Where do you buy your seed garlic?

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by SueCT

I found a local place called The Garlic Farm that had huge seed garlic. I need to get more but they told me online their garlic is smaller this year. Better than no garlic, though. There is also the local Agway.

I would ask the folks at your local Agway where they purchase the garlic from before buying. Too often stores will just buy from a wholesale seed company located who knows where.

[oakley]

I just ordered. I need to increase my production after having such good production
the past couple years.
I tried a new supplier so we shall see...
HoodRiverGarlic.

[bower]

I was thinking to try a couple new varieties by bulbils, and found a place to buy em in Saskatchewan... all was going well until I calculated the shipping on my shopping. At nearly double the cost of the product, it hardly seemed worthwhile.
This is not the first time I've seen businesses in Canada that refuse to use regular mail. Their cheapest shipping option is 'expedited parcel'. I'm sure that is to discourage small orders and/or force you to buy more to reduce the shipping-to-product-cost ratio.


So there's not just merit in buying a locally grown and adapted seed garlic.. you may avoid some ridiculous shipping charges as well.

[bower]

So I found another place that has lots of umbels (and bulbs) in stock - that is Rasa Creek in BC. Don't know if anyone has experience with them? The shipping is a flat $15 for all orders, which is less than the other place, and they do have lots to choose from.


I would have loved to order from Henry's or his brother's place, but it turns out you have to place orders for bulbils early on before they cut the scapes, and I didn't even think about it until middle of August...


Anyway BC is very far from us and a totally different climate, but I haven't found much available closer to the east coast, with a nice selection of garlics and also bulbils..

[Gardadore]

Green thumb, I forgot to mention in my earlier posting (Post 59) that the link for Village Point Shopping was for you since it is in Omaha! Maybe you’ll have some luck there if it is near you!

[salix]

Bower, I buy garlic from Boundary Garlic (Henry), and although our climate is very different than his, it grows very well (except for that one, very bad winter when NO ONE got garlic...).

I thought there was a source for seed garlic in either P.E.I. or New Brunswick.

[bower]

Thanks Salix. That's good to know.
There is Eureka Garlic in PEI but they're not really set up for web sales. I did find a few bulbs offered at Hope Seeds in Nova Scotia this year, but no bulbils. Most of our seed stock came from Nova Scotian sources originally, but the company we bought from is no longer in business.



I actually have plenty of seed for my needs, and new varieties growing up, but still can't resist the thought of sampling a few more.

[PureHarvest]

Adams garlic in Wisconsin.
Best prices I've seen and the quality is top notch.
Medium bulbs (1.75-2") are $13/lb
Large bulbs (2"+) are $15/lb
Larger orders are discounted per weight.
Just got 60 pounds of Large Chesnok bulbs last Thursday. $14/lb. Bulbs are picture perfect.
Last year I bought the mediums of Music and German Extra Hardy. They sized up just fine for my market.
When I see people asking 10-15 bucks for 8 ounces, I scratch my head a bit.
This is a relatively small family farm that grows organically (not certified, but certified naturally grown). Angela is super nice and provides great feedback and customer service.
Next year I plan on giving on-line sales a shot...

[greenthumbomaha]

You must have bought out all their garlic ph as they are now sold out!!!


I was searching for sellers over the weekend (didn't see this post before) and googled GARLIC FARM instead of GARLIC SEED. This search brought up many more small farms than my previous research. Sadly, many were not in business, but the remaining family type farms were basically sold out or had little left but culinary, or the higher prices for half pound lots.


Looking forward to a new seller next year


- Lisa

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by Gardadore

Green thumb, I forgot to mention in my earlier posting (Post 59) that the link for Village Point Shopping was for you since it is in Omaha! Maybe you’ll have some luck there if it is near you!

I decided to swing by last Saturday and see how market prices were. That market is actually up the street from me. My former growing partner used to sell there years back, a few things that he had excess of after making sauce. He got $3 for each orange tomato when no one else was selling anything but red balls and sold out. They were in awful shape too.


I didn't see any bouquets, unlike my visit last year.


Prior to the visit, I was able to call one of the sellers on that list but they had no large garlic left. One seller there had garlic, but it was the size of a quarter costing a dollar. I am not used to seeing large bulbs at a farmers market here. Too valuable for our booming restaurant trade.


Met a nice lady that I had heard grows for a big seed seller. It was a good day and learned lots about local organizations from her.


Sadly my closest feed store closed last month. They didn't see garlic or anything but packaged seeds but did have weed free straw. Goodbye QC Supply, shall miss you!

[PureHarvest]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

You must have bought out all their garlic ph as they are now sold out!!!


I was searching for sellers over the weekend (didn't see this post before) and googled GARLIC FARM instead of GARLIC SEED. This search brought up many more small farms than my previous research. Sadly, many were not in business, but the remaining family type farms were basically sold out or had little left but culinary, or the higher prices for half pound lots.


Looking forward to a new seller next year


- Lisa

Lol, that’s funny. I think it’s their pricing. It is the best I’ve seen. And it’s not because it’s low quality.
I ordered mine back in July. That’s seems to be the latest you can push it and get the variety and bulk you want.
I bought a 1/2 pound each of 2 turbans yesterday at a certified organic place online called thousand hills heritage farms. Thai Fire and Tzan. Just wanted to see what they do compared to what I’m used to. Price was rediculous but they are in PA, so is close to me regionally. $17 per half pound! But I want to try some. I can always save all of it and maybe even plant some bulbils and scale up if it is worthy.

[bower]

PH, I bet the Chesnok will do really well in your climate, since you're harvesting so much earlier than we do. Those purple stripes are at least a week later than Music to start putting out their scapes here, and it's a challenge for us to leave them long enough to size up in our typical short season. (Spanish Roja was actually the latest this year, two weeks after Music.)

[TomNJ]

For those in Virginia, this Wine & Garlic festival in Amherst on Oct 13/14 is fun and had some rather large Music on sale last year for only $12/lb.

https://www.virginiagarlicfestival.com/

I'll be there again this year.

[greenthumbomaha]

You are correct PH, the first two weeks of October is the recommended planting time around here. I have heard of people that planted Thanksgiving while the snow was flying with excellent results. I prefer not to do that!


Part of my learning experience was planting in long singe rows of a given variety which wasn't even straight, 5 varieties across before a walking path, then another 5 rows. I had to harvest some too early and some too late because of access going from left to right. Either I limit the number of varieties (nope) or plant in blocks (squares) . Most of my saved garlic is mixed as a result, so harvest next spring will be mass confusion.

There is a photo of my country garden in the flame weeding thread. Strawberries were fall planted in place of the garlic bed, and I will move into unbroken (but hopefully tilled) ground in the center of the bed next month. I have 10 bags of worm castings for last minute clay amendment (convinced not to use alfalfa) but I'm open to additional amending. I had access to a bit of horse poop last year, and the ground was like silk when I dug the strawberries in.


- Lisa

[rxkeith]

locally i bought 5 lbs of garlic from a greenhouse in lake linden. $8.00/lb. hard neck, maybe a mix. bulbs are good size. i'll plant some, and eat some. i also keep my eye open at the farmers market, and the co op, but haven't seen any good local garlic yet.
i haven't had to buy garlic for a long time. if it stops raining, i would like to get it planted within the next couple weeks before the rain turns to snow. once october rolls around, the weather here can get nasty. i won't make the same mistake as last year by waiting too long. we went from nice weather to bam, 8 inches of snow on the ground. it went downhill from there.



keith