Sharon, you're between a rock and a hard spot. Garlic doesn't like transplanting in the spring and hates it in the fall. That means that it's best left where it is from that standpoint. But you also would like nice big bulbs with lots of cloves. You can't have that either. My vote would be to leave them alone to do their thing next season. When those plants begin to die back next July, dig them then. What you will get from each cluster may be several small divided bulbs and several round bulbs. Save the largest rounds for planting back next fall. You've got along without them this long, another season won't hurt!

Martin

You did by mishap what I do on purpose. I plant whole heads of garlic to get a bunch of green garlic. Next May-June, before cloves start to form, if you dig down beside the clump of garlic to its roots you can harvest all the stalks but "one," which you should leave and it should make cloves. The stalks of green garlic tastes like garlic cloves but it's milder. You can use it in any recipe calling for garlic.

I have a bunch of garlic chives out in my garden and right now, they are producing the black seeds. Since I moved them this past spring, I see many small sprouts coming up from their old location, which are difficult to remove and control because they are now coming up in a new asparagus area..

hi all,

I remember last spring we were discussing transplanting garlic. (one poor gal had some where she didn't want it and wanted to move it) Martin said it diliked being moved, but being the contrary person I am, I tested the theory. I had a small stray clump growing in a bed I wanted for something else. So I moved it, separating the individual plants. I think there were 7. They were nearly a foot tall at the time.

The results (and I took pics, but my computer died and took them with it) were that two plants got yanked out while weeding - I ate them. 2 rounds and two divided bulbs. The bulbs weren't huge, but not tiny either. One was medium and the other a small medium. OH, The 7th plant? I missed it and it is now a bright green clump about 8 inches high. LOL!!

Carol

Carol, sounds like you did OK with the transplanting. It does set them back since they have to start all over again to make those tiny feeder roots. As you have noted, this often means virtually setting them back a full year as in the case of those which made only rounds. Transplanting garlic should only be done as a last resort such as an alternative to either saving them or destroying them.

Martin

I must mention I did NOT treat these transplants with TLC. So although they were set back a bit, it is an alternative to losing a cherished variety if life throws a curve ball and one must move or just move the garlic.

Before I "knew" that garlic disliked transplanting, (The "Ignorance is Bliss", pre-internet learning curve) I transplanted an entire 4 x 8' bed worth of green sprigs in the late fall. That bed produced as well as the normal clove planted one. Go Figure.

I suspect some of the success may have to do with our long growing season with very little ground freezing. Even though the air is below freezing the roots can still grow.

Hey! Rounds eat just as well as cloves.

Carol

Just wondering about what variety it was.
I have divided missed bulbs in the fall and replanted and had whole good sized (but not large cloves)bulbs the next August.dont remember ever loseing any.
Which are being talked about(sorry if I missed it in skimming the posts)hardnecks or soft,which will do better bulbing in a colder z5 as opposed to z7ish?
Bill

I have no earthly idea what variety this is. Some 7 or 8 years ago, Food Lion had some lovely fresh garlic. White wrappers with pink or purple cloves. I bought about a pound and planted about half. I *THINK* it is a soft neck, BUT It does occasionally put up scapes. The year I set out the "green twigs", both beds - transplanted and clove planted, sent up scapes. I didn't know I should have cut them off. I still got a good crop! Plus a bunch of bubiles.

Flavor wise I don't know how it rates. I have nothing to compare to. Tastes fine to me. But it has good sized cloves and is easy to peel. I don't have a full bulb handy to count cloves - 12 to 14. IIRC, GarlicLady suggested it was one of the artichokes.

Carol

Maybe now I'm getting somewhere.
Sounds like any garlic that has the scape left on will put out the bulbil thingies.
Bill

Bill,

All the hardnecks will produce bulbils if you don't cut the scape. If the softnecks are stressed they will produce a scape. I have a bag of mixed bulbils if you wants some. Not sure what varieties but I can make a guess.

Warthog

Thanks for the offer warthog but I'm all set for now.
Bill

Hard necks tend to do better in colder climate zones. I planted both types in zone 6, and only hard necks survived through the winter last year.

Bill, there are some softnecks which will send up scapes similar to a hardneck. I don't believe that there are any which produce bulbils at the top but some will produce them partly up the stalk. Several of my Simonetti produced 4 or 5 bulbils about 4" up from the bulb. I forgot about them until now so I'll have to find a place for them and see what happens in one season.

Martin

the turban & asiatic types are considered softnecks but produce weak flower stalks I am pretty sure they would produce bubuils

I'd sure like some of theose bulbils warthog, I am staring over with a brand new garden this year. I just moved here to TN and could use all the help I can get growing food. I have a greenhouse I can start stuff off in, and any variety of garlic would be a welcome addition.

Garlic may not like being transplanted in the colder zones, but I do not hesitate to divide and transplant any garlic that sprouts in the wrong place. If done as soon as they show up, there is little, if any loss of size in my area. If left till bigger, there will be some but I have some normally planted cloves that end up with smaller bulbs than the transplanted ones. In fact, I have delibertly been putting off transplanting about a dozen and have no concern about small size bulbs. I gather up the missed or lost ones every year. I generally do not wait until spring.
Ken

Well, I just left the garlic clove in the ground over the winter, and it survived! Now, I have a bunch of garlic plants coming up out of that one bulb. Should I dig it up and separate the cloves and replant them now? The plants are probably about 6-8" tall, but we're not past the average last frost date yet (May 30).

Thanks,
Sharon

Worked well here for me in z5 2 years ago.Bulbs may be smaller but they should mature in bulbs again.
1*** garlic it seems like to put out roots shallow for about a foot around&sideways so when you plant your cloves at 4-6 inches apart remember not to dig around them in that foot area.Go at least 6 inches in any direction from the plant or you will hinder growth.
Bill

Usually when you plant the cloves they are seperated before planting. Yours can still be seperated now, but they may not multiply very much in soil, as they would need quite a long growing season. If you want to grow garlic for next year, try seperating them and replant in late summer, and let them stay in soil until next summer when you harvest.

Mindsmile,
Thats probably the reason they always say to side dress with fertilizers, as the roots are running along the sides of the rows. Right now, I plan to use some foliar ferts on my garlic as non have sent up scapes yet, although the greens are over about 20 inches tall.

I live in middle tn. and planted garlic in late fall covered with 4" of straw,and black plastic for winter. the weather has been so nice ( feb 17 th ) is it too early to remove plastic ? the scapes are abouy 8" high Hard neck variety, heirloom 104 years old. not real familiar with tenn.weather. any suggestions ? thank you,tim