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Garlic Giveaway from Peaceful Valley

October 10th, 2012

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

391 Comments to “Garlic Giveaway from Peaceful Valley”
  1. Milena on October 15, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    I have grown hardneck garlic, can’t remember the variety with some success. I like that garlic has few pests which seem to love everything else that I plant.

    Reply to Milena's comment

  2. Jenny TB on October 15, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    Thank you for this post! I’m growing garlic for the first time this year and hope I do things right. I didn’t know about the kelp extract so I’ll have to try that.

    Thanks for offering this contest; it’s an amazing giveaway!

    Reply to Jenny TB's comment

  3. Christel Billes on October 15, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    I’d love to try and compare the different varieties of Garlick.
    Corss my fingers…
    Thanks.

    Reply to Christel Billes's comment

  4. Barbara Ardwan on October 15, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    My favorite garlic is Music – picked for it’s name but it grows well and has good flavor. Thanks for the contest.

    Reply to Barbara Ardwan's comment

  5. Anne on October 15, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    What an amazing giveaway! And what an awesome sounding pot to grow them in. We’ve moved around so much in the last years that I’d want my garlic to be portable. I’ve only tried growing a particularly yummy grocery store bulb. It didn’t do so well, probably because it wasn’t meant for seed or maybe because I didn’t know soaking could help. I’ve been waiting to plant garlic till we settled and I could be sure of a garden space. As much as my family loves garlic, it will be a pleasure to finally grow our own.

    Reply to Anne's comment

  6. Heather on October 15, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    I’ve never tried soaking my garlic before and will be very interested to see if this makes a difference. Can’t wait to get growing! Very excited about the giveaway too!

    Reply to Heather's comment

  7. Jaclyn on October 15, 2012 at 6:00 pm

    Very cool give away!
    I’ve always wanted to grow garlic. For one reason or another, I haven’t tackled that project yet. I’m going to have to check out Peaceful Valley. Thanks for the new resource :)

    Reply to Jaclyn's comment

  8. Chris on October 15, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    An amazing prize! Especially love shallots!!

    Reply to Chris's comment

  9. Vicki on October 15, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    My big thing for next year is to try my hand at growing/ adding garlics to my garden. I was so successful with what I grew this year that expansion planes are being drawn up. :) I also have read so much about you liking peaceful valley that I requested a cataloge. I recently recieved it in the mail and enjoyed looking threw it. I diffently had a few BIG stars next to garlic bundle packs.

    Reply to Vicki's comment

  10. monique on October 15, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    i would be curious if anyone has had great success using the smart pots to grow garlic and onions. i am trying for the first time this season. i had not much success using the pots with potatoes.

    Reply to monique's comment

  11. Gail on October 16, 2012 at 5:35 am

    I like to grow early ca soft neck so that I can make the garlic braids. Always want other varieties, but folks are always amazed by the braids

    Reply to Gail's comment

  12. Stacy on October 16, 2012 at 11:41 am

    I found a great EASY way to use up my small garlic cloves that are not used for planting….I seasoned some chicken with herbs and salt and pepper and laid the parts over a bed of small peeled garlic drizzled with olive oil and roasted the chicken. Meanwhile I steamed up a batch of green beans and potatoes until tender . When the chicken was done I poured the garlic and chicken juices from the pan into the potatoes and green beans and stirred it up to serve with the chicken….YUM!!!!!

    Reply to Stacy's comment

  13. Shirley N on October 16, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Great article, I am not growing garlic yet, but would love to try it. Thank you for this great give away.

    Have a God Filled Day
    Shirley

    Reply to Shirley N's comment

  14. Grace on October 16, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    I’ve been growing garlic successfully for the past few years, but would love to try some new varieties!

    Reply to Grace's comment

  15. Stephanie on October 16, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    I haven’t grown any garlic yet but would love to try!

    Reply to Stephanie's comment

  16. jane rainey on October 16, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    we have grown garlic for a couple of years – russian red…. and LOVE it and are ready to expand it a little bit… thanks for the offer… hoping i win…
    take care,
    jane

    Reply to jane rainey's comment

  17. Laura Johnson on October 16, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    I would love to try these varieties.

    Reply to Laura Johnson's comment

  18. Angie B on October 16, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Great giveaway and great blog! As far as my favorite garlic is concerned, I try different ones every year so I don’t really have a favorite yet. I have been growing garlic for 3 or 4 years now. Kind of new to it even though I have been gardening for over 40 years now. Garlic has become one of my favorite crops.

    Reply to Angie B's comment

  19. Jerilee Costa on October 16, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    My favorite garlic right now is the Oregon Blue. I got it a year or two ago from a local town called North Plains which has an annual garlic festival. It’s plump and produces well here in Oregon.

    Reply to Jerilee Costa's comment

  20. Vickie Westcamp on October 16, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    I have never planted garlic before, but I sure have eaten a lot of it! I like your website and will mark it as one of my favorites. Thanks.

    Reply to Vickie Westcamp's comment

  21. Jennifer on October 16, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    I’ve only tried growing garlic once and my elderly neighbor decided the leaves were too close to the fence and broke all of them bending them over towards my yard. :( The pot will definitely come in handy.

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  22. Jennifer on October 16, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    I love my hardneck and softneck varieties. They each have a distinct flavor, though I can’t remember specific names. I grow elephant garlic too, and enjoy its milder taste.

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  23. Diane on October 16, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    I inherited a mystery hardneck garlic from the previous owners of my old house. I’ve now moved and have to start from scratch to recreate my garden.

    Reply to Diane's comment

  24. Kingsley on October 16, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    I grow two varieties of hardneck, but I have no idea what either of them are. One came from my aunt in WV who called it WV garlic, the other came from my CSA box years ago.

    Reply to Kingsley's comment

  25. Rhonda Hurst on October 16, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    I do grow garlic although I have to admit that I don’t know what vareity it is! I love growing fresh garlic, it compliments the rest of my garden harvest wonderfully.

    Reply to Rhonda Hurst's comment

  26. May Jean on October 16, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    First attempt at planting garlic this year—got 2 garlic bulbs; split them apart into the individual cloves; took all the skin off the cloves and planted. THEN watched video where I saw NOT to take the skin off the cloves.
    Ready to do it right—-hope I win

    Reply to May Jean's comment

  27. carrie s on October 16, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    I have not grown garlic

    Reply to carrie s's comment

  28. Jackie Isler on October 16, 2012 at 6:11 pm

    Hi – I grew hardneck last year for the first time. I like it because I think it is a better keeper.
    Jackie

    Reply to Jackie Isler's comment

  29. Carol Rosalind on October 16, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    I recently finished my Allium Garden. It has a few onions starts (Red Stockton) but really really want some fabulous Garlic. Thanks.

    Reply to Carol Rosalind's comment

  30. colleen j. on October 16, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    i grew about 60 heads of hardneck garlic this summer! it was from garlic that i had grown earlier that summer at a farm i interned at and we called it “magic” garlic. i hope to get some softneck garlic planted soon since i have yet to plant any.

    Reply to colleen j.'s comment

  31. Claudette on October 16, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    I don’t know what’s more exciting: free garlic giveaway, 8 new gardening blogs to read, or so much good advice about how to grow garlic!

    Reply to Claudette's comment

  32. EMily on October 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    I’ve been dying to try growing garlic

    Reply to EMily's comment

  33. EMily on October 16, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    I really want to try this.

    Reply to EMily's comment

  34. Bladepdx5 on October 16, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    So far, our favorite variety is Persian Star. We typically grow a mix of soft and hard neck garlic so we get garlic scapes, garlic that stores well, and a variety of flavor.

    Reply to Bladepdx5's comment

  35. Barbara H on October 16, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Look forward to growing this garlic.

    Reply to Barbara H's comment

  36. Barbara H on October 16, 2012 at 7:18 pm

    This is a good garlic to plant for cooking and to keep pests away from rose bushes.

    Reply to Barbara H's comment

  37. Eve on October 16, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    I’m crazy about garlic. Just planted some and decided its not enough do I shopping for more. How fortuitous that I found this giveaway!

    Reply to Eve's comment

  38. Loren Scherbak on October 16, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    I love growing garlic. It is easy and very satisfying.

    Reply to Loren Scherbak's comment

  39. Christie on October 16, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    Thanks for the info and chance to win! Have grown garlic and shallots with good success, but didn’t know some of the tips here.

    Reply to Christie's comment

  40. Janet Malone on October 16, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    Garlic is my next project.

    Reply to Janet Malone's comment

  41. Kay on October 16, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    I’ve grown a German variety. It still comes up.

    Reply to Kay's comment

  42. Loren Scherbak on October 16, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    I didn’t tell you my favorite variety. I grew music last year and it seemed to do well in our very hot summer.

    Reply to Loren Scherbak's comment

  43. Jen. on October 16, 2012 at 8:51 pm

    Thanks for the chance! I love garlic, have some lovely raised beds for them to grown…

    Reply to Jen.'s comment

  44. Mary G on October 16, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    I inherited some hard neck garlic in the garden of our rental house, so I have no idea what kind it is. I LOVE fresh garlic- one clove has the flavor of 3 store-bought cloves! I want to branch out and try a different variety.

    Reply to Mary G's comment

  45. Coriena on October 16, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    I love cooking with garlic, but I really hate peeling it, so I like a garlic with big cloves like Music.

    Reply to Coriena's comment

  46. Karen Harrison on October 16, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    Garlic is a no-brainer crop and is wonderful fresh from the garden

    Reply to Karen Harrison's comment

  47. JiLL on October 16, 2012 at 11:48 pm

    Garlic grows great here in Montana!

    Reply to JiLL's comment

  48. Janet W on October 17, 2012 at 12:11 am

    I’ve been growing garlic in my garden for the past 5 years and my favourite variety is Music, which has huge sweet cloves. I just planted some last week.

    Reply to Janet W's comment

  49. Amanda H on October 17, 2012 at 1:20 am

    I would really love to win this! I haven’t grown garlic yet but coincidentally i was thinking of doing such really soon. my boyfriend and I are going to be building some new garden boxes next week and I was going to make one specifically for garlic. I’d love to win these and try my hand at growing garlic, since I eat so much of it!

    Reply to Amanda H's comment

  50. Katherine Arrington on October 17, 2012 at 1:21 am

    I mostly grow german extra hardy but would love to try other varieties.

    Reply to Katherine Arrington's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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