I’ve read many times that supermarket garlic bulbs/cloves are unsuitable for home garden seed-stock because it’s treated so that it doesn’t sprout. So expensive “seed” garlic from garden shops is needed. But I’ve been growing garlic for 30 years with cloves from the local supermarket and have never had any problems. I’m wondering if this is an urban myth? Has anyone had problems getting supermarket garlic to sprout? (PS the mulch in this picture is seaweed from my local beach).
by Many-Ad2342
28 Comments
Quite often the outer cloves, which are the biggest and best to plant, won’t shoot due to chemical treatment.
No farmer in the world is worried about suburban backyards using their crops to steal their business, 95% myth.
There is a granual of truth with some food types treated for storage not growth, so may not grow well. Also seed stock is grown to be plant pathogen free, something supermarket don’t do.
Whenever I’ve grown garlic it has started with organic Australian purple garlic from the shops…worked every time! But yes loads of commercial garlic is absolutely sprayed to prevent sprouting, the purpose isn’t so we can’t regrow it, but to extend its shelf life. This doesn’t always mean it will never sprout, but is less likely to sprout quickly, and the shoots might not be as healthy. Ps love your seaweed mulch!
If garlic is treated to impede sprouting, as ginger is, it’s solely to extend shelf life. So stuff not treated will perform better. Treatment might be neutralised by soaking the cloves for a couple of hours/overnight before planting. There are much better varieties available than supermarket ones, either from nurseries or better still your local fresh food markets.
I think it’s because some imported garlic, like the ones from China, are treated so they won’t sprout. I’ve tried planting them a few times, and they never take.
I’ve noticed the same with certain imported grains and beans too. Someone once told me they go through something like an X-ray machine, which might explain it.
Never had this problem.
I’ve read that all garlic coming into Australia is radiated for disease reasons, which will also inhibit growth.
I’ve never had any issues with sprouting store bought garlic either. There are growth inhibitors like maleic hydrazide that are used to preserve shelf life for root crops, so there’s probably some truth to the urban myth.
The idea that “big garlic” doesn’t want you growing your own from cheap supermarket garlic is a load of nonsense, the reality is you wont have any effect on their profit margins if you grow it.
It’s a myth. I have over 50 in my garden that are at the same stage as yours. A bunch of it is the Chinese garlic, and some was a variety from a local grower.
It looks to me like close to 100% sprouted and are growing perfectly, in fact the imported one was planted a month after the local one and is fully caught up.
The stuff you buy in the grocery store is going to taste so bland compared to what you can buy from proper seed bulb producers.
Pay for the good bulbs once, get awesome garlic and also keep some for replanting next year. It’s so short sighted to buy and grow the grocery junk.
Imported garlic is frequently treated with methyl bromide. It can also be treated with stuff to inhibit growth. So supermarket garlic just might not sprout. I’ve tried to grow shallots from supermarket product and non of them sprouted. Depending on the time of the year, all the garlic at the supermarket could be from overseas.
All my garlic is from a kilo of garlic I bought from a local farmer. It grows just fine. However, you need be be really careful doing this, because it can import nasty plant diseases into your soil.
The real trick is to only buy garlic for growing once and then save the best heads for next year’s crop. Because you’re always selecting the best ones for next year, you’ll get better and better crops as the years go on.
The point of the growth inhibitors isn’t to prevent you from planting them in your own garden, it’s to prevent them from sprouting in transit.
The other reason, other than the chemicals, for not growing store bought garlic is because it can easily transfer pathogens to your soil. In bad cases, it can do it a lot of harm. Think of it like potatoes, in that you should always use organic seed varieties.
Can you get lucky and never encounter these pathogens? Absolutely, but the risk isn’t necessary. Like others have said, buy one batch of the good stuff and regrow that forever.
This is why seed garlic is so expensive.
My misses plants them and they sprout. Guess its supplier dependent, place of origin.
I have 2 in my raised garden.
Just sprout em in the cupboard then plant. I found this out by accident.
I vote urban myth. I have a several plants in a garden bed growing now. They don’t look as happy as yours but they’re growing.
This is also said about potatoes from the supermarket. I’m guessing that’s also bull?
I only plant mine, when they have sat in pantry for too long and sprouting already. But i only use the greens of the sprouted ones for my recipes not wait for it to fully grow.
It sprouts even in homes when left forgotten!
I have 10 growing out the back garden, first time I’ve ever done it. Very excited to harvest. Probably the easiest thing I’ve grown.
Depends on where you are and where the bulbs are from. I’m Australian and Chines garlic is treated with sprouting inhibitors and fumigated.
I only buy the purple Aussie garlic which is far superior in quality and flavour to the toxic imported ‘white’ (aka bleached with chlorine) stuff from China. It always sprouts!
For those who are health conscious
here’s an article on all the reasons why *not* to buy the Chinese garlic. (It’s from US but applies here too)…
https://www.agentnateur.com/blogs/agent-tips/why-chinese-garlic-is-bad#:~:text=It%20is%20then%20sprayed%20with,and%20central%20nervous%20system%20damage.
It’s about as true as the seeds from the veggies not making more veggies
Why wouldn’t they sprout? At the end of the day they’re still garlic bulbs and from what I’ve seen they do sprout
I’ve been able to grow bulbs of garlic from the cloves from Woolies without issue. I can’t say however that it works the same for pumpkin from Woolies. From seed The vine was a prolific grower, and had male and female flowers, I hand pollinated each one that popped up. Every single one got blossom end rot and fell off the vine before a pumpkin could even establish.
Same goes for potatoes. I plant my old supermarket potatoes and have gotten some beauties from them!!