garlic plant

Question

Several years ago, I transplanted some of my Grandmother’s garlic plants in my yard in TN from my mother’s yard in Michigan that she had transplanted many years before. Both of us just loved the cute look of the scapes in our flower beds and the sentimental value of them having been in Grandmother’s bed before her house was sold many years before. So – these plants hold great sentimental value to us. A few years ago my mother moved from Michigan to California into a retirement condo so she was not able to take any of her heirloom plants with her. Fortunately, the transplanted garlic had done well at my house in Tennessee so we took comfort that the plants lived on.

Almost 2 years ago, we decided to build a new house, so I dug up the garlic plants and put them in a friend’s flower bed until our new house was ready. When we went get to them last July, their dog had dug away the dirt and the plants were pretty dried out and pitiful. We dug it out anyway and prayed when we lovingly put in the ground at our new house. This spring, one solitary plant came up! While I was thrilled to see it grow, it produced only one tiny scape that only has about 5-6 bulbils in it. I feel like I’m teetering on the last opportunity to salvage a very old heirloom and reading about what to do with the bulbils has me concerned that if I blow it, the plant is lost forever. I cut the scape when I saw it had blistered open, exposing the bulbils.

I’ve read a bunch of articles, trying to ensure I do the right thing but I’m not clear if I am supposed to wait until spring and, if so, how to store/care for them until then. They are just so tiny and so few of them. I’ve also read that I may not see them for 3 to 4 years. Can you help clarify things for me?

Answer 1

This article addresses all of your questions and concerns.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/garlic/garlic-plant-bulbils.htm

Best of luck!