Garlic ( Hard neck)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KVJRH 30 May 2011 Garlic bed

Garlic produces a seed at the end of the scape formed. This seed is called a bulblet. It is an exact clone of the clovers formed underground. It is impossible to get new types of garlic since all seed garlic is sterile. The bulblets can be used to produce cloves, but they have to be grown about three years to get the cloves of a useable size.

The pictures depicts the growth of plants from the cloves of second year bublets. There were three small clovers produced from the original bulblet last year. The plants are decidedly smaller than the plants grown from robust cloves on the left of the bed. Of course, the size of the cloves and the number produced will be determined at harvest time in July.

Some literature suggests that larger clovers (or bulbs) are produced from large cloves. To test this assertion, the plants at the rear of the second year bulblets are grown from the smaller cloves from typical bulbs. Harvest time will indicate whether this is a true statement. At present the smaller clove plants are essentially the same size as the plants from larger cloves.

The reason for this experiment is: It may be economical to grow garlic from bublets, since about 15% of the marketable cloves have to be utilized for seed using the typical method of growing. My test is to determine feasibility.

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