Elephant garlic

[Avonnow]

I purchased some Elephant Garlic from a seed company. I have the whole bulb wrapped on the counter. I guess I should have prepared better, it took them 6 weeks to get it to me. Is it to late to plant this in Florida. If it is and I save it till fall, will it rot, or start to sprout, any suggestions on storing it - thanks so much.

[Ozark Lady]

I am not a garlic guru.

I had garlic start sprouting, this spring. So, I just went ahead and planted it. It will grow some size, then I will have to lift it, due to summer heat.
It won't be eating size! So, this fall, I will put it back into the ground.

I would suggest, just wait and see. Don't refrigerate it, but keep it as cool as you can, and just watch it, if it starts to sprout, go ahead and plant it, let it grow as long as it will, then if you must, lift it, and replant it in the fall. I know it is a pain in the neck, but you won't lose it that way.

Now, it is my understanding that elephant garlic is not a true garlic, so the culture of it may be different. But it should be allium family, and they could mostly all be done this way.

[Avonnow]

Thanks, I couldn't find much info online about Florida, I am going to read some books I have. I am not impatient. I will wait, I just don't want it to rot. Thanks for tidbit. I may just wait till fall.

[jal_ut]

Here, I would say plant it now. I don't know about Florida. Does it get terribly hot there? My elephant garlic grows through June and July with temps in the mid 80s to mid 90s. By mid August it is ready to be harvested.

[hendi_alex]

Here in S.C. you can leave elephant garlic in the ground and it will come up the next year and continue growing. So I agree with the plant it now comment, but don't plan on a harvest this year. Leave the plants in the ground to grow and give good sized bulbs next year.

[garden5]

Well, I'm far from being in Florida, but I do know that around here, we plant in October to harvest next year. So, if there is anything consistent about growing garlic, it's that it gets planted before the coolest part of the year, "overwinters" and then forms a bulb when the weather starts warming.

Although your "cool season" is probably not quite as cool as mine, perhaps the rule will still hold true.

[hendi_alex]

If a person plants bubils or undersized cloves, and those don't form full sized bulbs the next season, then they can simply be left in the ground for on more year, and then the following season, the bulbs should have good size. At least it works that way here in zone eight. Sometimes in warmer locations, it is hard to get good sized cloves, as the cloves continuously subdivide into smaller cloves. I don't think that elephant garlic has that issue however.