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jal_ut
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Garlic Harvest

I have been pulling some garlic for a couple of weeks. Here is the batch I pulled last week. (six gallon bucket)

Image

Hardnecks. Sorry, I don't have a variety name.

mattie g
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Awesome-looking garlic.

Wish mine weren't so scrawny, but they are pretty tasty!

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applestar
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James, have you noted whether those single round ball bulbs ever split into cloves? I re-planted mine last fall and they have been harvested as even bigger single round ball bulbs this summer.

I read recently -- I'll try to find the link -- that these round ball bulbs grow from those tiny hard shelled cloves that form OUTSIDE of the regular split-clove bulb. The sometimes get left behind during harvest, and I've also intentionally planted them, too.

ETA -- here it is, with a little excerpt:
If “rounds” are dried off at the end of the growing season and replanted for growing the following year, they will produce extra large cloves.

When lifting the heads of elephant garlic, you may notice bulbils on short root stems or still protected by the papery layers of the head of garlic. These can be planted to produce a small “round” or undivided head of garlic the next year. However, these can be particularly difficult to get to grow if you have let them dry off and let the outer skin become tough. It must be one of the hardest, water resistant coatings known in the vegetable kingdom!
https://www.growyourown.info/page145.html

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jal_ut
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I have only seen single rounds in the Elephant garlic. Yes, you get them when you plant those little corms (bulbils) in the fall. They then make a single round next season. I have planted the rounds and they usually make a multi-cloved bulb. Elephant Garlic is not a true garlic, but actually a variant of the garden leek. I like to let it bloom for the beautiful flowers.

Perhaps you will get rounds in regular garlic if you plant quite small cloves? I have not tried this as I plant the largest cloves I have. I sort my garlic and take the largest bulbs for planting. I believe that if you plant a large clove you will get a larger bulb. For sure garlic responds well to good fertility and enough water. Also keep it weeded. It doesn't compete well with weeds. I cut the flower scapes off the garlic. People will buy them at market. If you let it straighten it is then too late. It gets tough and stringy. I think you likely get a larger bulb if the scape is cut off while still curly.

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jal_ut
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From an older post:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... hp?t=50858

I don't want to resurrect this post, but you can look at the topic if you right click it and open in a new tab.
Last edited by jal_ut on Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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jal_ut
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Quote: "Wish mine weren't so scrawny, but they are pretty tasty!"

I wonder if this could also be a variety thing? I will assume that not all varieties will do well in any specific locale. Can you find some planting stock from a local grower who gets good sized bulbs?

mattie g
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jal_ut wrote:Quote: "Wish mine weren't so scrawny, but they are pretty tasty!"

I wonder if this could also be a variety thing? I will assume that not all varieties will do well in any specific locale. Can you find some planting stock from a local grower who gets good sized bulbs?
I'd love to, but I'm not 100% sure on how to go about finding a local grower. Maybe if I can find garlic at the county farmer's markets? The booths there are generall small farmers from within a couple hours' drive.



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