Garlic Giveaway from Peaceful Valley
Last week I was thinking to myself that it was time to look through all my garlic and pull out the nicest bulbs for planting. Garlic is one of those crops that I’ve been growing since I first started gardening. It’s so easy to grow and brings such great reward.
Earlier this year, my interest was piqued when I read that softneck garlic stores longer/better than hardneck garlic. As much as I’ve read in my lifetime, I have never heard this tidbit of information before. Hardneck varieties of garlic are all that have been grown at Chiot’s Run, because it grows better in colder climates. Though, I have seen softneck garlic at the farmers market, so I know it can be grown successfully. Most of what I see is hardneck though.
Over the past few years, I’ve grown most of my own seed garlic as well. I do occasionally long to grow new varieties for flavor and to see if I can find ones that do particularly well in my climate/area. Your local farmers market can give you an idea of which varieties will do best, ask around, or just try a few that sound interesting.
With so many questions about planting garlic in the comments of this post, I wrote a Garlic Planting Guide over on the Your Day Blog.
When Peaceful Valley contacted me about doing a garlic giveaway I obliged, knowing one of you would love to win their garlic combo pack for your garden. I’ve talked about why I love Peaceful Valley before, so I’m happy to support a company I appreciate (they aren’t paying me to do this post, though I did get some softneck garlic to try).
What can you win?
A Garlic Combo Pack – Comprised of 1 head of Elephant (conventional), 3 heads of California Early White (organic softneck), 3 heads of Purple Italian (organic hardneck), 3 heads of Russian Red (organic hardneck), 3 sets of French Red Shallots (organic). Should yield approx. 50 plants, needs approx. 6-8 sq ft.
A Quart of Liquid Kelp – Cold-processed liquid kelp Enzymatically digested, concentrated liquid extract of California Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), harvested from kelp beds in the Pacific Ocean off the Northern coast of CA. Freshly harvested kelp is rapidly processed at low temperatures, using naturally occurring enzymes isolated from the kelp, to digest and liquify the chopped kelp into a dark liquid extract.
a 10 gallon smart pot – which you can use to grow your garlic in if you don’t have enough space in your garden.
1 Garlic Twist (clever kitchen gadget that minces the cloves when you twist it; easy to use and clean)
and a print of your garlic variety.
So why kelp? Peaceful Vally has a great video that recommend soaking your garlic bulbs overnight in kelp before planting. I used kelp before, but I have soaked them in a baking soda and fish emulsion mix. You can bet I’ll be doing experiments by soaking a few and not soaking a few to see how they grow (similar to my remove or leave the scape experiment). If you’d like to read my post on planting garlic including a few of the varieties I grow, head on over to this post.
All you have to do to enter to win is to comment on this post. Contest will end at midnight PT on Wednesday, October 17. contest closed…check back for more great giveaways in the future.
Do you grow garlic in the garden? If so, what’s your favorite variety?
If you’d like more chances to win, there are 7 other blogs doing this same giveaway, with different varieties of garlic.
Peaceful Valley’s Organic Gardening Blog for ‘Bogatyr’
Gardenerd for ‘California Early White’
A Suburban Farmer for ‘Purple Gazer’
North Coast Gardening for some ‘Russian Red’
Western Gardeners for ‘Purple Italian’
Living Homegrown for ‘German Red’
Dirt Du Jour divas are giving away French red shallots
I have never grown garlic before so am unfamiliar with the varieties. I do have spinach and lettuce growing now and woud love to add some garlic to the mix. This is definitely something I’d like to delve into more.
to Liz J's comment
I tried growing garlic last year for the first time and can’t wait to grow more! Had no idea about the planting tips ~ I just planted bulbs from the grocery store. Have a space all tilled and ready to go… Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway!
to Beegirl's comment
I’ve been thinking about growing garlic for a while, but can never get my act together in the fall. I never knew how many different kinds of garlic there are until I talked to the garlic farmer at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago.
to Liz's comment
I’ve been wanting to add garlic to the garden. This would be awesome!
to Mark S's comment
I really want to try garlic, this would be awesome to win!
to angie h's comment
I’ve grown Chesnok Red the past few summers, starting with a head I got in a CSA share. With the dry summer, though, the heads I got this year were smaller than I wanted to use for seed, so I’ll be eating all of it and buying seed garlic from the local garden center and online. (I meant to have already done that two weeks ago.)
to Karla's comment
I love growing garlic and I always encourage others to give it a try. I agree that the soft neck stores longer, but I like the large, easy-to-peel heads of the hard neck. I love the variety ‘Music’.
to Corrie's comment
I’ve been growing Russian Red for years. We just planted our bed yesterday. Garlic is one of my favorite plants to grow. So easy. I’ve never heard about soaking the bulbs in baking soda. Does this help? I hope I win so I can try some different varieties.
to Ken Toney's comment
I do grow garlic but since moving to Kentucky – it’s not done as well as it did in Virginia. I’m missing something! Would love to try all these new products! Thanks!
to Charlene's comment
You might just need to find a different variety. That’s one of the reasons I started growing 8 different varieties, different ones appreciate different things. So some years one does better than the others if it’s dry. I have one variety that always excels. No doubt, here in Maine, I’ll find a different one appreciates this climate.
to Susy's comment
Great giveaway! This will be my first year trying to grow garlic so I wasn’t going to get adventurous, so this would be a real treat to win. Thanks!!
to Quinn's comment
I grew German hardneck this year and was amazed at how easy it was! I wondered if dedicating a part of my garden for the whole seasoning would be worth it. I will always grow it moving forward and will be dedicating a larger plot! I’d certainly love to try some new varieties!
to sherri's comment
I always grow soft necked varieties of garlic as they do store longer ( am in the UK) Iberian Wight always does well for me.
I’m going to grow some Elephant garlic this time as I like to use it as a green bulb for roasting.
to Mich's comment
I still haven’t ordered any extra garlic ( we have some we grew), so yes please!
to Allison's comment
I have for years! But had bad luck with it the past two years (a little dry around here). I’m not sure what I’ve grown as it was handed down to me about 15 years ago and that’s what I’ve been growing since!
I hadn’t heard that about softneck before either, although living in North Texas I’m not sure what I need (note to self to research more :)
Thanks for the tip on Kelp!
to Jaye's comment
This is the first year I have tried to plant garlic. I looked everywhere for some type of liquid seaweed, everywhere I asked people looked at me like I was crazy so I went without. Where can you buy this? I’d love to try it and see if there’s a difference.
to Katie's comment
I generally buy a 5 gallon bucket from Johnny’s Seeds and use it for two years, but you can get gallons of Neptune’s Harvest from Amazon
. Generally I buy the Neptune’s Harvest brand.
to Susy's comment
I love to grow garlic. It is so easy. I have been trying to save enough seed garlic of my own to increase my yield, but I always want to eat all of it. I would love to try Peaceful valley’s products.
to Kathi Cook's comment
We are a garlic loving family – my kids will actually jump for a chance to eat raw garlic slices. We have tried growing it, but certainly dont have enough room in our garden to produce the amount we go through. Few of our favorites are Music and German Red.
to Adelina Anderson's comment
I had huge hopes of growing garlic this year, for the first time, at our new home. Had the perfect bed picked (overgrown, narrow, long) and was digging it out (weeds!!) when my shovel found a yellow-jacket nest and they found my son. Oy. It’s late enough in the season that I figured I’d leave them til spring and kill them then (going to try the glass bowl trick). They are, however, at the *end* of the bed, and I think there’s likely enough space for a small stretch of garlic. I’d love to win such a great package!
to Kelly H.'s comment
Boo…poor little guy :(
to Tammey's comment
I just bought some generic garlic (not sure what variety) to plant from the local Mennonite hardware store. The soil at my old house was so bad the garlic never did well. The soil at my new house is so amazingly wonderful I can’t wait to try again. Now I just have to make some room amongst the raspberries. And I love everything I have ever bought from Peaceful Valley and would love to try their garlic.
to Erika's comment
Yummy! I have to plant my garlic this week. I’ve been planting from the same stock for 5 years. It does so well when it acclimates to your own garden.
to Heather's comment
I plan to grow garlic for the first time this year. We love garlic! We put it in tons of dishes and we juice it as well with other veggies. Delish.
to Fawn's comment
I grew garlic years ago. I just got back into planning and planting our retirement garden, and planting garlic is on our short list. Thank you.
to Robin's comment
I grow hardneck and love using the scapes. I don’t remember the variety as the original bulbs were purchased years ago and I just keep using my harvest to seed for the following year. Would dearly love to try some new varieties. Thanks for a great giveaway.
to Gayle's comment
I had issues with my garlic this year. Will definately be giving it another try. I love me some garlic!
to Brad's comment
I grow Red Toch and Inchillium Red, both softneck. I love these and they store very well.
to Annie's comment
I’ve never heard the tip about soaking the garlic–I can’t wait to try it! I love growing garlic–it’s so easy, although I have a tough time with patience. I’m constantly pulling a sample to see if it’s ready (it never is), then cursing myself for disturbing the bulb. I’ve never used Peaceful Valley–I’m heading to their website now to check them out. Thanks for hosting such a wonderful giveaway!
to Julie's comment
I’m thinking of planting my own garlic this weekend – homegrown is so much better than what you get in the store, and I love all the different varieties. I’ve never tried softneck here in New York, nor Elephant garlic, so I would be really happy to get some to try!
to Deborah's comment
Planting garlic is my biggest reward for the least effort of anything I plant in the garden. Years and years ago, I started planting garlic and now I have it growing in the woods where it reseeds (I guess) each spring> What a treat!
to Tammey's comment
Have never grown garlic, I cook with it a lot and would love to add it to my garden. Thanks! And love reading your blog daily!
to sandie morgan's comment
Thanks for hosting this awesome give-away. We just expanded our garden for next year. My favorite thing to plant is potatoes and leeks. I would love to try to grow garlic too.
to Katie's comment
I love—- LOVE —– garlic. I think I’ve eaten so much that I can’t even taste it properly anymore. Roasted, raw, cooked in butter…. Now I’m hungry.
to Christine's comment
I have never grown garlic although I have been thinking about it- I go through so much and really wonder if I can grow it without killing it. I also think it would be cool to grow my own garlic scrapes!
to Gabi's comment
I Love garlic. I use it in just about every dinner. I planted garlic for the first time last fall and my garden will never be with out it again!!
to Jodi Tork's comment
Garlic is a regular crop here on the farm but I always love trying new varieties.
to Canned Quilter's comment
Oh how great this giveaway is!!! Just went to a local garlic festival this past weekend, can’t wait to try my hand at it. I never realized how many different varieties there are. I could live on it. I’ve been reading all I can about growing it, and I also read how the softneck last longer, so happy because I’m hoping to grow enough to make some beautiful garlic braids. Have you ever made them? Thanks again for the giveaway…I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed!
to Michelle G's comment
This summer’s harvest had very thin wrappers on the bulbs. Some have dried to nothing, unlike last year where bulbs kept for well over six months. A friend gave me a bulb of red Russian and one of Music, so they need to be planted real soon. I think I started with soft and hard, but only have hard neck that gave survived.
to George's comment
I love growing garlic- it’s just so easy! Only about 2 more weeks until planting time here!
to Melissa's comment
I am just getting ready to plant my fall garlic and would LOVE to try some garlic products from Peaceful Valley!
to elaine's comment
We are hoping to plant garlic for the first time this year! Winning would be such a sweet way to start!
to Jess Lamson's comment
awesome! i do not currently grow garlic and have been wanting to try, but didn’t know where to start!
to kirsten's comment
I’ve not grown garlic. I’ve been toying with the idea of trying to as well as toying with the idea of using more fresh garlic in my cooking. This giveaway is a great one. Thanks to you and to Peaceful Valley. You are sure to make someone smile!
to Karen Mundt's comment
I’ve never grown garlic – I’d love to try!
to DebbieB's comment
I usually plant elephant garlic every fall. I would love to try other varieties. I have never used kelp either so it would make for a nice experiment.
to Teresa's comment
Our family loves garlic! We are in the process of a move from one climate zone to an entirely different one. A new time of experimenting! Thank you for a great give-away! Congrats on a successful move to Maine!
to Ronda's comment
I have been growing garlic for 6 or so years. It is a hardneck but I don’t know what variety. I purchased it originally from my friend in Harborside and have replanted each year since. I read somewhere that garlic acclimates to its own growing conditions so you should use your own for seed. I love peeking under the straw each spring to see that first sprig of green and then comes harvesting the scapes which I love made into pesto or sauteed and added to another dish. Of course it is always fun to see how big those bulb got during their growing period. I guess I’d have to say garlic is a feel good crop.
to jennifer fisk's comment
Yummy! We love garlic in this house!
to Deairdre Miller's comment
I live in SE Texas and, oddly enough, hardneck garlic grew best for me last year (Chesnok Red). The two softneck varieties I planted did not hold up very well to my cats using the bed as a wrestling ring. I also like to experiment with varieties and will be planting hardneck, softneck, and asiatic varieties this year. Maybe I will try using kelp or fish emulsion this year. Last year I did absolutely nothing to the garlic and they produced small usable heads.
to Melissa's comment
I’m planting garlic this year! This would be a great gift!
to Kathy L.'s comment
One year I popped some cloves in the ground and managed to grow a few bulbs. I’d like to give it a try again, but all the varieties boggle my mind.
to BeccaOH's comment
It’s my first year growing garlic, and I’m pretty excited! I was able to pick up some Seed Savers bulbs at a nearby greenhouse, too. I can’t wait to be able to try different varieties.
to Johanna's comment