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Chesnok Red–(aka Shvelisi) Originates from the village of Shvelisi, Republic of Georgia. Beautiful purple striped paper with red cloves, easy to peel. Good lingering taste, retains flavor well when cooked. Rated as one of the very best for baking or roasting. Hardneck, 8-10 cloves per bulb.

Early Italian–All purpose, mild-flavored garlic. Extra large heads and large cloves make wonderful braids. Does well in the heat and produces early. Excellent storage qualities. Softneck, 8-12 cloves per bulb.

German Extra Hardy–Vigorous grower with long roots that enable it to overwinter without heaving out of the ground. Outside skin is ivory-white, but the clove skin is dark red. Strong raw flavor, high sugar content, one of the very best for roasting. Hardneck, 4-7 cloves per bulb.

Inchelium Red–Found growing on the Colville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, Washington. Light purple blotching on very large bulbs. Compound bulbs have large outer cloves as well as medium cloves in the center of the bulb. Rated the best tasting garlic by the Rodale Institute in 1990. Softneck, 12-16 cloves per bulb.

Ivan–Ivan has a complex and subtle flavor, not as spicy as other porcelains when eaten raw. Very productive in cold winter climates. It has classic teardrop shaped bulbs that are characteristic of the porcelain horticulture group. Hardneck, 4 to 6 cloves per bulb.

Music–Italian variety brought to Canada by Al Music in the 1980s from his homeland. Bright white bulbs with a hint of pink and brown on clove skins. Large cloves are easy to peel. Rich, sweet, and caramelly when roasted. Delicious and spicy raw flavor. Hardneck, 4-10 cloves per bulb. This culinary staple is rarely propagated from seeds. Instead a few aromatic bulbs of garlic are saved from the harvest and replanted year after year.

How to Plant, Grow, and Save Garlic Bulbs

This culinary staple is rarely propagated from seeds. Instead a few aromatic bulbs of garlic are saved from the harvest and replanted year after year.

Growing

Garlic plants must be vernalized in order for their bulbs to develop. Plant garlic in the fall, usually between September 25 and November 30 here in southern Wisconsin, after the first light frost of the year. Mid-October is the appropriate time in the Madison area. Keep bulbs intact until right before planting. Break bulbs into individual cloves and plant the largest, healthiest looking cloves with the basal plate – the point where the cloves attached to the bulb – down and the pointed shoot-end up, 6-8” apart. Cover with 2” of soil and a 6” layer of mulch. Do not remove mulch in the spring; it helps control weeds, preserve moisture and provides nutrients as it decomposes.

Cloves may begin to sprout through the mulch in 4-8 weeks, depending on the variety and the weather conditions in your region. Do not be concerned. The plants may suffer some frost or a light freeze and still survive the weather.

When garlic shoots begin to emerge in early spring, ensure even soil moisture by supplying 1” of water per week throughout the growing season. Garlic does not compete well with weeds so keep weeds under control early to ensure a bountiful harvest. Scapes are the curly flower stems that often form as the garlic matures. Cut or break them off after they are 10 inches long and reserve them for eating.

Garlic can suffer damage from nematodes, botrytis rot, and white rot. However, the biggest threat to garlic is weeds. Keep your garlic bed clean and make sure to plant garlic in well-fertilized, loose soil.

Harvesting

Harvest after three or four leaves have died back and there are still five or six green leaves remaining on the plant – sometime in June or July depending on the year and your climate. Do not wait too long or the bulbs will begin to separate in the ground. Loosen the soil with a shovel or pitchfork and then dig the garlic carefully. Do not pull the stalk or it will separate from the bulb. Gently brush most of the dirt off. Tie plants in a bundle of 6-8 plants and hang in a shaded, dry, well-ventilated shed or garage. Leave plants hanging for 4-6 weeks so that bulbs can cure.

Eating and Storing

After thoroughly drying, trim off the roots and cut the stalks off about 1 ½” from the bulb. Store in net bags. For optimum storage, hang in an area with 45-55 percent humidity and a temperature of 50-70 degrees F.

Hold back your nicest bulbs for replanting.

Saving Bulbs

Garlic is vegetatively propagated rather than grown from seeds. To regrow garlic, keep bulbs intact until no more than 1-2 days before replanting, then simply pull apart garlic bulbs and plant individual cloves as described above. Some garlic varieties will produce seeds if scapes are not removed from the plants, but these seeds will not be true to type.

Source: www.seedsavers.org

We have all of your favorites–tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, alliums–and a few not-so-well known treasures for your garden.  Mid- to late October is the best time to plant your spring bulbs (planting too can early promote premature leaf growth) and nothing could be more uplifting after a long winter than crocus, snowdrops and winter aconite blossoms peeking through the snow come spring.  Allow the Klein’s staff to share planting tips and ideas to keep those pesky squirrels from digging up those newly planted bulbs.  And for indoor blooms, don’t forget a few hyacinths, paperwhites and amaryllis (arriving mid-October) for indoor forcing.  We carry a lovely assortment of forcing glasses, vases and decorative pottery.  Forced bulbs make for an inexpensive and treasured holiday gift.  Any bulb questions?  Don’t forget our Mad Gardener @ madgardener@kleinsfloral.com!

Late summer and fall are the perfect time to plant perennials and shrubs. Get a start now on your next season’s garden and landscape!!

We still have a beautiful and large selection in stock!! Quality and selection are still amazing! We have a nice selection of:

• Lilacs
• Dogwoods
• Rose of Sharon
• Burning Bush
• Butterfly Bushes
• Roses
• Weigela
• Forsythia
• Rhododendrons
• Decorative Conifers
• Serviceberry
• Aronia/Chokeberries
• Blueberry Bushes
• Raspberries
• Blackberries

…AND SO MUCH MORE!

We have it all…fall cole crops (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc.), chard and lettuces for fall and early winter harvest. Time to spruce up your beds and tired summer containers? Choose from pansies, petunias, grasses, other assorted cool temperature annuals AND, of course, mums and ornamental kales and cabbages.

And looking ahead…spring bulbs will be available later in the month along with garlic in early September.

• 50% Off All Perennials, Shrubs & Potted Fruits
• 50% Off All Herbs
• 50% Off Tropicals (Citrus & Houseplants are not included.)
• 50% Off All 6″ Annuals (Fall Plants not included.)
• 50%-75% Off Clearance Table Items