Elephant garlic not rooting

[Marb67]

Well it says they are to be sown in spring on the packet. I just can't understand why no roots. All plant bulbs by nature put out roots when in contact with soil.

[rustylady]

Well it says they are to own in spring on the packet. I just can't understand why no roots. All plant bulbs by nature put out roots when in contact with soil.

Was there a plant by date on the pack Marb? Sounds like old stock that's been kept in poor conditions to me.

[Marb67]

The date says Feb-May so well within time. The bulbs looked healthy enough when in the packet. Wyevale always have decent quality stock. Still no roots :-(

[Scarlet]

I think only planting the bottom quarter of the bulb didn't help. It's too late now though so they aren't worth worrying about. Bin them and I will remind you in September to get some more

[Marb67]

I will not bin them. They cost me and it would be such a waste. If they dont root now they might in september. Onion sets that did nothing last year are starting to root now. If you put onion sets into small cells filled with compost half submerged they always get the roots started. Why not the same for garlic ?

[veggiechicken]

Elephant garlic is not strictly an onion or a garlic but part of the leek family. It can be treated as a perennial and left to grow year after year, taking what you want and letting the rest grow on.
Are yours one big bulb or several cloves that could be split apart and grown on separately?
This may help Alys Fowler: how to grow elephant garlic | Life and style | The Guardian

[Scarlet]

I will not bin them. They cost me and it would be such a waste. If they dont root now they might in september. Onion sets that did nothing last year are starting to root now. If you put onion sets into small cells filled with compost half submerged they always get the roots started. Why not the same for garlic ?

If you are going to do that I would plant them now as there's no point letting them dry out any further. They aren't onions so the planting instructions are different, they need to be planted at least 4cm below the soil. Kept quite moist.

[GreaterMarrow]

I planted 3 elephant garlic cloves at the end of Feb/beginning of March. I wasn't sure they would do anything because just after I planted them we had a really nice spell of mild weather. The other day I decided I would lift them out because they hadn't done anything and low and behold they did have roots! I thought they weren't doing anything because there were no green shoots.

[rustylady]

The date says Feb-May so well within time. The bulbs looked healthy enough when in the packet. Wyevale always have decent quality stock. Still no roots :-(

I meant plant by which year (like on seed packets.