Tricking garlic by freezing
- Thread starter myke
- Start date
thumper60
Well-Known Member
Thats a hard neck needs to be planted in the fall in northern climates. Where do you live?
MissinThe90’sStrains
Well-Known Member
Ive seen videos on vernalizing seeds like that before. I’ve stored my wild paw paw seeds in the fridge over winter, and my aunt planted them successfully the next spring. Worst case scenario, the garlic grows one big clove each, instead of a full head (this is what usually happens if you plant in the spring instead of fall).
thumper60
Well-Known Member
You wont get full bulbs planting now but you should get scapes an cloves to plant in the fall. they need to be planted in the fall to get the roots going over winter mine are poking up thur snow now.
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xtsho
Well-Known Member
I've never tried freezing garlic. Shouldn't you use the refrigerator and not the freezer for vernalization? Regardless, good luck.
I planted some in the fall that are up. I also have some from those little bulbils that form in the scapes but those will have to be dug, replanted, and harvested the following summer.
I planted some in the fall that are up. I also have some from those little bulbils that form in the scapes but those will have to be dug, replanted, and harvested the following summer.
myke
Well-Known Member
Well that’s the idea of freezing I guess. Stratification something? According to some videos it should work. Plan is to plant them in side so I have little plants by May. Nothing grows here until after may long anyway.
MICHI-CAN
Well-Known Member
Sprouting Garlic for Spring Planting
If you didn't get around to planting garlic this fall, then it's not too late. Here's a shortcut for sprouting garlic cloves in time for spring planting.
luv2garden.com
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Most use a refrigerator, not a freezer. Freezing can turn the bulbs into mush. Here are a mix of red stripe and silverskin garlic (Hardneck and softneck), planted in November, they sprouted within a week, then grew slowly over the winter. I don't have any issues with snow, being that I'm at sea level in the SF bay area. I will harvest in late May early June, just in time to put the tomatos in. Stored in my garage it lasts about 8 months, the softneck tends to last a little longer.
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OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
The wife has 3000 garlic waiting under the snow yet for this year's crop and was still awake so asked her about it. She said the fridge for 3 weeks will do it and they'll grow fine but be a lot later to finish up. The freezer is ok tho too.
Last spring's crop coming up nicely at the end of May. Just about ready to start planting the other veggies and such. Planted 2440 and 2410 came up. 12 or 13 different varieties.
3000 being planted last fall for this year's crop and all sold already. 56°N in Alberta here.
Last spring's crop coming up nicely at the end of May. Just about ready to start planting the other veggies and such. Planted 2440 and 2410 came up. 12 or 13 different varieties.
3000 being planted last fall for this year's crop and all sold already. 56°N in Alberta here.
thumper60
Well-Known Member
Garlic does not need cold mine sprout on my counter when ready.
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
A lot of garlic sold in the "off season" has been kept in cold storage, so it's pretty much ready to go. That said, I always keep a couple dozen heads from the season before for the next year, they sprout just fine without ever getting a cold period.
thumper60
Well-Known Member
Yes its kept in cool storage to keep it from sprouting Here in the northeast we plant early fall an harvest mid july all hard neck cant grow softneck well here season to short. In the south they plant softneck in jan-feb for a fall harvest.
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Luckily being in central CA, I have a long growing season. I have no problems with hard or soft neck varieties, the only one I've had trouble with is elephant garlic, too many rotten bulbs, plus elephant garlic has a kinda wimpy taste, as garlic goes.
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Russian red is a great variety, it doesn't keep as well as the silverskin, but has great taste. I plant a lot of red stripe (I believe it's the same as Russian Red).
myke
Well-Known Member
My understanding is without the cold period I wont get cloves,Ill get one round bulb ,if I just plant it without.
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Never had that happen and I use bulbs from the prior year without any cold storage.
thumper60
Well-Known Member
Not true if you plant now all you will get is a small seed bulb garlic needs to be under ground 7-8 months to form large full bulbs.Nothing to do with cold.
myke
Well-Known Member
From my reading it says Hardneck varieties need a cold period.I have no experience with this though.
https://garlicseed.ca/blogs/growing-garlic/17725133-planting-garlic-in-spring
Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Pretty much, if you're buying planter bulbs at the nursey (or from the grocery store) to break up and use, they've probably already had a cold period (cold storage) I plant my garlic in Oct-Nov, so maybe the cold period is when I put them in the ground, but they usually break ground within a week of planting. Never planted it in the spring, CA, no need.