elephant garlic?

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chungster Sandy, UT(Zone 6b) May 27, 2006

I just want to make sure this is elephant garlic ? and that I am to leave it alone until the leaves die off?
So flowering is ok? thanks for advice.

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tombaak High Desert, NV(Zone 5a) May 28, 2006

Take the flower off, it will put more energy into the bulb.

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reubenT Spencer, TN May 28, 2006

looks like an elephant, the leaves will start to die back after awile and then it should be dug before the leaves totally dry up, if it stays in the ground till the bulb sections split apart of their own accord it won't keep as well, but that probably dosn't apply as you're not likely to try to keep it till next spring anyway. We dig it after the leaves die down half way or so and lay it out in a dry place to cure. (maybe late June here in Z-6) Then split up the cloves and replant around Oct or later. And keep the rest for use all winter.
We had some volenteer elephant garlic come up behind the old farm house after the soil was disturbed, don't know where it came from, but we propagated it and have plenty from that. Then we found some very small garlic growing in an old garden site in the appalations, abandened sence pioneer days, and grown up in trees, we propagated it and it turned into full size elephant, so we have plenty from that as well. we have an area about 10x30ft in garlic beds of 4 kinds.

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dmj1218 west Houston, TX(Zone 9a) May 28, 2006

rueben, I will trade creole garlic in a couple of months for some of that 'recovered heirloom' elephant garlic.
Debbie

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chungster Sandy, UT(Zone 6b) May 29, 2006

Thanks for the advice, do i cut the flower off at the base of the stem or scape as they call it?

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Jazzpunkin Springfield, OH(Zone 5b) May 30, 2006

Cut it anywhere

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) May 30, 2006

chungster, if you cut the flower off at the top, the stalk it is growing on will become very round and hollow. This will be edible but will be fairly strong (as for me, I like them!).

If you cut the whole stalk off (including flower at the top and stalk at the base) it sometimes will initiate more leaves to grow, but not always. This will depend on the time of year/growing season as well as the type of onion.

Hope this is helpful.

Shoe. (onion lover!)

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