Garlic seeds?
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
In July my garlic was going to seed so as the stems were curly & pretty,I picked them for an indoor display.Over a few weeks the tops began to form waxy flowers with seeds? inside. I've planted about 100 outside in a long trough. Can anyone tell me how long these will take to grow into edible garlic cloves. Or won't they?
Hi Greganliz,
What you are actually showing us are not seeds but pips. Pips are Garlic Bulbils and if treated properly almost every one of those bulbils will produce a clove. This normally takes two years to grow on.
In the first year they will send up one green leaf or may be two. These are short lived and when they die back people think that they have lost then and bung them out. They are best potted-up and kept just moist throughout the season. When the foliage dies off the bulbil still goes on growing, out of your sight. Harvest later on in the year and a good proportion of you bulbils will surprise you with their size. You then plant those out in the big boys garden next planting time and should give you quite a dividend at the end of their season.
JB.
What you are actually showing us are not seeds but pips. Pips are Garlic Bulbils and if treated properly almost every one of those bulbils will produce a clove. This normally takes two years to grow on.
In the first year they will send up one green leaf or may be two. These are short lived and when they die back people think that they have lost then and bung them out. They are best potted-up and kept just moist throughout the season. When the foliage dies off the bulbil still goes on growing, out of your sight. Harvest later on in the year and a good proportion of you bulbils will surprise you with their size. You then plant those out in the big boys garden next planting time and should give you quite a dividend at the end of their season.
JB.
Thanks Johnboy. I thought they were bulbils but was confused as they were produced at the top of the plant within what seemed like a flowerhead. Do bulbs ever produce seeds? Or only bulbils. Are bulbils the equivalent of 'seeds'in the bulb world?
I'll take your advice & lift & replant them next year when they've done their growing bit and get a massive crop in 2010. We might have to buy some land mind you or maybe do a lot of garden interplanting!
I'll take your advice & lift & replant them next year when they've done their growing bit and get a massive crop in 2010. We might have to buy some land mind you or maybe do a lot of garden interplanting!
Hi Greganliz,
Yes, Garlic does set true seed and this is why I was amazed to see that all the heads you show have only set bulbils. If mine go to seed as soon as I see them heading up I cut the stork out about 4 inches from the ground. I don't really think it makes that much difference though.
I think that if you read up on Lily propagation you would probably get a better idea of what occurs.
I know that sounds peculiar but I very much doubt if you will find much written about Garlic.
It might take several years to reach the size of Garlic you are after but if you do this by process of eliminating the weaklings. So survival of the biggest and best at the end of the year and simply dump what you do not need.
JB.
Yes, Garlic does set true seed and this is why I was amazed to see that all the heads you show have only set bulbils. If mine go to seed as soon as I see them heading up I cut the stork out about 4 inches from the ground. I don't really think it makes that much difference though.
I think that if you read up on Lily propagation you would probably get a better idea of what occurs.
I know that sounds peculiar but I very much doubt if you will find much written about Garlic.
It might take several years to reach the size of Garlic you are after but if you do this by process of eliminating the weaklings. So survival of the biggest and best at the end of the year and simply dump what you do not need.
JB.
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PLUMPUDDING
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My garlic only produces bulbils instead of the flower, I wonder if other varieties have a flower that produces seed.
I usually cut these off and don't let them form as you get probably one third bigger garlics if they aren't putting their energies into producing bulbils.
I have let some grow though out of curiosity and planted them out in a row in the autumn. These over-winter OK and form small bulbs the following year, but take about two years to get a bit larger. I planted so many that I just used the ones I had thinned out and left the better ones in to grow on. They still taste of garlic choose how large they are.
Another way of propagating them is just to leave one or two mature bulbs in the ground and they divide and make a colony of garlic plants.
I usually cut these off and don't let them form as you get probably one third bigger garlics if they aren't putting their energies into producing bulbils.
I have let some grow though out of curiosity and planted them out in a row in the autumn. These over-winter OK and form small bulbs the following year, but take about two years to get a bit larger. I planted so many that I just used the ones I had thinned out and left the better ones in to grow on. They still taste of garlic choose how large they are.
Another way of propagating them is just to leave one or two mature bulbs in the ground and they divide and make a colony of garlic plants.
Hi Plumpudding,
Usually I just harvest my garlic in July then buy new cloves for October planting. This year partly due to our having all our summer up here condensed into May, I neglected to check the garlic. The cloves underground had started to bulk up before going into hyperdrive above ground but were still pretty small.Flavour not as strong as usual either. I'll keep growing my bulbils on and see what happens.Nice thought to be self sustaining in garlic at some point.
Usually I just harvest my garlic in July then buy new cloves for October planting. This year partly due to our having all our summer up here condensed into May, I neglected to check the garlic. The cloves underground had started to bulk up before going into hyperdrive above ground but were still pretty small.Flavour not as strong as usual either. I'll keep growing my bulbils on and see what happens.Nice thought to be self sustaining in garlic at some point.
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Mike Vogel
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Hi Greganliz and Johnboy,
I have a similar question. My elephant garlic produces little bulblets at the bottom of the bulb. I've tried to make them germinate, but all to no avail. Are they sterile, or should I just keep them in the soil and wait?
As for your original question, I too have had little bulblets growing out from the stems of my garlic. I planted them all round my carrot beds last spring, but, as JB says, they didn't last long and so the ruddy carrot-fly got in anyway. I'm glad to know that I can expect them to resprout to better effect next year.
mike
I have a similar question. My elephant garlic produces little bulblets at the bottom of the bulb. I've tried to make them germinate, but all to no avail. Are they sterile, or should I just keep them in the soil and wait?
As for your original question, I too have had little bulblets growing out from the stems of my garlic. I planted them all round my carrot beds last spring, but, as JB says, they didn't last long and so the ruddy carrot-fly got in anyway. I'm glad to know that I can expect them to resprout to better effect next year.
mike
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