Elephant Garlic

My Foot Smells · October 4, 2016

just ordered 25 bulbs for 9.99 from bonanza (missourijack), never grown before. I read this is actually a leak.

after some short reading on the net, some ppl say put in the freezer for a few weeks and plant later in the year for southern climate. never done that either, any thoughts?

also read that customary to plant on short day (12/21) and harvest on longest day (06/21) or thereabouts. never done that neither. usually plant in late October, but may wait till turkey day.

ilex · October 4, 2016

I've got something similar and I try to plant early September. I use first as baby leaks starting December.

My Foot Smells · October 4, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilex

I've got something similar and I try to plant early September. I use first as baby leaks starting December.

Nice, probably could manage that here with the weather as winter doesn't really cool down until the new year. Have a bazillion wild green onions that sprout up in the field......

Relegated to soft neck varieties due to spring weather and early summer being hotter than northern counterparts. First time growing the BIG garlic, we shall see.

AlittleSalt · October 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

just ordered 25 bulbs for 9.99 from bonanza (missourijack), never grown before. I read this is actually a leak.

after some short reading on the net, some ppl say put in the freezer for a few weeks and plant later in the year for southern climate. never done that either, any thoughts?

also read that customary to plant on short day (12/21) and harvest on longest day (06/21) or thereabouts. never done that neither. usually plant in late October, but may wait till turkey day.

I haven't put them in the freezer. I just put the Elephant garlic in the refrigerator a couple weeks before planting.

I planted ours last December 21 (Shortest day) and it was ready in June. I don't think planting a month earlier would hurt a thing unless the ground temperature is still pretty hot. I just remembered where I read that http://www.harvesttotable.com/2012/0...lanted-garlic/

Temperature. Garlic germinates in soil temperature of 55°F and grows best in soil temperatures ranging from 55°F to 75°F (13-24°C). Garlic that has established roots will overwinter best.

ilex · October 6, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I haven't put them in the freezer. I just put the Elephant garlic in the refrigerator a couple weeks before planting.

I planted ours last December 21 (Shortest day) and it was ready in June. I don't think planting a month earlier would hurt a thing unless the ground temperature is still pretty hot. I just remembered where I read that http://www.harvesttotable.com/2012/0...lanted-garlic/

Temperature. Garlic germinates in soil temperature of 55°F and grows best in soil temperatures ranging from 55°F to 75°F (13-24°C). Garlic that has established roots will overwinter best.

Forget garlic, it's a leek.

Leeks have a very short summer rest. They will sprout at the minimum temperature drop in late August/September. Sometimes just after first rain. Obviously, soil is quite hot (I'm at the equivalent of San Diego).

My Foot Smells · October 6, 2016

yes, I meant to say refridgerator, not freezer. Thank you for the correction.

AlittleSalt · October 7, 2016

You're right in the heart of Arkansas, I would plant in November too. http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate...tates/usar0909

ilex, you are right. It is a leek that is like an onion too. The bulb looks like garlic. I have been as close to San Diego as 1,165 km - Somewhere in-between lives my sister-in-law in a desert town. I don't dare to cross that desert - she might be there.

Medbury Gardens · October 10, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Temperature. Garlic germinates in soil temperature of 55°F and grows best in soil temperatures ranging from 55°F to 75°F (13-24°C). Garlic that has established roots will overwinter best.

Well technically term 'germinates' refers to a seed.

Worth1 · October 10, 2016

Who decides what is what in the plant world and why?
I have known the better part of my life elephant garlic was a leek, about the same minute I heard of the stuff the next I heard it was a leek.
I think it was on the Frugal Gourmet show on PBS years ago.
Why is elephant garlic classed as a leak and not garlic.

Worth

GrowingCoastal · October 10, 2016

Apparently, elephant garlic does not have the same health benefits as regular garlic. Who knows? Maybe it has other health benefits.

bower · October 10, 2016

Technically I think it means Elephant Garlic can cross with leeks, but not with garlic. Down to the DNA I guess, they are a match for the leek.
Where neither the Elephant nor the true garlic often make seeds, maybe it's mostly a moot point? Or does EG often flower and set seeds? If so, could cross with your leeks.

AlittleSalt · October 10, 2016

I have read that they are called scallops, garlic, and leeks. They look like garlic to me. The only reason I've grown it is because others have told me I cannot grow it in-ground. Wrong.

Worth1 · October 10, 2016

https://youtu.be/CLnADKgurvc

https://youtu.be/RJv2Mugm2RI

ilex · October 11, 2016

Most leeks make bulbs, specially old ones. Wild leeks make lots of them. Elephant garlic bulbs just happens to look like garlic, but anything else is quite leek.

Note there's a real garlic called elephant garlic grown in South America (Chiloe Island).

svalli · October 31, 2016

Last fall I ordered elephant garlic from UK and planted to my garlic bed here in Finland. Last winter was harsh and none of the cloves survived. Now I am getting some cloves from a grower in Finland, but it is already too late to plant them here so I and will refrigerate them and plant during spring.

My DH is currently in Japan on a business trip and I asked him to look for local garlic varieties. This morning he e-mailed me that elephant garlic is commonly used there. I started to google it and found a thing called Japanese garlic, which does not look like a regular garlic clove. Then I noticed that they look exactly like elephant garlic corms. This Japanese garlic is advertised to have some special health values, but I could not find any good information about the plants themselves and I can find information about them only on English ans Spanish, but nothing in Japanese. Many Japanese sites however had a lot of pictures of the giant elephant garlic called janboninniku (some showed also the corms attached to the heads).

I do not speak Spanish, but I found this video interesting.
https://youtu.be/MWb9kSh1fzE
As I understood it shows planting elephant garlic from cloves and corms, which grow to a giant single bulb the first year.

Sari

October 4, 2016	#1
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	Elephant Garlic just ordered 25 bulbs for 9.99 from bonanza (missourijack), never grown before. I read this is actually a leak. after some short reading on the net, some ppl say put in the freezer for a few weeks and plant later in the year for southern climate. never done that either, any thoughts? also read that customary to plant on short day (12/21) and harvest on longest day (06/21) or thereabouts. never done that neither. usually plant in late October, but may wait till turkey day.

October 10, 2016	#13
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	https://youtu.be/CLnADKgurvc https://youtu.be/RJv2Mugm2RI Last edited by Worth1; October 11, 2016 at 12:04 AM.

October 31, 2016	#15
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	Last fall I ordered elephant garlic from UK and planted to my garlic bed here in Finland. Last winter was harsh and none of the cloves survived. Now I am getting some cloves from a grower in Finland, but it is already too late to plant them here so I and will refrigerate them and plant during spring. My DH is currently in Japan on a business trip and I asked him to look for local garlic varieties. This morning he e-mailed me that elephant garlic is commonly used there. I started to google it and found a thing called Japanese garlic, which does not look like a regular garlic clove. Then I noticed that they look exactly like elephant garlic corms. This Japanese garlic is advertised to have some special health values, but I could not find any good information about the plants themselves and I can find information about them only on English ans Spanish, but nothing in Japanese. Many Japanese sites however had a lot of pictures of the giant elephant garlic called janboninniku (some showed also the corms attached to the heads). I do not speak Spanish, but I found this video interesting. https://youtu.be/MWb9kSh1fzE As I understood it shows planting elephant garlic from cloves and corms, which grow to a giant single bulb the first year. Sari __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

October 4, 2016	#2
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	I've got something similar and I try to plant early September. I use first as baby leaks starting December.

October 6, 2016	#6
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	yes, I meant to say refridgerator, not freezer. Thank you for the correction.

October 7, 2016	#7
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	You're right in the heart of Arkansas, I would plant in November too. http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate...tates/usar0909 ilex, you are right. It is a leek that is like an onion too. The bulb looks like garlic. I have been as close to San Diego as 1,165 km - Somewhere in-between lives my sister-in-law in a desert town. I don't dare to cross that desert - she might be there.

October 10, 2016	#10
GrowingCoastal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC Posts: 1,253	Apparently, elephant garlic does not have the same health benefits as regular garlic. Who knows? Maybe it has other health benefits.

October 10, 2016	#11
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Technically I think it means Elephant Garlic can cross with leeks, but not with garlic. Down to the DNA I guess, they are a match for the leek. Where neither the Elephant nor the true garlic often make seeds, maybe it's mostly a moot point? Or does EG often flower and set seeds? If so, could cross with your leeks.

October 11, 2016	#14
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	Most leeks make bulbs, specially old ones. Wild leeks make lots of them. Elephant garlic bulbs just happens to look like garlic, but anything else is quite leek. Note there's a real garlic called elephant garlic grown in South America (Chiloe Island).