I heard on YT that China grows garlic to ship to the USA in human waste. Dunno if true or not. But it made me wonder if it is worth growing garlic at home. Most of the garlic sold here is imported. I tried growing garlic one time, about 15 years ago in the old garden, but got nothing. Apparently, it is not foolproof to grow.
I have no garden space except a few pots on the deck. The rest is all trees. Can garlic be grown OK in pots? Is there much of a difference with home grown garlic vs. store bought?
i think most garlic in the u.s. is grown in california tbh, google is saying 90% in fresno county But there is a difference in that in stores there is basically only softneck garlic, no hardneck garlic, which produces garlic scapes and can have a different flavor profile. I’m growing it for the first time this fall
I grew garlic for the first time this year. It was fine. It’s kinda fun, garlic scapes are nice, and I’d say the garlic is better, but I probably wouldn’t notice if I wasn’t looking for a difference. I grew some hardneck variety(s) I don’t remember the name of. May or may not grow them again and wouldn’t bother if it was in a container
It was pretty foolproof here. I prepped a bed and planted in October, watered to get them established and through the end of the warm season. Once the rains started I didn’t do anything. I do live about an hour and a half north of Gilroy, the self-proclaimed Garlic Capital of the World, and have a very similar climate
You can grow garlic in pots. If you grow hardneck garlic they produce scapes that can be cooked but only one per plant so you need many plants. Growing your own garlic allows you to know if the garlic is strong or mild.
Garlic is inexpensive so most people just buy it.
I’ve grown garlic for 5 years now. I’ve found that the stuff you can grow (hard neck for me) is much stronger flavored and tastes much better. Cooked down in something like sauce I’m sure there’s not much of a difference though
Garlic is super easy to grow in my area. Planted in Jan, pulled out in the middle of June. I almost enjoy the scapes moreso than the garlic itself.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking of ordering some Georgian Fire to plant.The idea of spicy hot garlic appeals to me. Does anyone grow hot garlic and care to comment on its flavor.
The difference can be significant. I tend to grow garlic with personality. Purple garlic is very tasty. There are plenty of times i.notice a difference. A nice home made salad dressing , a jar of pickles, maybe some spaghetti, a stir fry etc. . I literally have seen people who hate garlic eat my semi wild garlic my grandfather grew. People who dont like garlic typically detect the bitterness of the big white garlic bulbs. I grow some music garlic myself for cooking. As far as big white garlic goes music can be very good for cooking. I thought it was a cross and people say no it can’t cross but what I grow is excellent. My favorite garlic is pioneer garlic aka wild garlic aka Indian garlic which my grandfather grew a variation of. There are difference just not to everyone or in every case.
The difference is most obvious raw. Sliced on bread with butter, or in a dressing, homegrown hardneck has a sharpness and complexity that store garlic just does not have. Cooked down in a stew or sauce it mostly disappears into the background either way. I grow Music and a purple stripe variety, and they keep well into February if I cure them properly. The scapes alone are worth it honestly, pesto made from scapes is one of the best things I eat all year.
Hardneck is amazing. I have grown garlic the last 13 years and it’s way better than store bought. I have not bought garlic in over a decade. But I grow a few hundred every year. It’s so much better than store bought. I have about a dozen friends who rely on me for garlic as you just can’t buy this stuff!! Once you tried it you’re hooked.
I’ve experimented with hardneck and softneck varieties in one raised bed and they can have really nice nuanced flavors and are not nearly as harsh as store bought. There’s a very popular Garlic Festival south of San Jose, CA in a town called Gilroy. You can get garlic-flavored pretty much anything you can imagine, including garlic ice cream. It is truly wild. https://gilroygarlicfestival.com
It’s too bad hard neck has a short shelf life, so I grow soft also. Soft braids nice and if you try artichoke you can enjoy large cloves too. I usually braid my soft neck
Do you all who swear by homegrown eat a lot of it uncooked? Or like a real pungent garlic?
Mine was definitely better than store bought—even cooked it’s got a nice mild sweetness and a bit more complexity—but not wildly so. I exclusively cook and don’t need a pungent garlic.
Or maybe I just get fresher garlic in stores since I’m pretty close to Gilroy.
It’s nice, but locking up that space for 6 months is pretty expensive. I wouldn’t consider myself a small lot grower, but at 1/5 acre I also don’t have tons to spare either so it’s a real trade off.
I love pungent, spicy garlic. I notice a substantial difference between my own grown hardneck garlic and what the store sells (my own being far superior).
I also eat a lot of garlic, with plenty being raw or lightly cooked.
My lot is small too. It doesn’t take much room. There are at least 100 types of garlics. They all have subtle differences in size, flavor, time of ripeness etc. I also grow out scapes. I got some great garlic that way.
