How to Plant Elephant Garlic

Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is not true garlic but a variety of leek. The taste of elephant garlic is much milder than traditional garlics and the bulb is much larger. A bulb of five to six cloves of elephant garlic can weigh up to a pound. Elephant garlic is most often grown in mild climates. It can develop a bitter taste if grown in cold climates.

Things You'll Need

• Elephant garlic bulbs
• Fertilizer (8-24-8)
• Trowel

Instructions

1. Prepare the soil for planting garlic. Apply a complete fertilizer to the soil at a rate of two pounds per 100 feet of soil. Clay loams are better than sandy soils for growing garlic as long as there is adequate surface drainage. Surface drainage can be improved by making raised beds.

2. Select, clean, dry bulbs with no sign of mold or decay.

3. Crack the bulbs, being careful not to bruise the cloves. Choose the larger cloves for planting and plant them the same day they are cracked.

4. Plant cloves from September through November, allowing them to develop roots so in the spring they can dedicate their energy to top growth.

5. Plant the cloves so the tops of the cloves are two inches below the soil surface. It doesn't matter which end is up because the cloves disintegrate during growth.

6. Plant garlic in full sun, 4 to 8 inches apart in rows that are 8 to 12 inches apart.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Growing Garlic in Minnesota
• Oregon State University Extension: Garlic for the Home Garden