Janet Baraclough wrote:

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form?

I can offer a theory, based on considerable dilletantese in garlic:

Sounds like your seed heads have also made some "topsets," common in
hardneck garlic and many onion varieties. If planted and nurtured, they'll
likely make leek plants.

I agree, by the way- leek blossoms stand on their own as nice flowers.
That's pretty much what "flowering allium" plants are selected to do.

I've been growing my own leek seed for several generations now, though I've
never got anything but regular seeds growing on the heads.

It's more than a little off-topic, but there's a biggish garlic festival an
hour or so south of me weekend after next in Saugerties, (New) York. I
plan on a stinking good time!

Cheers from the colonies!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G