Elephant Garlic ?

AlittleSalt · August 17, 2015

October will be here before we know it. I bought a head/clove/whatever of Elephant Garlic from Wally-World back in January. I planted 4 bulbs that grew through the monsoon spring and ripened in June. As the picture shows, I have both bulbs and seeds. Which one should I plant in October?

guruofgardens · August 17, 2015

Salt - here's a good article about planting garlic in Texas. Since you're in the South, your weather suggests you'll plant at different times than us in the colder climates. They mention only planting softneck garlic, but I agree that you should try what you find in your area.

Who knows? Your elephant garlic may explode!

http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/re...ons-gardening/

Why not plant both cloves and seeds? Seeds do take about 3 years to mature though.

rhines81 · August 17, 2015

I was surfing all over last night and happened to run across a recipe on youtube, some Russian lady making a pickled mix. She put in some Elephant garlic and said that it wasn't really a garlic, but a leek. I looked it up further and found it to be true.

There has got to be some sort of garlic club in your area where you can get planting information for your climate. Spring and Fall is all I know, but in some places that is all one long season.

AlittleSalt · August 17, 2015

We plant onion seed in early October, so I just figured that's when to plant garlic seed. Transplants are January and February here.

Worth1 · August 17, 2015

I thought everyone knew elephant garlic was really a leek I dont see how but it is.

Salt I think this is the right link.
Everything you wanted to know about garlic in Texas.
The guy lives in Bangs.
Worth
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...99804247,d.eXY

pauldavid · August 18, 2015

Robert, I planted elephant garlic in September and it did great. You can also leave some in ground and it will multiply. I have some that I planted 2 years ago that still comes up. It came from my neighbor's yard that has been there around twenty years in the same spot.

svalli · August 26, 2015

Has anyone grown Elephant garlic from seeds? I got some seeds, but can not find any information, if the seeds need vernalization.

I could sow some seeds already this fall like ornamental alliums and some early spring like leek seeds.

I know that getting edible bulbs from true seeds may take couple or more seasons, but I am willing to try this. The seeds came from plants grown in Finland from fall planted cloves, so Elephant garlic should be hardy enough to survive our winter.

Sari

AlittleSalt · August 26, 2015

We have an area just outside our garden that is in mostly shade while there are leaves on the trees. In winter, this area gets plenty of sun. That is where I am thinking of planting the Elephant Garlic. I planted second year onions there last fall and they grew well.

Tracydr · August 26, 2015

I would try some of both.
The flowers of elephant garlic and leeks are really attractive to bees and hummingbirds,too.

August 26, 2015	#7
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	Has anyone grown Elephant garlic from seeds? I got some seeds, but can not find any information, if the seeds need vernalization. I could sow some seeds already this fall like ornamental alliums and some early spring like leek seeds. I know that getting edible bulbs from true seeds may take couple or more seasons, but I am willing to try this. The seeds came from plants grown in Finland from fall planted cloves, so Elephant garlic should be hardy enough to survive our winter. Sari __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

August 17, 2015	#2
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Salt - here's a good article about planting garlic in Texas. Since you're in the South, your weather suggests you'll plant at different times than us in the colder climates. They mention only planting softneck garlic, but I agree that you should try what you find in your area. Who knows? Your elephant garlic may explode! http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/re...ons-gardening/ Why not plant both cloves and seeds? Seeds do take about 3 years to mature though.

August 17, 2015	#3
rhines81 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Zone 5A, Poconos Posts: 959	I was surfing all over last night and happened to run across a recipe on youtube, some Russian lady making a pickled mix. She put in some Elephant garlic and said that it wasn't really a garlic, but a leek. I looked it up further and found it to be true. There has got to be some sort of garlic club in your area where you can get planting information for your climate. Spring and Fall is all I know, but in some places that is all one long season.

August 17, 2015	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	We plant onion seed in early October, so I just figured that's when to plant garlic seed. Transplants are January and February here.

August 17, 2015	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I thought everyone knew elephant garlic was really a leek I dont see how but it is. Salt I think this is the right link. Everything you wanted to know about garlic in Texas. The guy lives in Bangs. Worth https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...99804247,d.eXY

August 18, 2015	#6
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	Robert, I planted elephant garlic in September and it did great. You can also leave some in ground and it will multiply. I have some that I planted 2 years ago that still comes up. It came from my neighbor's yard that has been there around twenty years in the same spot.

August 26, 2015	#9
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I would try some of both. The flowers of elephant garlic and leeks are really attractive to bees and hummingbirds,too.