Garden Myths

[cntrlwagdnr]

With the garlic...

You can use supermarket cloves but it's a long time to wait to see if they've treated them with a growth inhibitor. They do this to stop them sprouting on the shelves. The resultant bulbs can be tiny.

Also you can run the risk of getting onion white rot from uncertified cloves. If you get this in your soil it will wipe your crop out and stop you growing onion family crops for about 7 years

Believe me I know, I lost 5,000 bulbs of garlic to white rot

I agree with both things, but if you insist on doing this, buy organic ones - they are not treated. Regarding molds on untreated garlic, which are not always visible until they get really rampant, don't use them raw or to infuse oils, etc.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I beg to differ about grocery store garlic. I bought several heads from an open bin and planted them. Here are two of the heads we grew:
View attachment 76909
The flavor is stronger than store-bought, but that may be because it is air dried.

I don't think anyone is saying you can't, just that there are risks attached. I have done it myself, just as I have grown potatoes that have started sprouting in the cupboard. They are not a certain to be blight free as good quality seed potatoes, but I have never had the problem yet. I reckon most decent farmers are going to be on top of disease.
Buying organic cloves so you know they are not treated with growth inhibitor seems like it could be worth it. As might giving them a bit of inorganic (Non-organic?) fungicidal treatment.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

I agree, I tried it too, but garlic from the garden store (or seed) is about the same price as store bought anyway. On the other hand potatoes can be very risky for the spread of blight disease and may be illegal in some agricultural areas. It only take once. That's why seed potatoes are only grown in protected areas. You wouldn't want to risk ruining the industry.