I've never grown garlic before.

Several cloves were put in the ground and all but one were dug up with nice
healthy bulbs. There were no flowers, just leaves.

The odd one out grew what I thought was a flower stem with a large paper
covered 'bud'.

The 'bud' grew a long tapered green shaft.

Leaves and shaft have turned brown. The paper covering is white. The stem is
still greenish but is fading. The paper covering has burst open and revealed
a cluster of what look like tiny garlic cloves. They taste wonderful!

When I saw the 'bud' I expected an allium-like flower.

Now I have to decide what to do with the tiny cloves. Part of me says I
should eat them but I wondered if I could plant them and have a forest of
plants.

If I can plant them should I do it now or wait? How should I cultivate them?

You all probably know exactly what I've described but if not here's a
picture, http://i7.tinypic.com/20zzmty.jpg

and my thanks in advance.

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote
I've never grown garlic before.

Several cloves were put in the ground and all but one were dug up with
nice healthy bulbs. There were no flowers, just leaves.

The odd one out grew what I thought was a flower stem with a large paper
covered 'bud'.

The 'bud' grew a long tapered green shaft.

Leaves and shaft have turned brown. The paper covering is white. The stem
is still greenish but is fading. The paper covering has burst open and
revealed a cluster of what look like tiny garlic cloves. They taste
wonderful!

When I saw the 'bud' I expected an allium-like flower.

Now I have to decide what to do with the tiny cloves. Part of me says I
should eat them but I wondered if I could plant them and have a forest of
plants.

If I can plant them should I do it now or wait? How should I cultivate
them?

You all probably know exactly what I've described but if not here's a
picture, http://i7.tinypic.com/20zzmty.jpg

and my thanks in advance.

My understanding is they take a few years to make a full head of garlic.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
news:44c67ba3$0$29543 Mary

Hi Mary. I raise a lot of garlic, but I got mine to start with from some
friends that had it growing wild after being planted years ago, and another
batch that I bought in a store. Plant enough to produce a years supply for
yourself and still have enough for seeding your next years crop.

I split the cloves apart around the end of August and plant the biggest
about 1 inch deep in the ground where they wont be bothered for years to
come (then I use the smaller ones). Then after the green "leaves" turn
brown and start falling over, I dig them. I wash the dirt off, and lay them
outside in the shade for 10 to 15 days to cure. Then they go inside into a
cool room where it is dark and laid in a single layer (not in the fridge).

They can also be tied and hung. If I wait until spring to plant, or too
late in the fall, They don't form cloves the first year, and I have to leave
them alone for another season.

Dwayne (in Kansas)

"Dwayne" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
news:44c67ba3$0$29543 Mary

Hi Mary. I raise a lot of garlic, but I got mine to start with from some
friends that had it growing wild after being planted years ago, and
another batch that I bought in a store. Plant enough to produce a years
supply for yourself and still have enough for seeding your next years
crop.

I split the cloves apart around the end of August and plant the biggest
about 1 inch deep in the ground where they wont be bothered for years to
come (then I use the smaller ones). Then after the green "leaves" turn
brown and start falling over, I dig them. I wash the dirt off, and lay
them outside in the shade for 10 to 15 days to cure. Then they go inside
into a cool room where it is dark and laid in a single layer (not in the
fridge).

They can also be tied and hung. If I wait until spring to plant, or too
late in the fall, They don't form cloves the first year, and I have to
leave them alone for another season.

Dwayne (in Kansas)

Thanks Dwayne - but what are these tiny things at the top of a long stem?
Can I plant those??

Mary

I was watching a garden show on TV this AM, and there was an article on
garlic. A gentleman said he bought garlic that made the cloves in the
ground and smaller ones on the top. He said he could plant or use the small
cloves that came out on top the same as he did the ones in the ground. It
make take them an additional year to form cloves in the ground, but you can
try.

Dwayne


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
I was watching a garden show on TV this AM, and there was an article on
garlic. A gentleman said he bought garlic that made the cloves in the
ground and smaller ones on the top. He said he could plant or use the
small cloves that came out on top the same as he did the ones in the
ground. It make take them an additional year to form cloves in the ground,
but you can try.

Dwayne

Thanks, Dwayne, I'll try that.

Mary

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Dwayne" contains these words:

I was watching a garden show on TV this AM, and there was an article on
garlic. A gentleman said he bought garlic that made the cloves in the
ground and smaller ones on the top. He said he could plant or use the
small
cloves that came out on top the same as he did the ones in the ground.

We call that plant Egyptian, Tree or walking onions; they taste like
onion/shallotts and can be used like onion/shallots/garlic. They don't
taste or smell like garlic.

I've had 'tree' onions in the past (I'd like some again!) but what I have is
definitely garlic. I googled and found that the little bulbs are 'bulbils'
and can be planted.

Mary

Janet.

"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I've had 'tree' onions in the past (I'd like some again!) but what I have is
definitely garlic. I googled and found that the little bulbs are 'bulbils'

That's "topset" or "hardneck" garlic. One generally cuts off the scapes
that make bulbils to direct energy into the bulb. Depending on the
original size, it takes a planted bulbil two or more years to make a
regular garlic bulb. Planting the bulbils _is_ a good way to avoid
soil-borne diseases if that's a problem with the original stock.


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

"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I've had 'tree' onions in the past (I'd like some again!) but what I have
is
definitely garlic. I googled and found that the little bulbs are 'bulbils'

That's "topset" or "hardneck" garlic. One generally cuts off the scapes
that make bulbils to direct energy into the bulb. Depending on the
original size, it takes a planted bulbil two or more years to make a
regular garlic bulb. Planting the bulbils _is_ a good way to avoid
soil-borne diseases if that's a problem with the original stock.

There doesn't seem to be but I can wait :-)

Mary

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:



I've had 'tree' onions in the past (I'd like some again!)

send me your address and I'll post you some of the babies; the stalks
are just getting ready to keel over so should root fast.

You have mail :-)

Mary