Martin's Heirloom is my main crop. I also grow Russian Giant and Asian Tempest, but most of my garlic beds are planted with Martin's. I let some of it put up scapes every year and plant the bulbils that develop (in addition to the regularly planted cloves, of course). The rounds that develop from the little bulbils are a nice size the next summer and quite a few of them get used in cooking. The biggest get replanted and then divide into regular bulbs the next year. This is a way of increasing your planting stock, but after a discussion here on GardenWeb some time back, I got in the habit of using the big rounds in cooking because it was actually easier than peeling multiple smaller cloves.

I have tried growing Russian Giant from bulbils, too, and also get fair-sized rounds from a single year's growth. However, when I let the bulbils mature, the bulb they are growing from is really stunted. The Martin's plants can grow the bulbils AND almost a normal bulb. Asian Tempest can be increased the same way, but I never have enough to waste the rounds by cooking with them.

Catherine

Here is a link that might be useful: Martin's heirloom history

Catherine, Thank you for the information, good to know you it does well for you. I am definitely going to get some growing next summer.