Hi there! The normal pattern is planting the cloves in the fall during which time they develop roots and a small amount of greens, then letting them grow in spring and a portion of the summer. With summer, at least where I live, the solid bulb splits and separates into cloves. When the plant dies down (the foliage browns), then the bulb is ready to remove from the ground. Have you followed this method?

(If you want garlic greens, you can plant cloves in the spring and start cutting once the foliage gets a chance to develop.) Maureen

Hi Maureen, thanks for responding. Yes that is the exact method I use, but no cloves. I buy new bulbs, of elephant garlic every year, but they never split. I have a large clump of garlic (don't know the name) that I just let go from year to year, dug some of this up last fall and no cloves. I h ave been trying to grow garlic for years.
Alyson

Just curious...where do you buy your seed garlic?

Alyson - I'm wondering if your Alabama heat kicks in too quickly to grow those particular garlics well. Now, I know that elephant garlic is a bit different from other garlics - it's more like a leek and often acts as a biennial. But the unnamed one should theoretically set cloves under the right conditions. Maybe the bulbs just don't get sufficient cool weather to develop bulbs. Try poking around on the internet to see if you can find sources of garlic that bulb well in the South, then plant those in the fall.

Maureen, I certainly never considered it being the climate. Even though my area is said to be zone 7b, for the last several years I would say that we are closer to middle zone 8. We dont' have much of a Spring or even a Fall.

Alyson - try this link. It might help explain some of the problem and provide a solution. You might also try calling your county Extension office or look them up online and see if they have a bulletin on vegetable varieties suitable for your area. Good luck! Maureen

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/growsouth.htm