I know this is a really old thread but I have only just started a veg garden this year. Living in Central Florida does have it's challenges I can tell you so I thought I could try some seed potatoes this winter before the hot weather arrives by March next year,which from what I have heard and read, will be their death.....they are Organic spuds (1 pound each of Russian Fingerling and Yukon Gold I think) ordered online back in October and only arrived finally last week (Dec) but no sprouts on any of them yet.....ugh! Ok so they tell me to put an onion/apple or banana in the paper bag to speed up the growth, I've got the onion in each now for 2 weeks but still nothing.....can anybody help here, really would appreciate your input as I'm desperate to get them in the ground before Xmas to have enough 'cool' weather time for them to grow, thanks :o)

Keep in mind that store-bought is likely to be California White---not the best tasting garlic around. Were it me I'd plant it for green garlic (sort of scallions that are garlic instead of onions). Pop the cloves and plant them only about an inch apart. For this purpose, you can plant them so the natural neck is just underground. The green parts can be exposed. This should give you a decent green garlic crop. First frost will be sometime in October (depending where you are in Kentucky), followed by at least a month more of nice growing weather. For regular garlic, planting is done anytime in October-December, here in the Bluegrass. I like to plant around Thanksgiving weekend, myself. Overwinter frosts rarely kill-back any green growth. Normally the tips of the leaves get a little frost-bitten, but that's all. Regrowth will start in February, and harvest in late June and through July, depending on variety. If you have the time, you might want to attend the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy fall conference, October 21-23. There will be several alliums authorities present, one of whom, Tom Greenwood, is giving a presentation. So you can get a lot of questions answered. For details on the conference, send your snail-mail addy to KentuckySeeds@hotmail.com

I realize I'm chiming in on this topic late but...there are definately many different tastes in garlic and different kinds that are good for different uses, like raw, cooked, powdered, storage, etc... I just spent the last summer studying garlic, how to grow it, medicinal qualities, types, and I am amazed at garlic! We planted a few hundred heads and are looking forward to our crop next year. Did you know that about 75% of the garlic in the US now comes from China?!?!? We are their biggest customer. Chinese garlic is known as "elephant garlic" or "white garlic" or "common garlic". One would never realize it but it's used in many many spices and flavorings in processed and restaurant food. The growing conditions of Chinese garlic are supposed to be up to US standards but in reality unknown, however the US requires it to be irradiated to be imported to the US. This is supposed to kill bacteria and other pathogens which is laughable because garlic is by it's very nature has antibiotic like qualities. Garlic is an interesting thing because it's actually (for lack of a better word) alive. When you crush it and let it sit for about 15 minutes the enzymes mix and it becomes (again for lack of a better word) activated or more potent. It's these properties that give it taste and health qualities. Irradiation kills these properties of the garlic leaving it dead and lacking health benefits. Irradiated garlic will not grow or will grow poorly. Currently there are no hybrid garlics or genetically modified garlics but big business is busy trying to accomplish this. I'm sure you could guess who. They are having trouble because of the "alive" property I mentioned earlier. Garlic is used in huge amounts in the US, mostly in the commercial spice industry where they use it in processed foods and restaurant food. We eat lots of tasty things that we'd never guess has garlic in it. The Chinese have killed US garlic growers because they just cannot compete. The numbers have dwindled and dwindled for decades. It's a very labor intensive crop and in the garlic industry US companies pay fair wages, overtime, provide insurance, workman's comp, pay government taxes, etc... whereas in China they pay don't pay these things not to mention the long hours and pitiful low wages they pay their laborers. Even with the expense of irradiation and shipping it halfway around the globe it's far cheaper than what the US can produce. I am just one person but I make sure I buy US garlic for this reason. Anyway, it's great that you'll try to plant some common garlic, and I hope you will consider some other varieties too. There's a big garlic world out there and many to choose from. Crushing(not cutting/slicing/mincing)and waiting about 10 - 15 minutes brings out a full flavor and "power". If you don't like the smell of garlic on your fingers from prep, just rub them on a steel surface under water until the smell goes away. Works with onions too. As far as medicinal uses, non irradiated garlic is currently being used all over the world to sucessfully ward off H1N1, the common cold, other bacterial and viral infections, heal cuts and wounds, treat stuffy sinuses, to treat cancer, as an anti fungal, I could go on and on. I'm certainly not saying it's a cure all, I'm not recommending it for any specific use, I'm saying it's a very interesting plant with an unusual way of attacking foreign invaders in the body and that there are some folks that claim to have success with it. I've read many of the garlic bulb sites on the web and spoken with many of the companies. By far my favorite is Gourmet Garlic Gardens, I've added the link below if you're interested. They have fabulous varieties to choose from and will gladly help you if you have any questions on what variety is best for your needs and area. There's a lot to read on this site! There are many other bulb sources who are great out there as well, this just happens to be my favorite. G.O. Here is a link that might be useful: Gourmet Garlic Gardens

I took 12 seeds out of a store-bought Orange hab in early March, just to see what would happen. I did no prep work at all on them - straight from pepper to germination tray. After 2 weeks, only one had popped, so I figured it was a bust. However, now it's been 4.5 weeks, and all 12 ended up sprouting (they really got going around Day 18-20). I kept the best four and they are all very robust! They're on 3rd and 4th leaves, all are healthy looking and they are beautiful little plants. Now I guess the mystery question is whether they will produce any fruit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.