What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

Right. They like that cold set. I'd still pop them in the fridge for a couple weeks. Then plant and cover.

What about testing them first to make sure they'll sprout? Or is that not really necessary with bulbs? I researched planting site bought potatoes last year and found they are often treated with a chemical to prevent sprouting. Do they not do that with garlic?

 

[Sally PB]

Rinse the cloves off before planting. I don't know if they do treat garlic cloves, but that could help. I'd say go for it!

Hardneck garlic gives you two harvests: scapes in the summer, and then the cloves later. The scape is the flower stalk, which is what the "hardneck" is. (In case someone reading this doesn't know.) Scapes are not appreciated enough in this country, but other places they are definitely "a thing."

 

[WthrLady]

my store potatoes sprout all over the place

 

[Artichoke Lover]

What about testing them first to make sure they'll sprout? Or is that not really necessary with bulbs? I researched planting site bought potatoes last year and found they are often treated with a chemical to prevent sprouting. Do they not do that with garlic?

Even if they have it just delays sprouting it will wear off eventually. I planted grocery store garlic this year and it sprouted just fine. I wouldn’t worry about it not sprouting as long as looks like it’s in good shape.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Wow 8 pages behind over one day.. Wet here again inside project old balast style light in hall going away .. Have new light to be hung only need one

 

[TJAnonymous]

Even if they have it just delays sprouting it will wear off eventually. I planted grocery store garlic this year and it sprouted just fine. I wouldn’t worry about it not sprouting as long as looks like it’s in good shape.

Yep, I second this statement... These were store bought cloves I planted this past fall. I bought both "regular" cloves and "organic" ones in case the regular was chemically modified to not sprout. I worried for nothing.... All of them sprouted.

 

[WthrLady]

Heck, even my grocery garlic will sprout in the garlic box on my kitchen counter

 

[pennyJo1960]

Yup have done that here bought garlic put stem end in water or slit them do the same not covered in water but wet

 

[BReeder!]

On the garlic, I've gotten as far as separating several bulbs into cloves. I have ~80 cloves now in the bottom of a large paper bag. I think I'll plop them into the soil tomorrow. It will be 37 F so the soil should be workable. I'll add some shredded leaves to insulate them a bit. Hope this works.

 

[Sally PB]

For future reference, in case someone doesn't know...

When you harvest your garlic, eat the smaller cloves and plant the bigger ones. They will grow into larger bulbs.