Although most people buy garlic from the store for cooking purposes, can you plant it? Yes, the simple answer is yes, you can plant organic garlic from the store.
However, it will not be easy to get a healthy bulb, full-sized like one you might buy from the seed store or nursery.
On the whole, garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow in a garden.
If you are growing store-bought garlic, you just need to know a few essential basics on when to grow it and how to care for the garlic, and changing climates may have an effect.
Why Garlic from The Store Can Be Difficult to Grow
Most garlic you find at the grocery store comes from China, and likely has spent months in a warehouse before hitting the shelf.
To keep the garlic from sprouting prematurey, it is typically treated with anti-sprouting cheicals.
Once treated, this garlic is, in reality, dead. You would likely not get a crop if you tried to plant garlic from the store.
Old garlic is less likely to grow than fresher garlic, and most of the garlic from your grocery store has been sitting around for years, reducing your chances even more.
Most garlic found in stores is softneck garlic. Softneck garlic is not considered cold hardy, meaning that it does not grow well in areas that experience extreme cold during the growing season.
They sell this you may find at the store because they grow well in stores at a variety of temperatures, and this is sustainable for business.
If you live in a place that tends to be cold, softneck garlic would struggle to grow in your garden.
If you do want to try to grow store-bought garlic, your best resource is the organic section of the store. Organic garlic is less likely to have been treated for sprouting and more likely to grow in your garden.
Key takeaway is that the best place to buy garlic that is best for growing is farmer’s markets, garlic nurseries, and local gardening centers.
Why It Is Better to Buy Seed Garlic Than Buy from The Store
First of all, seed garlic is specifically grown for planting, so it has not been sprayed with inhibitors like supermarket garlic has. Therefore you can ensure it is going to grow, within a year, of planting.
Supermarket garlic will take much longer, if it grows at all. Additionally, seed garlic will produce a nice bulb with cloves, more than you can say about supermarket garlic.
Even with seed garlic you will have the benefit of being able to plant certain varieties of garlic that you cannot find in the store.
The store only provides softneck garlic because it is the most profitable variety for the supermarket chain.
Also, garlic sold in stores may not have the same high quality or disease resistance as seed garlic will demonstrate.
Hence, when comparing supermarket garlic to seed garlic, grocery garlic is less resistant to disease and may never even get to full maturity.
Objectively: The ideal way to grow store-bought garlic is only for the leaves, and not necessarily for the bulb. The leaves are also a delicious addition to a meal, but can be considered mild in flavor.
How to Grow Organic Garlic From the Store?
As previously noted above, organic garlic from the store has a greater chance of sprouting than garlic that is treated for anti-sprouting.
For optimal results:
- Begin by taking the bulb of garlic apart into individual cloves.
- Place the cloves into soil in a straight line with the pointy end facing up, about 8 centimeters apart.
- Then take some soil, about 5 centimeters, and cover the cloves. At this point, you should be starting the shoots that will push their way up within three weeks after planting.
- If you live in an extremely cold zone, it would be quite important to mulch your garlic bed to keep it warm enough.
- Once nice weather comes in, be sure to remove mulch to eliminate inadvertent overheating; both of which will inhibit garlic growth.
Most importantly, care for the garlic bed, watering and weeding as necessary.
Be patient and give the garlic time to develop. It will be ready for harvest, in the right conditions, in around six months.
Once the tips start to brown, you can stop watering the plants and wait to let the stalks time to dry. Wait another two weeks before digging for the garlic.
Things You Should Consider Before Planting Garlic from The Store
Before you plant store-bought garlic, put the following factors into consideration.
Climate
The majority of garlic sold at stores is softneck garlic, and as we’ve identified it is the least hardy to cold climates.
Generally speaking, softneck garlic thrives best in a climate without harsh winters.
Other types of garlic, like hardneck garlic, which you won’t find in typical supermarket, do healthy in cold and climates especially the bulbing type that produce larger bulbs.
The best time to plant in order to get the best yield is early in the spring season in order to get cold soil time for the garlic. Without the cold period, the leaves will grow, but you won’t form a bulb.
State of the Garlic
Select garlic that is firm and has full bulbs of healthy cloves.
When shopping, pick garlic from the organic section, as those in this area are less likely to be treated with anti-sprouting dip.
Pests and Diseases
Certain garlic sold at stores is cultivated in regions where pathogens and nematodes are prevalent.
Once these species infect your soil, they can easily spread once you plant garlic in that soil.
Once that happens, it can take a considerable amount of time and energy to rid your soil of pathogens and nematodes once it gets infected.
Therefore, you want to make sure you look over the garlic before purchasing it, as occasionally you have infected bulbs that look fine.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
How to test if store-bought garlic can sprout?
Garlic will thrive in environments that are cold. So, if you’re wondering if the store-bought garlic will sprout, you can put it in the fridge for about a week, and then warm it up a little.
Typically, by putting it in the cold and then placing it in a warm environment, you will induce sprouting.
How long does it take for garlic to grow from a clove?
This will depend on some different factors, including the type of garlic and its condition. For example, garlic seeds will give you cloves much faster than store-bought garlic.
In most cases, garlic taking around six months to grow and mature into cloves; it will be ready to harvest from late summer to early winter.
Does supermarket garlic grow?
If treated with anti-sprouting chemicals, then the chances of growing it are nearly impossible.
Your best bet is to shop at the organic section as these garlic are often locally grown and have not been treated at all.
In summary, if you intend to grow garlic in your garden, it is best to buy seeds from garlic nurseries instead.
Final Words
Although this is a great way to save money, grocery store garlic is not necessarily the best kind of garlic for planting; most of them are treated to not sprout, and have been sitting in warehouses and on store shelves for far too long.
Also, most of the supermarket garlic that you find will be softneck, which will not do as well in the winter in the more colder areas.
Just try and buy organic garlic or, if you can, seed garlic from a garlic nursery or garlic seed supplier.