The mysteries of garlic, an inquiring mind wants to know!!

[Morgank]

"nails"?

Sorry, they are nails

 

[Morgank]

Do garlic flowers smell like garlic? I love to plant different herbs and such, but wondering what fragrance the plants give off?

Possibly if you crush them, otherwise not.

 

[aart]

Sorry, they are nails

Oh, I know those as garlic cloves.

 

[Morgank]

Oh, I know those as garlic cloves.

I am from Europe )

 

[lazy gardener]

Sorry, they are nails

I just love the different words that are region or country specific!!! Thanks for educating us on that!

As others have said, the bulbils can be planted to produce a new crop. But, don't get impatient. It takes a long time for a garlic bulb of good size to mature from a bulbil. I take those bulbils and scatter them in the orchard at the base of my trees. Garlic is supposed to repel voles and mice. (I also plant daffodils at the base of trees for the same reason.) When I spread bulbils, it's wise to keep the chickens confined, b/c they will devour every bulbil that hits the ground. Many flowering bulb plants produce seed or bulbils which can then be used to propagate the variety. I have drifts that have propagated from seed. It takes several years to reach bloom size.
Chionodoxa luciliae (pink and blue)
Blue Siberian Squills (Scilla)

I did an experiment: Let some garlic scapes mature, while removing others. This, to test the information commonly spoken by the "they say" folks. ("Remove the scape to maximize bulb size.") In this case, those "they say" folks know what they are talking about. Not to mention, that half of my garden is completely over-run by bulbs in various stages of maturity. I figure... at least I don't have a nematode problem in my garden!!!

 

[Morgank]

I just love the different words that are region or country specific!!! Thanks for educating us on that!

As others have said, the bulbils can be planted to produce a new crop. But, don't get impatient. It takes a long time for a garlic bulb of good size to mature from a bulbil. I take those bulbils and scatter them in the orchard at the base of my trees. Garlic is supposed to repel voles and mice. (I also plant daffodils at the base of trees for the same reason.) When I spread bulbils, it's wise to keep the chickens confined, b/c they will devour every bulbil that hits the ground. Many flowering bulb plants produce seed or bulbils which can then be used to propagate the variety. I have drifts that have propagated from seed. It takes several years to reach bloom size.
Chionodoxa luciliae (pink and blue)
Blue Siberian Squills (Scilla)

I did an experiment: Let some garlic scapes mature, while removing others. This, to test the information commonly spoken by the "they say" folks. ("Remove the scape to maximize bulb size.") In this case, those "they say" folks know what they are talking about. Not to mention, that half of my garden is completely over-run by bulbs in various stages of maturity. I figure... at least I don't have a nematode problem in my garden!!!

Sorry, I wrote automatically "nails" I have to check the meanings next time. We use too garlic young bulbs between for example strawberry plants and vegetables. Scares away bugs.

 

[aart]

("Remove the scape to maximize bulb size.")

After testing this in very restricted/controlled experiments over a few years,
both my brother(growing garlic for market for decades) and I found that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Same goes with planting the largest cloves for larger heads...too many other variables....but still good ideas.

I am from Europe )

I see that, thanks for adding your location!
Thought it might be a translation error....or just a difference in colloquial terms.

 

[lazy gardener]

Alliums and strawberries make wonderful bed mates.

 

[oregonkat]

Thanks so much for all the responses: @aart here are a few pics of what I 'm talking about:

I grow both soft and hard neck varieties and have had this happen on both. Not often, about one in 50 plants maybe.
I use my scapes every year for adding to basil pesto, stir fries, salad etc. etc. LOVE them!
I also braid my softnecks, I am not proficient at it yet but friends enjoy them! I had hoped this year that the 'seaspray' flowers woven in would hold their color a little better but not so much. Everlastings are the best for this but I did not grow any this year.
@lazygardener I also have many, many left over plants growing throughout the garden but I never thought to keep the little bulbils from the flowers for the chickens.

 

[aart]

@aart here are a few pics of what I 'm talking about:

Almost looks like the scape couldn't escape (hahaha!)so formed there....
....or it's just an anomaly.