How to Buy Seed Garlic for Planting

how to buy seed garlic for planting in the garden

It’s that time of year: we need to get our seed garlic orders in before gardeners further north buy all the stores out.

Here in North Texas we plant garlic in mid-October. We plant in the fall because garlic needs a long time in the ground in order to grow to maturity and produce a bulb. If you plant garlic here in the spring, the plants don’t have enough time to grow before being triggered into bulbing.

(Detailed guidance for growing garlic successfully in our challenging climate is available in our Awesome Alliums class, open to all enrolled students.)

Growing garlic is easy when you purchase quality bulbs for planting. Here is garlic growing in a raised bed in a Dallas Garden School research garden.

What Kind of Garlic to Buy

Before you place your orders, you need to understand what kind of garlic to buy.

Avoid Grocery Store Garlic

First and foremost, do not use garlic from the grocery store. That garlic is typically very old, and was not grown to be planted again. Some garlics are even treated with chemicals that prevent sprouting.

Always buy “seed garlic” that is meant for planting.

Ordering Online Gives You More Options

You can find seed garlic in local North Texas nurseries in October, but it typically sells out fast and can be expensive.

Ordering seed garlic online ensures that you will have your garlic in time for planting, and also lets you choose from a wider variety of garlics.

Hardneck vs. Softneck

You may have been told that you can’t grow hardneck garlics here in North Texas, but that isn’t true.

I am a horticulturist with over 20 years of professional and personal growing experience, and I have grown both hardneck and softneck varieties of garlic in North Texas for many years without trouble.

The benefit of softneck garlic is that it stores longer. This means that once the garlic is properly cured, you’ll be able to store and use your garlic for up to six months before it goes bad.

Hardneck garlics tend to be larger in size, and also send up a “scape,” essentially a flower stalk that is edible and prized as a delicacy by many chefs.

Within the hardneck and softneck garlic categories there are several different subtypes such as artichoke, turban, rocambole, and others. (I dive deeper into the various subtypes and which ones I prefer inside the Awesome Alliums class.)

As garlic nears maturity, leaves begin to turn brown.

A few garlics that I have grown and loved include:

  • Kettle River Giant (Artichoke)
  • Lotus (Turban)
  • Basque (Turban)
  • Music (Porcelain)
  • Russian Red (Marbled Purple Stripe)

Where to Buy

There are many online companies that sell seed garlic. They differ mainly in the breadth of varieties available, prices per bulb, and shipping costs.

Here are a few companies that are Dallas Garden School-approved:

  • Johnny’s Selected Seeds
  • Botanical Interests
  • Filaree Farm
  • Burpee
  • Renee’s Garden Seeds

The companies listed are ones that we recommend to our students and rely upon to supply seeds for our research gardens. I have personally purchased garlic from Filaree Farm, Botanical Interests, and Renee’s Garden Seeds.

How to Buy Locally

Because inventories change so quickly at local nurseries, it’s hard to maintain a list of nurseries that carry seed garlic. Some have carried it in the past but no longer carry it. Others only stock very small quantities.

I recommend calling independent nurseries near you (search Google Maps), and asking if they will be carrying garlic in October. (Be careful not to use the phrase “seed garlic,” as this can cause confusion: sometimes nursery staff think you are asking for garlic seeds, which don’t exist.)

What to Do Once It Arrives

If you are not ready to plant your garlic right away once it arrives, store it in a dark, cool, dry location in a basket, mesh bag, or other storage container that allows for airflow around the bulbs. Do not store in the garage where it can still get very hot in October!

Preparing to plant garlic in the garden.

Full Guide to Growing Garlic in North Texas

Our class “Awesome Alliums” is the most comprehensive course available on growing garlic and onions in North Texas. This course and more than 40 others are available to stream right now when you enroll in The Dallas Garden School.

There’s no more confusion on how to plant, when to harvest, or how to cure. We cover all of that and more. Plus, enrolled students have unlimited access to help and guidance directly from me (the director of The Dallas Garden School).

Learn more about the benefits of enrollment here.

Callie Works-Leary
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