True Garlic Seeds available for ordering for Spring 2018
For the first time, Garlicana is offering true seeds. In the 2017 season, seed was procured from 28 accessions. Yield was variable from one to the next but the overall total far exceeded expectations and there are thousands of seeds, far more than needed for further research and development. What will be available comes from progeny of an accession originally collected from the wild in the Central Asia. There’s seed from second generation progeny of Krasnodar White, from stock originally from Ivan Buddenhagen as well as a random mix of everything. There was no attempt to isolate anything so some outcrossing is likely.
True Garlic Seed has a low germination rate. With each generation germ rate improves but expect as low as 15% and as high as 40%. Seeds require vernalization. We soak seeds in a 1% bleach solution followed by a rinse and a month under refrigeration before seeding into flats or plugs. Germination is inconsistent and can occur from a few days, a few weeks and even a couple months. It is recommended to read this article before endeavoring on this. Growing garlic from true seed is not like growing onions, it’s a project with uncertain results. Nor is TGS a commercially viable means of propagating garlic, it is experimental and offers the possibility of introducing variation into a gene-pool limited by millennia of asexual propagation, of obtaining virus free stock, potentials for disease resistance, of combining traits that cross groups or defy categorization, in short, creating something new.
We come up with names for garlic clones when offered for sale but prior to that Ted Meredith came up with a naming convention used to track seeds/progeny. So if the following names make no sense, it may be worth looking at this. The generation of the actual seeds is listed here, so the named variety is the previous one.
Seeds should be vernalized immediately upon arrival.
Prices are $15 for .18g+ or approximately 100 seeds. Shipping is $8 for USPS priority mail or $3.50 for 1st class mail.
A note on quantities. I have repeatedly counted and weighed 100 seeds. It varies between .16g. and .19g. thus the approximation. With some of these i’ll pack up to .2g.
Lastly, feedback is welcome. This remains very experimental and up until now the seeds were coveted. The seeds you receive are a culmination of years of work and i’m interested to know how these babies do for you.
S15 W6 27977 A #s 2, 4, & 6 (out of 15 accessions). The seed for these are 2nd generation. The 77As have been the most prolific seed producers, surpassing even Chimyan. 2 and 6 are available in 200 seed quantities for $25.
The following three are Krasnodar White progeny and the seed is 3rd generation.
S10 K1 S13/14 A: the tallest of the K1 progeny with small umbels yet easily removable bulbils.
S10 K1 S13/14 C: high yielding seed producer, parent bulbs have rich reddish coloration. Seeds had higher germination than others.
S10 K3 (Arsia) S14/15 B: Arsia was the most stable of the 1st gen. Krasnodar White progeny. It’s progeny have been diverse with “B” featuring shorter plants and a clove configuration more resembling a Rocambole than a Porcelain. Who knows what the 3rd gen progeny will bring.
If you are interested in seedlings and live in close enough proximity to the farm, let me know these will be potted up in March/April.