What time of year do I plant wild garlic seeds?

[Sipio]

Hi folks,

I want to create a wild garlic bed. I have a small patch of soil that is seperate to the rest of my garden so it will be safe from the garlic invading the garden.

Can anyone tell me when I should plant the wild garlic seed please. I planted some in the spring but it never germinated. I am also wondering if they take a long time to germinate. Any other advice on germinating the seed and growing the plant would be very, very useful to me.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Mark.

[Florence Fennel]

Hello Sipio and welcome to the Vine. Have you bought the garlic seed or harvested it from some wild garlic?

[Sipio]

I purchased the seed.

[zazen999]

It shouldn't take long, was it sown in the ground or in pots/modules?

If you sow some now, into pots or modules, cover with a fine layer of compost, sit in a tray of water for 30 mins, and then put somewhere where slugs can't get to it, it should be up within about 2-3 weeks. Grow it over the winter somewhere cool [a coldframe would do] and it should kick into action next spring, although it may not flower until the year after.

I don't know where you are so if you could put your location into your profile that would really help - someone nearby might have some they can spare you, although usually at this time of year it is all underground in small bulbs.

[Sipio]

Thanks Zazen. So I can plant it now? that`s good news. I live in Reading if that makes any difference.

Many thanks.

[Shadylane]

I heard it takes ages to germinate - I gave up waiting and ditched em and instead managed to get some bulbs. I do have something in the garden that looks (and smells) like a wild garlic flower. The greenery is thin like wide leaf grass, no leaves, so who knows maybe they germinated when I ignored them.

I would expect they'd take a long time to get to a decent size from seed. Actually just remembered I had one self seeded one (figures) come up that I had in a bucket. I can't remember when, but it took ages and it was very wee. If you want it quick you might be better off getting bulbs.

[rustylady]

Hi Sipio, welcome to the Vine and good luck with your wild garlic. As to where you live, yes it can make quite a difference to advice given. For example advice given for North of Scotland would be quite different to that given for Southwest England, and again from that given for someone in Australia (yes we do have grapes that far away). If you add your location to your profile it will show up on your posts and save us having to keep asking.

[VirginVegGrower]

Should be sown in early Summer and that probably indicates why you haven't got any through. It is a woodland plant prefering wetish soil. Find someone with it in their garden and ask for ramsons, the small bulbs. Once in they naturalise over the years. Zaz's suggestion of pots is better than broadcasting IMO. good luck - hope this helps!

[zazen999]

In my garden they self seed and certainly don't take ages to germinate - even after the first flowering year we had seedlings very soon after the seed had set.

[VirginVegGrower]

In my garden they self seed and certainly don't take ages to germinate - even after the first flowering year we had seedlings very soon after the seed had set.

You got green fingers girl! Are your soil conditions wet and shady? Assumption here that they are

[zazen999]

It's in my garden not the plot; in one of the sunniest positions in the garden

[VirginVegGrower]

It's in my garden not the plot; in one of the sunniest positions in the garden

I repeat wot I said you got green fingers and twinkle dust magic

[zazen999]

Nah, I just treat em mean and don't pander to them.

[VirginVegGrower]

Nah, I just treat em mean and don't pander to them.

That's what you are supposed to do with men not seeds

[Sipio]

Thanks. I`ll get some bulbs. I had some and planted them last spring but the leaves died immediately and no more came up.

Many thanks.