Garlic and Aster Yellows Update

[littleminnie]

A couple years ago someone had a link to a webpage of tons of garlic varieties and average size. It was maybe a university page or something but nothing easy to find with a search. Anyone have it?

[littleminnie]

I found a link BTW.

This is what my garlic looks like today. It isn't that bad.

These are the 2 softneck beds. the hardneck looks similar.

[swamper]

vegvar.hosting.cornell.edu/main/showVarieties.php?searchCriteria=&searchIn=0&crop_id=27&sortBy=overallrating&order=DESC&sideSearch=Search

that cornell site has a lot of garlic

do you grow a lot of rocamboles? they look wide and broad leaved.

[zeedman]

The Cornell site is a good one for all vegetables, especially since it allows feedback... which translates into regional observations. For garlic, though, there is a far more comprehensive listing, with photos: Heirloom Garlic Archive

[littleminnie]

The varieties I grew this year were:
Simonetti artichoke 528
Inchellium Red artichoke 38
German Porcelain 14
Siberian MPS 12
Rosewood porcelain 9
Purple Glazer MPS 32
Chinese Pink silverskin? 46
Nootka Rose silverskin 45
Red Toch artichoke 28
Korean Mountain Asiatic 28
Tzan turban 7
Thai Asiatic/turban? 22
Transylvania artichoke 150
Music porcelain 42
Chesnok Red MPS 44

Of course I will note which did best this year but still really want to stick to the decision to not replant any. Last year the best were Simonetti and Transylvania. they didn't show any signs of disease really. The hardnecks were much worse.

The varieties I would like to find are: Simonetti, Kettle River Giant, Transylvania, Tzan, Estonian Red, Western Rose, Sicilano, Sicilian Gold, Krasnodar Red, German White, Dubna and Choparsky.

[zeedman]

Kettle River Giant and Estonian Red were two of the varieties I lost, I hope I can find replacement stock as well. My two favorites, though (Ron's Single Center and Special Idaho) may be harder to replace; they were originally obtained from SSE's Heritage Farm, and SSE may have lost all of their stock as well. I notice that SSE is offering no garlic in the Yearbook this year... it will be an incredible loss of diversity if their entire collection was infected.

[littleminnie]

OMG

[littleminnie]

I am digging my garlic and shallots tomorrow. I wish I hadn't put the shallots with them because I worry they will be infected too and not worthy of replanting.
I have been shopping for varieties. We Grow Garlic has had some trouble this year and many good varieties are not available. They say it is due to back surgery and not being able to weed. I hope that is the truth.
Looking at:
Simonetti (always done best for me) artichoke
Kettle River Giant artichoke
Tzan turban
Pink Music porcelain
Sicilian Gold artichoke
Many others not available that I wanted. I should choose a rocambole type too.

From a forum friend who sells in Oregon:
Shandong turban
Khabar purple stripe
Lorz Italian artichoke

I have some bulbils for Old Homestead from Sandhill I never planted this spring so I will plant those. They are in a seed packet from them.

I might splurge and order Western Rose from Territorial. I would like a silverskin.

So I estimate wanting 15# but may have to go with less.

[littleminnie]

I have decided not to order from We Grow Garlic but to get a few pounds from the high priced other companies.

Anyway here is a pic of my garlic and shallots drying under a tarp.

Some varieties did not grow one bulb! Some were very small and a few were very large. I can definitely see the varieties that can handle this disease better.
Simonetti did ok but way smaller than normal
Transylvania did better in that I had some giant bulbs from it
Chinese Pink did ok
Chesnok Red was pretty poor
Music only one came up out of 42!
Siberian- 0 came up!
Purple Glazer- did pretty bad
Inchellium- 0 came up!
Thai- 0 but it might not even be hardy here
Nootka Rose did the best- oddly
Rosewood did very bad
Red Toch did pretty good
Tzan was pretty good
Korean Mt- 0 came up
German extra hardy- did pretty good size wise but only 1/3 came up.
The shallots that grew with them to separate varieties did fine. Some stayed small and I will replant those but not with the new garlic just in case. I think all the garlic harvested smells pretty strong. It will not store well I think.

[littleminnie]

I just ordered my garlic from small farmers. I was only able to get 4 varieties this year. All the other varieties I really like from the expensive suppliers were sold out! So hopefully next year or maybe a trade in seed for a garlic bulb or something.
Anyway I ordered 4# artichoke Lorz Italian, 3# purple stripe Khabar, 1# turban Shandung, 3# porcelain German Extra Hardy. That last one is the only one I had before. I also have some bulbils from Sandhill for Rocambole Old Homestead I never planted this spring.
I hope to locate by next year:
Simonetti artichoke
Kettle River Giant artichoke
Tzan turban
Transylvania artichoke
Estonian Red purple stripe
Western Rose silverskin

And maybe since Red Toch and Nootka did sell well I will get those again even though the size isn't listed as very large.

[littleminnie]

I received the German from Dangling Carrot farm. It is huge and beautiful! Lucked out there. The other order is on the way too.

[zeedman]

Littleminnie, I think I can help you with the Kettle River Giant artichoke and Transylvania artichoke. PM sent.

So far, I've also found sources for Simonetti and Estonian Red, but only in small quantities. A collector out West will be able to replace about 1/2 of the varieties from my original collection. Fortunately, one of those was Ron's Single Center (an artichoke) which is one of my all-time favorites. It is also possible that I may luck out for my other favorite, Special Idaho... I grew it next to the house several years ago, and I think a bulbil may have escaped. I found a small plant in the middle of the bunching onions which now occupy that space, and there were two heads of fairly large bulbils. I will plant them all, with crossed fingers - and leave the mother bulb in place as backup.

Over all, I'm having better luck than I expected in finding replacement stock. The plot where they will be planted was fallow this year (due to weather, not choice). The silver lining of that situation is that it should result in reduced insect & disease pressure next year. I've been cultivating repeatedly to kill off any perennial weeds which might have harbored the phytoplasm, so hopefully the fresh stock will be successful.

Still searching for Chrysalis Purple, but since the original source was here in Wisconsin, many of those who grew it were likely wiped out. I am also searching for Georgian Fire & Georgian Crystal, sold for years in SSE's catalog; but so far the only sources I've found were in or near the infected area, and I won't risk re-infecting my new stock.

[littleminnie]

I was surprised with some in my home perennial garden many years old evidently. I spotted the bulbils on top.

[zeedman]

Just an update...

Over the Labor Day weekend, I drove down to SSE's Heritage Farm for their tomato tasting, and to tour their preservation grow outs. That used to be an annual trek for me, but haven't gone for the last few years. Getting back to the topic... they were selling garlic in their gift shop! I had thought that they would not be selling any this year, due to the aster yellows; but they apparently had some contract growers. Some were available in 1# bags. Most of the varieties were those listed in their 2013 retail catalog, but they had one (Purple Cauldron) that was not in the catalog. I purchased a pound each of Purple Cauldron, Bogatyr, and Georgian Fire.

All of their stock seems to be smaller than usual... but then, nearly all of the stock I have acquired this year has been small, from New York, New Mexico, Kansas, and now Iowa. It seems this hasn't been a good year for garlic in many locations.

[littleminnie]

I bought some seed garlic in Vancouver and want to know the best way to get it home. Any suggestions?