Growing Garlic in Florida for Beginners

[@user-gh8sl7iu3y]

Who knew growing garlic requires so many steps. I have a new respect for an old favorite.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Yeah I know but I’m so in love with garlic that I’m willing to put in the extra work.

[@user-gh8sl7iu3y]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I agree. I will give it a try later when I’ve gained a bit more confidence in my gardening skills. With your help, of course.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Absolutely 👍 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions

[@Flowers4Bees.Veggies4Me]

Thanks for the information. I plan to try growing them this year (2024). 💚

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Good luck!

[@quiltedladibug1]

Keep going I’m here with you in central Florida

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Hi Neighbor! I definitely will. I have a video coming out Wednesday on growing corn 🌽. Let me know if there are any topics you would like and I’ll start working on those 😀

[@godsamazing2090]

Same here! 💯

[@permit40]

Thank you! I failed at my 1st uneducated try. I wrote down your method.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

It took me a couple years to get the hang of them. Try again. You got this!

[@elizabethmcgowan9743]

First time growing garlic in Florida - I appreciate your video 😃

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

You are so welcome. Good luck!

[@gy2gy246]

Here in NY (zone 6B,) I plant in the fall, like other bulbs. They vernalize over the winter and start sprouting in the spring.

[@johnliberty3647]

Omg! I thought I would have to give up garlic. Now I know there is a possibility I can grow it

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

You absolutely can 👍. I just harvested this years garlic this week so I’ll have a new video coming out soon on what I learned this season.

[@christinereoch5270]

Your video was very helpful! Wasn’t sure when I would pull them. First time grower. I will mulch them next year! I just planted the gloves that grew in my closet!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

How did they do?

[@christinereoch5270]

Going to pull the rest tomorrow. Rained heavily today. The two I pulled did great. Had bulbs!! Need to find a place to dry.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@christinereoch5270nice! Congrats

[@brendahenderson6047]

So glad I found your channel. I am a Northern transplant trying to get stuff to grow in Florida and have been killing garlic in Florida for a while. This is great information. I even took notes and am starting my new garlic journey today with Step 1: Purchase and refrigerate. Please keep posting such great videos.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you so much for watching! Now is the perfect time to get those bulbs purchased and in the fridge. Remember to get soft neck or creole varieties. The traditional hard neck varieties usually won’t bulb here. Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

[@tinal7573]

Awesome video! Planting my garlic in grow bags today!! Love the olive oil&garlic ice cubes :)

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I use those up the fastest. So convenient

[@lindajustmyself7720]

Thank you for this video. Lots of info and tips. Garden buddies are cute!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Awww thank you so much 😊. Chloe loves “helping” in the garden. Mostly by stealing strawberries lol

[@dougknowlesjr7942]

Planting in Odessa, FL zone 9b. Thanks for the tips!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Absolutely 👍 Let me know how it goes. I’m planting mine this week

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

Its nice to see that you didn’t give up on growing garlic. This is my first year trying to grow garlic. I planted mine in December and I did stratifie my garlic in a baggie filled with dirt in my freezer for about 2 months. So far some of the garlic is doing good. I started with organic clovers I brought from the grocery store.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Keep me updated on your progress. I’ve tried grocery store garlic before but it didn’t really work out for me.

[@labellanuts6994]

What caught me is the fence or guard that surrounds a the swimming pool. Safety first. 😊 I havent tried growing garlic in a tote

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Safety first! Yes, it’s a safety fence to make sure no one falls into the pool accidentally. We have small dogs and we often watch our nieces and nephews so just wanted extra precautions.

[@0077alfie]

When the garlic is greowing cut off some of the top and chop and sprinkle on grilled bread with butter. This is the best part of all!

[@sovereignsoul]

Garlic greens are delicious!

[@jchurch556]

PS I forgot to say you don't actually apply 200 pounds of the product you choose to use. Example. Feather meal is rated at 13-0-0. I use 50 pound bags. To figure out how much nitrogen is in that bag multiply(.13x50)= the pounds of actual nitrogen in that 50 pound bag.

[@theannecrossett7761]

Thank you 🙂

[@lindaxx9640]

Again TY never planted garlic, late start this yr so fall will work well. I saved your video. Lot’s of info/ideas. Oh I live in Spring Hill, Fl

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Me too. Hi Neighbor!

[@kayceb4503]

Great video! I'm central Florida zone 9b/10a and grew garlic for the first time this year. I used grocery store garlic and didn't refrigerate before planting. I didn't get nice size bulbs like yours, but smaller ones at least. I have been vernalizing for about a month for planting out. I was thinking in October, but maybe November is better. Been growing in Florida quite a while, but including more edibles the last 5 years, Unfortunately the giant eastern lubbers are also interested in my plantings...I'm still finding them.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thanks so much for watching! November will be a better time period for planting. That allows for the temperature to cool down and gives you a few more weeks of vernalization. Thankfully the lubbers will start dying out soon. They usually are completely gone by November.

[@julielevin2505]

Can you grow garlic from the store? I have covered cloves with damp paper towel and planted when shoots formed. I wasn't committed. I think one grew but v small. I have had great success with green onion scraps. Just planted the root from the store and tbey did well. Also did the same with sweet onion roots and I got one huge onion. For calcium additive to home made soil for pots and raised beds I gather washed egg shells over time then grind to a powder in the coffee mill. Finally I have realised the necessity of covering South Florida soil in summer. My inground area is still v sandy as it is only a year old. I have been blessed with free wood chips. So ive been burying kitchen scraps bit by bit with seaweed ( live close to beach) and chopped aloe and lemongrass( figuring all the nutrients would help) . soaked black beans and planted them also.Then covering the lot with wood chips. In time I know ill have good soil. David the good suggests cardboard also. He says you can poke a hole through when ready to plant established plants. In 2 months the buried bits will be broken down. I will not dig anymore but keep adding mulch year by year, even chopped lemongrass works as it was something readily available before I had the wood chips. In my raised beds i have sweet potato vines as a cover crop. Sweet potato and luffa, zinnias marigolds are the only plants that are thriving. Luffa healthy but no fruit just leaves. Oh well! Thanks for all your great info. You are motivating me to get more organized!!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

All the things you mentioned will help your soil. I dump tons of organic matter in my compost bin and also in the garden. I also follow a lot of principles of David the good but adapt them for what works for me. Garlic from the store is hit or miss. I planted them with the other ones from the video. They sprouted but didn’t thrive. They died within a couple weeks while the seed garlic kept going. I think it had to do with varieties. You never know the varieties in the store or if they are sprayed with chemicals to keep them from sprouting. Bunching onions do really well here. Try starting them next month. They are super easy but don’t like our summers. Glad u are enjoying the videos 😊

[@sproutdaplanet1518]

Great video! I love all the tips and am looking forward to implementing them. You said you're looking for preserving ideas. Have you tried infusing olive oil with garlic cloves? Yum 🙂 Have a wonderful day

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Oh my gosh. That sounds amazing. We eat garlic in everything so that would definitely be another way to add it to my cooking.

[@lovelymillie1967]

Hello neighbor. Glad to find your channel

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Hi! Welcome 🤗

[@sunnydayz4040]

Awesome info!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@jchurch556]

Hello I hope this reaches you before you plant this year. I'm here in N.C. in a 7a zone so I can only help a little. Your on the right track with the organic fertilizer but due to the warm soil temps the nitrogen that is being added in your organic fertilizer is being rolled over and consumed by microbes. I have the same problem here with some of my later maturing varieties. In late October I start bed prep and will address my nutrition as recommend by a soil test through Logan Labs. I strongly recommend getting the test with extras to address micronutrients. However that doesn't address nitrogen. Start looking at applying feather meals, soy bean mills and alfalfa meals or pellets from your feed store. Since I incorporate a high carbon cover crop I usually aim for 200pounds per acre of Nitrogen to be incorporated when I make my raised beds. That figure is based off a 6 inch soil depth. Now I cannot stress enough how important that this has to be in a form of organic fertilizer not synthetic or urea based. The three I mentioned above will have be broken down by soil life before they are available that will buy you a little more time. Also think about a foliar feeding plan using liquid fish and seaweed. The ratio is not that important for the meals but I would research them.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

This is awesome information. Thank you. How many pounds do you apply per square foot? Or is it cubic feet?

[@jchurch556]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a okay. One acre has roughly 43,000 square feet so most gardens can be broken down to 1000 sqft measurements. Let's go back to using feather meal as an example. The basic soil sample sent to a lab will be assuming a depth of 6 inches so think of that as your target to be mixing your amendments in. Now figure out what your using for fertilizer. Let's use feather meal. The given value for this is 13-0-0 each number is the percentage per pound. Remember an acre has 43,000 sqft our garden is a 1,000 sqft. 43,000/1,000=43 let's make our application rate 20 pound's per 1,000 sqft. To figure your nitrogen application 20 x .13=2.6 pounds of actual N being applied to the 1,000 sqft garden. Now to get N per acre 2.6 x 43=111.8 per acre. I didn't mention earlier is you use the alfalfa pellets from stand Lee they use a little wood ash in the production of the pellet. This will move your soil PH towards a alkaline direction but it will take a lot for that to happen. I'm just guessing a good rule of thumb would be 40 pounds per 1,000sqft. Look up the NPK value on alfalfa meals and you can calculate just what it is your adding using the info above. If you map out your inputs and track them it will help you quantify their importance.

[@jchurch556]

I suggest you buy "A Growers Guide for Balancing Soils" William Mckibben is the author. It's a deep dive but if you want bigger picture explained this is a really good start.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Wow. That’s amazing info. Thank you. That book is added to my Christmas list!

[@allfruit]

Hello. Have you grown elephant garlic? If so, did it give you bigger or better cloves/heads?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I have grown it and it did good. Personally I don’t like it as much as regular garlic. It’s too mild for me.

[@kma5699]

Any recommendations for seed garlic from suppliers that are actually in Florida? Seems contradictory to buy warm climate garlic from Oregon or NY lol.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Last season I got my seed garlic from MIGardener. He is in MI but he sources his garlic and other seeds from many different places. Another good one that is closer is Mary’s Heirloom Seeds. I haven’t found a farm in Florida that sells seed garlic but if you do find one, let me know and I’ll give it a try and let you know how it goes

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I just received a notice from Mary’s Heirloom seeds preordering seed garlic and thought of you in case you are interested

[@kma5699]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a most of what they offer is hardneck and not suited to Florida

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@kma5699 they do have a few soft neck varieties. I noticed that their website main page lists some as hardneck when they are really soft. I think it might just be a glitch on their site. One variety I had good luck with was inchelium red which is a softneck.

[@kma5699]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a yeah I remembered you said you grew Inchellium but saw it listed as hardneck.

[@JohnSmith-gm3kz]

IMAX chickenshit fish and I take vegetables scraps and I put them in water let them start producing gas teaspoon of chicken water teaspoon freshwater half a cup of the vegetable scraps fermenting in a gallon every 10 days

[@stujjj77]

Regarding your 10/10/10 fertilizer issue not being organic. Could you not get an organic lower concentration, like a 4/6/4 that is water soluble & just "adjust" the amount of water used in order to "bump" up the concentration?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That’s a good idea. I actually went with compost this season and it feed the plants the entire time. I put down about 4 inches of homemade compost and that did the trick.

[@sovereignsoul]

Miracle Gro Performance Organics Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules is 7-6-9, but it is pricy.. I use a lower value organic fertilizer and simply fertilize more often. Also use wood chips from the bottom of the pile (which is breaking down) as mulch, which fertilizes too with rain and watering from above. The "Back to Eden" approach solely uses chipped leaves and branches, without any store bought fertilizers.

[@mommafeets]

We’re your Early Italian successful? I didn’t think we’re able to grow that one.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

They were but a few split apart rather than bulbed tightly. They are a soft neck variety so they can work down here. My favorite was Inchelium red and silver rose. Those both did very well but took a bit longer.

[@quiltedladibug1]

Would love to tell you the story about the dirt I bought, Four yards at a time 1 load, USF Extension office after testing told me to throw it away ! 2 load had human manure in it….. crapola. ….. not organic for sure.. 3 load so dence in peat had to amend it with top soil, that harm chemicals in it that would not allow the plants to grow, So I’m at a ripping my hair out spot, I can grow anything, but my above gardens are dead! Can’t compost enough to generate four more yards of good soil. Any idea where to buy good dirt…… I’m going to try again!!! I have two acres and eight above ground beds. 4x8

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

OMG that’s terrible. I have 2 places I like. The first is new port richey’s composted mulch program which I used to fill a majority of my beds. It does have a lot of carbon so the first year does require a lot of fertilizer but the soil just gets better and better with time. My other favorite is Whitwam Organics. I topped all my beds off with their compost which they delivered to my house for a fee. It was a little on the dry side but after a good storm and some mulch/grass clippings it started holding water better. Hope this helps

[@mommafeets]

You harvest when the leaves are about half yellow.

[@xaviercruz4763]

Hi, try as the Almighty God who created them shows: pray to Him to bless it and bury any raw fish leftover like sardines right under the roots of the plant and covered with a little soil so the roots reach to it in due time and that is fertilizer. Sardines are said to be all wild caught so organic. (Bible actually shows in the gospels someone digging around an unfruitful plant and doesnt specify what fertilizer but this was tested to work too so id be happy to see your results. May God bless you all and guide you!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I know of other gardeners that plant fish heads in the holes that they plant their tomatoes so I assume this would be the same type of thing. It must provide organic type of fertilizer. 😊

[@xaviercruz4763]

Whats different than your past attempts?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

The biggest difference was my timing and fertilizer.

[@xaviercruz4763]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a God used you when despite having information on the internet, i asked with mom for His guidance on this as i am in a low tropical area, and i had never seen your video but after the prayer it popped. Chase Him, there are purposes for you!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That’s awesome. So glad the video helped. God Bless