect that the garlic might too.

Wickman's said they sell garlic bulbs in the spring so I'll try again then if mine don't sprout.
I think I was just itching to plant something. lol Must be the colder weather in the forecast.

Bringing up an old thread to update.
Planting a bulb from the grocery store worked just fine. I just broke it apart and planted the cloves a few inches apart last fall. After the tops died down this summer, I dug them up. I must have missed a couple because I have garlic coming up again. lol
Anyway - I went by Mama Jeans (organic market) thinking they might have some interesting garlic but they only had one kind. Has anyone seen any locally?

I was going to call Wickman's and see what they had. I want to plant some Elephant Garlic but have had company all week so haven't done it yet. I am sure it is too late. I did get a 24 foot row planted a couple of weeks ago and it is 6 inches tall already. I didn't plant nearly enough last year.
I have a couple of clumps of grassy plants where I guess a seed head dropped off. I may separate them and lay them out in a row yet.

I don't know my variety since it came from my sis.

I just found out we have a mutual gardening friend. I won't name names but it starts with an I and she lives in Oklahoma! Small world isn't it. She and I met through our blogs.

Glenda

: ) yes we do Glenda. We've been supplying each other with plants and seeds lately. I'm like a kid at Christmas.

It was almost December when I planted garlic last year.

Any input I have about garlic in the Ozarks has pretty much been said already. I agree with Helen. It does beautifully. I prefer softnecks as they store best. I bought some Inchelium Red bulbs online from Territorial a few years ago. I'm almost certain you can buy garlic online from numerous places right now. It's not too late at all. I personally don't plant before October 15. I've planted it in November with no problem. I prefer to Fall plant because Spring is so iffy... too wet, too cold, too early, too late, etc. Garlic planted in the Fall will do what it needs to do at just the right time.

You only need to buy it once. From then on just keep some of the biggest, best bulbs for the following year's crop. It gets better and better as it acclimates. Same with shallots....

Mine is hardneck; I need to buy some softnecks. I know mine doesn't store great. Thanks for that tip Tavy.

glenda