| Author | Content |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 13, 2008
10:31 AM Post #5251342
| I don't know where they came from but all of a sudden this plant came up and looks kind of like garlic but they have really small blooms or heads whatever. They are about 3 foot tall and when dug up they come from a bulb. Does anyone know what it is. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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That_bob_guy_2
Kansas City, MO
July 20, 2008
1:38 PM Post #5290932
| How tall is it? Looks like it might be Elephant garlic from that picture |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 20, 2008
3:19 PM Post #5291331
| about 2 foot. |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 20, 2008
3:19 PM Post #5291333
| In comparison that is a chinese lantern plant beside it. |
lavender4ever
(Louise) Otoe, NE
(Zone 5a)
July 21, 2008
3:09 AM Post #5294593
| do the heads curl and then straighten out? Looks like the hard neck garlic I grow. Especially if the head stems curl then straighten out. There are a few varieties. Cut the flowers off for larger garlic bulbs. when the foliage dies in summer, they are ready. |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 21, 2008
9:45 AM Post #5295343
| Ok so I have never grown garlic before so don't think this is hilarious if I ask but are you saying the bulb of the garlic that you eat is under the ground not the bulbs that are in the top part of the plant what looks like the bloom. Because they really do look like garlic bulbs towards the end of summer in the head of that plant. Or are those just going to be the seeds to plant more garlic? I really haven't noticed if the heads curl then straighten out. But could you let me know what varieties that you know of besides the hard neck variety? Because I have been told it is the Common garlic, Elephant garlic, and now maybe Hard neck variety. What more are there that look like this? |
lavender4ever
(Louise) Otoe, NE
(Zone 5a)
July 21, 2008
10:15 AM Post #5295489
| I wouldnt fret too much about what type. You will know when the foliage dies soon and you can harvest. Yes the bulbs with the cloves are below ground. The top produces tops sets or basically little bulbs that you can replant. These will take a couple years to produce a garlic bulb. Mine grows without any care and I like the way the serpent like tops look so I plant the topsets in with my flowers. For larger eating garlic cut those off as they appear, it will make for larger garlic(even the flowers or scapes, as they are called, are edible. good for stir fry). But either way you will get garlic. Soon all the foliage will yellow and start to die. Then you can harvest your garlic. Be sure to leave some for the following years! Once you harvest your garlic clean it and let it dry. Try not to wash it but peel some of the papery layers off instead. Washing the bulb will reduce storage ability because of mold. I would post pictures of the bulb and the individual cloves and you can probably get an id on what type. |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 21, 2008
10:40 AM Post #5295655
| I will do that when I harvest one I have never done that yet. As you say I too have mine right in my flower bed with my flowers because that is where it came up I don't remember planting it but must have. Maybe I got some seeds in a pkg for free at the Home show or something and just put it in. But that makes sense why every year I have more plants those scapes are falling down to the dirt and planting me more plants, but I don't mind they are kind of cute and don't take up much room and a good conversation piece. They also don't seem invasive. I wonder if it's too late to top one off and see if the bulb gets bigger. When they first came up and I thought maybe garlic besides the way they look my 2nd clue was my husband ran one over with the lawnmower and you could really smell the oniony or garlicy smell so I had an inclination that it was some sort of garlic just what kind still up for debate. Thanks again I will try to remember to get a picture of one of the bulbs this fall. You said wait till the plant yellows and starts to die. When they do that do the others actually die or are they still alive and those same plants come up the next spring. Or is it the scapes starting new plants every year. What I mean are they a perennial? |
lavender4ever
(Louise) Otoe, NE
(Zone 5a)
July 21, 2008
10:54 AM Post #5295725
| they are all still there. The growing season will be done for them and when the fall gets cool they start growing again. The bulb if it remains in the ground will split and make even more plants. They spread that way too. The little ones act the same as their larger kin in growing. They are just smaller. My house was built in 1915 and the previous owners said the garlic growing here has always been here. It colonizes one side of my house where I have my veggie garden. I just spread it around to the flowerbeds too. |
That_bob_guy_2
Kansas City, MO
July 22, 2008
6:39 PM Post #5303677
| I guess I wasn't clear - what I wanted to know is that the average or the max height since there appears to be a lot of variation. Elephant garlic is one of the tallest, 3-4 feet tall. Also its bulb is wheel shaped like orange sections |
ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 22, 2008
8:13 PM Post #5304183
| This garlic isn't that tall maybe 2 feet and as far as the bulb I have never dug one up to open up the bulbs I just really confirmed that it is garlic (even though I figured it had to be). |
lovemyiris
Huntley, MT
(Zone 4b)
July 31, 2008
11:33 AM Post #5348589
| I noticed in your photo of the garlic that the large leaves behind it look like a plant I'm trying to identify.
Can you tell me what plant that is behind the garlic?
Thanks!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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ryguy319
Owosso, MI
(Zone 5b)
July 31, 2008
6:17 PM Post #5350139
| I don't know what your plant is but the plant behind my garlic is Chinese Lantern plant I looked at yours and there is something different about the way it grows that doesn't make me think it is a Chinese Lantern plant. But does it get a flower on it or blossom if it was a Chinese Lantern it would get blossoms and the blossoms turn into an orange pod that looks kind of like a lantern.
But if it was me I would start a different thread and post that picture with it because my thread has seen it's day and I would not depend on people seeing it on my thread. You might want to post it on the tree and plant identification link more people would probably see it there at least that's what I've been told and that's where I post now. Good luck I will be watching for it. |
