What to Look For When Buying Seed Garlic
It’s time to order seed garlic! With so many seed companies, knowing who to trust or which ones have the best options can be confusing. Organic farmer Jenna Rich shares essential things we should look for when buying seed garlic.
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Whether you’re buying seed garlic for the first time or using a new supplier, healthy seed garlic is crucial to a productive, healthy, and disease-free season. While you can risk it and pick up seed at a roadside stand, there are certain things you should be cautious of before sticking them in the ground.
Growers should choose a variety that speaks to them and possesses desirable flavor profiles. The storability capabilities should fit their needs, and the garlic will grow successfully in their region. After all, it’s essential to so many recipes and a worldwide favorite ingredient.
I recommend organically grown material that undergoes disease and nematode testing so you can grow delicious bulbs without infecting your soil. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before purchasing. Now, let’s examine some crucial things to look for when buying seed garlic.
Good Reviews
Good online reviews, publications, and word-of-mouth testimonials are the best place to start when researching seed companies. It may seem strange today if there isn’t a strong social media presence, but don’t let this deter you. Long-time farmers with devoted supporters may not need to devote time to online activities.
Once you have the names of a few companies you want to dig deeper into, learn how they grow. Call, write, email, or read their website’s “About Us” section. Calling a company that doesn’t have a significant online presence may reap good results. Many business owners prefer to speak to their customers in this manner.
The internet is vast, and you can find a lot of information about seed companies. Reputable ones will have public reviews posted. Our sister company, Botanical Interests, has shared heirloom and organic seeds for over 25 years, with thousands of five-star reviews on our top products posted on the website.
Local is Best
Why local? Because with so many types and varieties of garlic to choose from, the ones grown successfully in your region will perform best for you. The weather, regional pests and diseases, soil type, and winter temperatures are a few conditions that will affect how well it grows. By buying from a local or regional supplier, you can rest assured your crop has the best shot at performing and producing well.
If you already have a favorite farmer, ask them about their availability. If you don’t have a specific company you buy from, head to your local farmers’ market to inquire with those who are vending. Garlic sold directly to consumers is the freshest possible seed you can find, and your money will go straight to the producer.
Farmers love what they do, are proud of how they grow, and are happy to discuss their growing standards with a curious customer. They may even offer tips and tricks on growing it and caring for your patch throughout the growing season. Ask for deals if purchased in bulk.
If you can’t find local suppliers, rest assured that the proper varietal selection from an online store can still perform excellently in your garden. Generally, softnecks like ‘Sicilian Artichoke‘ are best for southern regions while hardnecks like ‘Chesnok Red‘ are best for northern zones. Purchasing online may open up more varietal possibilities so you can experiment to see what works best for you.
Organically Grown
With little to no pests, garlic is certainly a crop that should be grown without chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides. This crop is often grown around gardens with the hope that its strong scent will deter pests, so spraying is unnecessary.
Conventional farms may spray a chemical that prevents sprouting to make it appear to have a longer shelf life. Others may bleach bulbs to hide unsightly spots that indicate disease or mold. These do not make good planting stock.
When you buy organic seed garlic, its nutritional benefits remain more intact than when grown conventionally. Levels of allicin remain higher, which is one of the more powerful components of this food. There are also substantial environmental impacts and personal dangers on conventional farms when growers use synthetic sprays and chemicals. Be aware that anything sprayed on planting stock will end up in your garden soil.
If you buy seed garlic from Botanical Interests or Epic Gardening, you can guarantee it is USDA Certified Organic.
Storability
If you plan to process your bulbs soon after they’re harvested or cured, don’t worry too much about storability. However, if you plan to cook with a bulb or so each week in the winter months, make sure the variety you select is up for the task.
Softneck varieties typically store longer than hardnecks. They are best suited to warmer climates. The longest-lasting varieties are:
Creole
The flavor of creole garlic is spicier than most, which fades into a lovely garlic aftertaste. It performs well in drought conditions and produces small bulbs that you can store for up to a year.
Artichoke
Named for its overlapping cloves that slightly resemble the growth pattern of an artichoke, artichoke garlic has a mild flavor for raw and cooked consumption. ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ produces about 12 to 16 cloves per bulb and lasts up to eight months in storage under perfect conditions.
Silverskin
Perfect for braiding and known for storing the longest among softneck varieties, ‘Silver White’ has mild flavor, pure white coloring, and varying sizes of bulbs. They can store for 9 to 12 months with proper care.
Northern growers can also succeed with the long-term storage of hardneck varieties. If you want to grow hardnecks in the South, be sure to vernalize (refrigerate) your cloves first.
Here are some of our favorites:
‘Chesnok Red’
This gorgeous variety comes from the Republic of Georgia and is one of the best for roasting. It is known for its sweet garlic flavor. ‘Chesnok Red’ grows best in cold regions and stores up to six months from harvest.
‘Montana Zemo’
‘Montana Zemo‘ garlic is big, sometimes just three or four cloves to a bulb! Easy to grow, great in cold climates, disease-resistant, very aromatic, and stores beautifully for up to six months.
‘German Extra Hardy’
As the name suggests, ‘German Extra Hardy’ produces extra-large, crisp white bulbs with a classic spicy flavor, perfect for pesto. You’ll likely only need one if a recipe calls for two cloves! I have stored these successfully until April after a July harvest.
Disease and Blemish-Free
Organically grown cloves may not be as crisp and clean as conventional. While some dirt is acceptable, mold, black spots, and shriveled cloves are not. Professional growers know to be gentle when harvesting and processing, but some bumps along the way may cause tears in the paper or little blemishes.
A few days before sowing cloves, break apart the bulbs to inspect the cloves. Separate them into a good, bad, and save pile. You’ll plant good cloves, compost bad ones, and save the others for cooking at home.
You can slam certain hardneck varieties down against a sturdy surface to break apart all the cloves at once. It doesn’t work every time, but it’s a huge time saver if you’re growing a lot of this crop.
Signs of Healthy Bulbs
Upon receiving your order, check that your bulbs HAVE the following features:
- Large cloves will yield you large bulbs next season.
- Clean and bulbs are the color and size represented on the order form, catalog, or website.
- Intact garlic wrappers predict the best chance of not rotting in the cool, damp fall and winter soil temperatures.
- Sprouts on the bottom indicate that the bulb knows it’s almost time for planting and will help produce a robust root system.
- Clean, garlicky aroma
Signs of Unhealthy Bulbs
Upon receiving your order, check that your bulbs DO NOT HAVE the following features:
- Black spots or mold
- A rotting stench
- Discolorations
- Soft or caved-in areas
If you notice any of these symptoms, contact the company immediately and do not plant them until you have confirmed that no disease or fungus is present on the bulbs.
Signs of White Rot
The fungus Stromatinia cepivorum Berk causes garlic white rot, which can live for years in the soil and wreak havoc on your crop. A sulfuric compound emitted by alliums and temperatures above 75°F (24°C) triggers the activation of the sclerotia (the storage structures of the fungus).
Unfortunately, this is commonly seen in commercial fields, so you may notice it on bulbs purchased from grocery stores. It’s also causing growers to think twice about attending trading fairs and conventions for fear of returning home with it. This is why you must be careful to inspect seed garlic before you buy it, or check with the company before ordering.
When growing your own crop, check for any signs of white rot on the stem and base in the spring and early summer when the temperatures warm. Pull up a bulb to inspect it further if you notice a white fluff on the stem or base.
No known cultural controls or chemicals will treat white rot, and unfortunately, death will follow once symptoms appear above ground. The pathogen travels quickly, and the only way to control it is to move to a new, uninfected area or cover crop with biofumigants.
Symptoms of Garlic Bloat Nematode
Garlic bloat nematodes (Ditylenchus dipsaci) (GBN) are tiny parasitic nematodes that infect the cloves as they grows. It can transport on the soil, roots, or skins of infected seed. It’s sometimes called a bulb or stem nematode. Seed companies should regularly test for this, and you should ask if they do before ordering to prevent the spread to your garden. They may even state they are “certified nematode-free”.
Infected leaves become variegated, cloves soften, bloat, and distort, and bulbs may crack and form dark rings. Your crop will weaken, and the nematodes may spread to nearby alliums, celery, gladiolus, iris, and hairy nightshade. They will overwinter in the soil and can quickly spread via clothes, shoes, tools, and equipment.
Ongoing studies at the Cornell Cooperative Extension show promising results when growers grow biofumigant cover crops and incorporate the debris into the fields to reduce the number of GBN to become GBN-free.
Growers often mistake these symptoms for disease, which can be detrimental in the long term. Check your cloves when they arrive. If you see any suspicious sunken or discolored spots, send a photo or sample to your local pathologist or diagnostic lab to confirm or prove GBN negative.
Does garlic make a good companion?
Yes! Garlic planted with vegetables like carrots, beets, and potatoes may help deter rabbits and deer.
Can I grow garlic in raised beds?
Yes, garlic will perform well in raised beds thanks to the loose soil, water drainage capabilities, and reduced weed pressure.
When should I plant my garlic?
The best time to plant garlic depends on your growing region and first frost date. A general rule is:
- Zones 0 to 3: September
- Zones 4 to 5: early October, about three weeks before the first frost
- Zones 6 to 7: late October
- Zones 8 to 10: late October or November
- Zones 11 to 12: any time, but ensure softneck varieties are pre-chilled to mimic a natural vernalization period
Key Takeaways
- Always buy seed garlic from reputable sources.
- Support your local farmer and buy local.
- Find reliable online companies with good reviews.
- Ask about money-back guarantees or policies to assist when seeds aren’t what you expected.
- Examine seeds promptly after their arrival. Contact the seed company with any questions or concerns.
- Do not plant cloves with any sign of disease, soft or dried up.
- Select a variety that grows well in your region and suits your storability requirements.
