Potatoes from the grocery store are usually treated with something to keep them from sprouting...not sure if there's the same issue with garlic.

When did you plant it? I've been reading that you should plant it in the fall to harvest next summer...it takes forever to grow!

what btbarbara said! i planted some in 2 pots and it all sprouted pretty quick, and left them alone for like 5-6 months and then i noticed they were infested with spider mites! so i yanked them and well same thing they looked like green onions!

I planted them in probably May or June....

but the leaves looked like the how things are supposed to look when you harvest them. So somewhere I have my info wrong...

Did they ever flower?

Josh

no flowers...just long green leek like leaves. Here is a pic (red pot on the bottom left):
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I'm not opposed to ordering bulbs/seeds and starting over but I'm hoping someone can help suggest a variety that is designed for this sort of container growing. I have had success with other container-style veggies and would imagine there is such thing...if I know where to look.

My buddy grew Red Garlic and Elephant Garlic in a container.
Plant during the cold weather, then let it develop throughout the winter.

My Elephant Garlic is now ready to harvest.

Josh

is it true elephant garlic tastes more like onion/leek than garlic?

I keep reading about elephant garlic but I really hate onion flavor so i would prefer something more true to the garlic flavor...

It tastes like a mild garlic.

Josh

can i ask where you got your bulbs from?

On a foolish whim, I did what you did and plants a few in May. Same miserable outcome. Fall starts only.

I bought them locally at Eisley's Nursery.
The bulbs are only available at certain times and they are expensive.
Now, however, I have plenty of bulbs to use for propagation.
Here's another tip: if you want the huge bulbs, you have to plant the largest cloves.
Although it's nice to use the big cloves, I save a good amount for the next season.

Josh

I seem to remember hearing on a cooking show or something years ago that the bigger bulbs look great but generally have less flavor or something. I just remember teasing my (now ex) husband because he always wanted to buy the biggest bulbs he could find but the smaller ones were actually better. Does anyone know if that's true?

Also, can you grow garlic from bulbs from the grocery store or do you need to buy "starts"?

With the Elephant Garlic, the flavor is milder than garlic, so it's nice to have a big bulb.
I haven't done much comparison between large and small cloves, though...

Not sure about grocery store garlic...

Josh

All the garlic sites say to plant the garlic in the fall and let it overwinter in the ground which it usually needs to do before it will develop a head.

Regardless of when you plant it, its leaves will usually die down in the heat of the summer, then return either in late fall or spring.

If you planted cloves in the spring, they probably have not had time to develop into heads of garlic with cloves of their own.

So you could simply leave them in the ground over the winter and hopefully have mature garlic heads next summer.