Kitchen Garden Forum

Never noticed garlic bulbils attached to the roots before

i assume that it is elephant garlic and would say that this is normal. See this page for further information :- http://www.growyourown.info/page145.html

Thank you Realfood, I did try elephant garlic for the first time this year, reading your info probably not a good choice here in the south east it would probably usually be too dry, though this summer has been very wet, and the winter was mild here too. They were autumn planted and just made a nice big round not multiple bulbs yet!

Elephant Garlic is not somthething I have grown but I know a man er lady that does. It grows very well in the South NB. She has superb bulbs and I hasten to add having seen the Isle of Wight Growers at Hampton Court I think she could beat them weight for weight. I know very little about it but believe it is more of the leek family than actual garlic. I have been promised a clove to try.

Beryl.

Thank you for that Beryl. Does your friend offer any special tips?

I will ask NB. I shall be seeing her tomorrow, we are visiting 5 local gardens in the Yellow Book scheme.

Beryl.

Elephant Garlic is actually a leek with ambitions: it's not just in the leek family (which includes garlic, onions, chives), it's the same species. It's nothing like as strong as garlic and, because it's not actually really truly a garlic, doesn't quite taste the same. It's not to my taste, I must say. Size isn't everything.

Felixt, now you have me wondering - garlic has medicinal properties too so now I wonder if the elephant garlic still contains the valuable allicin which if uncooked has the anti viral /anti bacterial anti fungal properties? Will google that when i have a moment, but for now chores to doi!

I bow to FL's knowledge as I don't grow it but you asked NB for tips on how to and I have asked my friend and she says she always keeps one bulb back each year to plant in the Autumn. Separating the cloves and planting into good soil that was manured the previous year and adding a little blood fish and bone.

She has now agreed to show her Elephant garlic in our local show so would like advice in return on how to display and prepare the bulbs. Maybe FL can help me with this one.

Thanks.
Beryl.

I've been sadly disappointed with the standard garlic this year. Half the size of last year, two completely rotted before I could lift them and a good many with bulbils which is unusual. I have around 100 bulbs which need eating fairly soon as they're not going to keep well

However, the Elephant Garlic is still growing strongly and the flowers are just opening. I pulled one to check on the size and it was huge, so if the rest are anything like this good it will make up for a lot. I have around 30 of the Elephant Garlic as I've gradually built up my stock over the past few years.

I'm with Chanters, we've had a dreadful year for garlic and onions. They look great but they're full of water and very little flavour. They won't keep so we're using them fresh.

My normal garlic are a bit smaller than usual, probably cos of lack of sunshine and so much rain, but they're not waterlogged and in good condition for keeping, I think being in raised beds helped them Tigger.

Mine were in raised beds!

Hi folks.

Sorry to digress, but I planted some Elephant Garlic in the spring as Wilkos were selling it off relatively cheap. I'm guessing that it hasn't divided, and I'll end up with one big clove. If I replant this in the autumn, will/should there be a subsequent division for next year?

Cheers...Freddy

Mine were in raised beds too!