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Garlic Babies #873193

Asked June 15, 2024, 8:35 AM EDT

My garlic that I grow seem to put out 2,3,sometimes more little babies that are attached to the bulb when I pull it up. Some have little roots. They are round on one side and flat on the other. When I plant them they grow into garlic plants but most seem to not clove out and are onion type. The onion type bulb does taste like garlic but you could say it is like a garlic/onion bulb. The bulbs I pull up are almost completely dead above ground prompting me to think they are ready for harvest. The same garlic babies I have planted in the past have turned into garlic cloves before so I know these babies will clove. Do I need to leave the dead looking garlic in the ground longer or what. I am confused as to why this is happening. Hope you can help. Thanks Jim

Dale County Alabama

Expert Response

Good afternoon,

Let me make sure I understand. The baby bulbs that develop on your garlic are harvested and replanted. Once replanted, they do not develop properly and are almost dead when you pull them up. If that is correct, it could be that they are either too wet or too dry, especially if you have had success with replanting the younger bulbs in the past. You might also try harvesting the garlic scapes to help produce a larger bulb.

Growing and Using Garlic (psu.edu)
Lucy Ellington Replied June 17, 2024, 5:05 PM EDT

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