Hi all - looking forward (after my rubbish garlic harvest) I am wondering if anyone knows the best place to source garlic for planting this winter.

It always seems exceedingly highly priced from all the seed catalogues (got mine from T&M this year) Could I just buy some from a supermarket and plant that?

What is everyones experiences with galic

Hi.

My own experience is very limited, but I'll share it with you anyway My first years Garlic was sourced from The Garlic Farm, on the Isle Of Wight. I planted it in October(if my memory serves) and got a really good crop the following year. From some of these, I planted again, as normal. The following years crop was dismal. So, whether it's best to buy in every year, or whether it was other factors, I really don't know. Bulbs from The Garlic Farm don't come cheap, but seem to be of good quality. As for using Garlic from the supermarket, many will say that it won't be suited to our climate. I tend to agree. Having said that, I know of folks that have done well with it.

Cheers...Freddy

I agree with Freddy, Garlic Farm. From now on I'm going to stick with hard necks as they have fewer (but larger) cloves, none of those fiddly tiny cloves too small to use nearest the stalk.

Cheers, Tony.

If you want to get good crops without the silly prices of the Garlic Farm see if you can find somebody stocking Taylors Bulbs. I got mine a few years ago from RHS Harlow Carr and even from them it was about half the price. This year is I think my third "replant my own" season and it is still going strong and giving a good crop. The better one is Germidour but Cristo is also OK but a little smaller. Kept strung up in a warm kitchen (counter intuitive I know) it lasts us until the fresh is ready, through the last few out this week a bit dried up.

Like Geoff, I'd suggest starting with good stock, then aiming to keep a few back to re-plant in Sept/Oct.

I've used Garlic Farm before and got good results.

Marshall's seeds have some very good varieties. I bought some from them years ago and set aside enough to plant the next year. It is a hard neck variety and makes nice large bulbs whether planted in early or late winter.

If you start off with good stock a few pounds isn't much if they last 15 years or so like mine have, and they are still going strong.

I agree with Geoff about Garlic Farm 'ripoff' prices.
I wanted some new stock as the bulbs I have were donated by my Italian barber who doesn't know the Italian variety (deffo hardneck). After this appalling year, the losses through rot were acceptable though the cloves were smaller. They have dried off well and will be replanted.
I freeze any in late winter if signs of regrowth occur, the cloves carry a lot of oil - so i'm gonna stick with 'em.

Mine have come from D T Brown the last few years and I find that Solent Wight seems to suit our climate best. Have just harvested this year's lot,

Monica,
Looked at their prices - not competitive with 'Garlic Farm' then?
Also looked at the enviromesh price as I was considering replacing the 'netlon' covering on my fantastic cheap plant tunnels. Would cost me £31 per run. As I have two allotments side by side, to keep the sky rats & cabbage whites out, one has to consider the cost of allotment growing (penshener here).