Elephant Garlic

[lesleygl]

I have been given a bulb of Elephant Garlic, I want to know how to plant it. The cloves dont look clearly defined to split and I dont really want to fiddle with it too much in case I damage it. Any advice would be appreciates?

Thanks

[muddled]

Well, it should be split and planted exactly like 'real' garlic but having said that, like real garlic, sometimes the bulb doesn't split into bulbs if the growing conditions aren't quite right.
So I would say, give splitting into cloves a go but if it really isn't going to divide, bung the whole thing in anyway.
The plants are big and the flowers beautiful. It really would be worth growing just for the show and if you get something to eat, so much the better.

[Jay-ell]

If I remember right Elephant Garlic is a type of leek and can sometimes form a single large bulb instead of splitting into smaller cloves. You could just plant the whole bulb and it should grow and form cloves next season.

[Fleurisa]

Elephant garlic cloves are huge, usually sold as individual cloves rather than a bulb

[Florence Fennel]

Three questions - as I've never grown elephant garlic before

Can I plant the cloves in my now empty runner bean bed?
If I can, will the garlic be harvested before June?
Can I follow the garlic with more runner beans in June?

[Scarlet]

Flo, you can plant them in your runner bean bed but mine aren't usually ready until the end of June (I plant in Oct) and I'm a lot further south than you!!! So if you need that particular space for the runners plant them elsewhere.

[Scarlet]

Hi Lesley, last year I missed digging up a garlic bulb and it grew in a clump this year. I had four bulbs of it, each with only 4 cloves (usually 6+cloves) and they were all much smaller than my main harvest. Are you sure you have a bulb and not a clove? If it is a bulb, peel the papery layer off gently and you will see the cloves much easier, wedge your thumb in the middle and it should split easily.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks Scarlet, I do have another bed I can use - will just have to decide what to overwinter in the bean bed, I hate to see ground wasted

[Green Gerkin]

I planted elephant garlic last weekend for the first time - I too got a bit confused as i was trying to split what i thought was a bulb but in the end decided it was a hugh clove so stuck the whole thing in the ground!!
We will see what happens!

[muddled]

Well, elephant garlic has grown nicely over winter but now each bulb has sent up a flower stalk.

I feel it's a little early to be harvesting...leaves haven't died back yet. So, should I cut off the flower stem before it opens (and if so can I eat it like a garlic scape)
If the bulb is doomed anyway and likely to be bitter I'll leave the flowers on for a majestic show.

I'm in a 'win-win' mood now the sun is finally shining, can you tell?

[Scarlet]

You can eat them but I think the bulb gets fatter if you cut them off. I cut mine off a couple of days ago but left two to eat.
# I should read the whole post - my giant garlic has always flowered, it has never made a difference and I've always managed to store it for a long time. So thankful that I grew mine in a different bed to my garlic this year. Just spotted that I have white onion rot on the garlic

[muddled]

ouch.
I have rust on my garlic but so far (fingers crossed and touching wood) no problems with the onions.

Good news about the elephant garlic though!
I never had flower stalks this early before but if they aren't a problem I'll just nip them off to send energy straight to the bulb.
Thanks Scarlet!

[Mr Bones]

I've not found elephant garlic flowers make much (if any) difference to bulb size but if they're left to grow the bees love them and they make an interesting dried flower for the winter.

[GreenPete]

I treat them like a hard neck garlic, I nip off the flower spikes and have them as a bonus crop.

[Mr Bones]

I treat them like a hard neck garlic, I nip off the flower spikes and have them as a bonus crop.

Always eat the garlic scapes but never thought to try EG spikes. Had some tonight, blummin lovely.