Okay, in case anyone else wants to know, the information I have gotten to date is that the bulbs simply will not bulb up. So....I'm suggesting that they just eat the garlic and forget about trying to grow more of it.

Case closed.

Someone mentioned to me to look at what folks at the Farmer's Markets are selling. If they are selling garlic, then you know they didn't grow it here. I haven't tried growing it myself, but it doesn't sound like trying to grow it would be particularly productive.

I have been growing garlic in waimea on the big island for the past 2years.
I mainly grow an artichoke variety but have some success with orphio varieties. I don't get good size for the ophio varieties because dormitcy is to short not enough frost, but the artichoke varieties do very well for me as long as my soil is prepared good with lots of nitrogen. Cold is one of the main factors in bulbing up and where iam located the soil stays at good tempatures.

Well, Waimea is a high altitude growing area so it's cooler then what many of the rest of us have available. If it grows at Waimea, though, it should also grow at Volcano?

I can't say if garlic will grow in Volcano or not. Altitude is only a small factor. What is Volcano's soil like? Is Volcano more like a rain forest with high humidity? How much does it rain? If conditions are the same as the dry side of Waimea, then I don't see why not.

As a former garlic farmer on the mainland, I can say with conviction (and dismay) that I have had no success in growing garlic on the big island. Garlic needs deep frost to bulb. A cheap way to experiment is to use bulbs from the grocery store and get garlic sprouts and greens, but your end product will be small and disappointing bulbs. I have tried to refrigerate the bulbs first, I have had a friend send bulbs that were in the ground on the mainland all winter and then see what they do here, and I have simply tried to wait - and very little success. Garlic needs tons of compost, light aerated soil and good, fertile ground where the nutrients will not wash away. It does not like fertilizer during its growing season. All the growing goodness comes from good seed. Ive tried elephant garlic varieties, heirloom varieties, and even one that claimed was ok for warmer climates. My suggestion is buy the purple stripe hardneck organic garlic at the health food store (its an heirloom, the one with the purple stripes) ; Im pretty sure the big white varieties at the market are imported from china.