So we finally got around to building our garden about a month ago and planted some of our favorite things, including garlic. Everything seems to be growing, except the garlic. Did we plant them at the wrong time of year?

Hi, Jill. Welcome to NGA.

I think your suspicion is correct about planting at the wrong time of the year. I'm a garlic lover and I think as a substitute for 'the real deal' that you could grow garlic chives. I've seen transplants in many of the local nurseries.

You have a great resource in Arlington. Check out Redenta's Garden Center. They can give you excellent advice. (They also offer goat yoga. 😝) I have several favorite nurseries and Redenta's is one of them. I go to their Dallas store and was there last week. I think I saw garlic chives, if not there then somewhere else.

You might not be far from Marshall Grains. They can also give you advice.

AND one last thing you might want to know about. The Native Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter aka NPSOT, will be having their Spring plant sale on May 5th in Arlington. Unless someone else has already done so, I'll be posting info about it in our Events section. Even tho their emphasis will be on native perennials, it will be a good opportunity to meet other area gardeners that can be helpful about gardening in North Central Texas.

So anyway, that was along answer for your yes/no question.

Thank you so much for replying and the great information! I think we may actually have garlic chives growing wild on our back property, if you don't mind I'll take a few pictures of them tonight and see if that is indeed what they are. Should I dig up the garlic bulbs that I planted and replant them in the fall?

I'll definitely check out Redenta's and possibly the goat yoga. Who doesn't love goats and yoga?

I'm still learning to navigate this site, but I'll be sure to check out the events section. I plan on going to the AISD horticulture students' plant sale next week at the new Dan Dipert Career Center to pick up some herb plants, but learning more about native perennials would be amazing. Maybe I can find out what half the stuff we have growing on the property is, including the vines from heck and what to put in my front flower bed that gets little to no sun.

I'm so happy I found this site and will hopefully no longer be gardening by experimentation.

Post as many pictures as you like. Members love to answer.

Exactly. Who doesn't love goat yoga?

Can't answer about the garlic. Hope someone else will hop on this thread and answer it.

Tossed you some acorns because everyone needs acorns. Use them anyway you like. Tickets for NARRs, buy the little badges that a lot of members have, give them away, or just squirrel them away.

Yes to the wrong planting season for garlic. It is commonly planted in the fall and grows through winter. Harvest time is in spring as the tops die down. I leave mine in ground as a perennial bed however the one I grow is a single clove heirloom garlic.

On the garlic chives, please don't eat them unless you are positive that is what is growing. I also have some garlic chives growing and they are beginning to bloom. I will try to get photos to post here but they do not have a flower. The blooms are tiny garlic bulbs which are edible and if they aren't harvested, they spread with wild abandon.

Wish you luck with your garden and

Pod — You grow a garlic that only has 1 clove??? Or did I misinterpret that? (Could happen.) If it is a single clove, how big is it?

Nope, you read that right. When I've shared, folks don't think it is garlic but I finally got curious and researched it. Not sure what exact cultivar this one is as it is old but there are a few single clove garlics out there. Most are expensive, available through specialty food stores.

The clove is about 1 inch and that can be a problem to figure out how much to use when a recipe calls for a clove...

Wow. Interesting.

Next question. Re garden chives. The ones that I see in the nurseries have tiny little pretty pink flowers. Whenever I walk by them I often 'sample' a flower. (oh slap me.) Actually, even when they're not in bloom, if they're in a nursery I still might sneak a taste. Is that what you grow?

I know there's something that grows wild and isn't edible. Don't know if it's poisonous.

NorbyFam said:I think we may actually have garlic chives growing wild on our back property,

Chive like plants growing wild is probably Allium canadense.

tx_flower_child said:Wow. Interesting.

Next questiMy. Re garden chives. The ones that I see in the nurseries have tiny little pretty pink flowers. Whenever I walk by them I often 'sample' a flower. (oh slap me.) Actually, even when they're not in bloom, if they're in a nursery I still might sneak a taste. Is that what you grow?

I know there's something that grows wild and isn't edible. Don't know if it's poisonous.

I suspect what they have is an ornamental allium of some sort. Is the garlic taste strong? It may be one of the Society garlics. They have pretty blooms. https://garden.org/plants/sear...

My garlic chives are just opening up so I will try to get a photo this weekend and post it here.

Welcome to the forum! I'm a frequent visitor, but not a poster. Sadly, Redenta's in Arlington will be closing when their lease is up. They are still open for a bit yet. You might try Weston Gardens in South Fort Worth, south of I-20 on Anglin.

Say what?? Redenta's in Arlington will be closing? I'm shocked! Hope the Dallas store stays open.

Stephanie -- Hi! Long time, etc. Stop lurking and start chatting!

Went to Redenta's in Arlington years ago when we were at a Master Gardeners' conference. Beautiful healthy plants! Alwaysthoughtwe'd get back there one day. Sorry to hear they're closing.

Stephanie -- Hi! Long time, etc. Stop lurking and start chatting!

I willl second that thought!


The attached photos are of the garlic chive plant for those that were curious about it.

The foliage is a flat blade.



The bloom is a cluster of edible tiny bulbs which will also sprout and grow. The meager blooms sprout from the bulbs,





Garlic chives are very distinctive as is the flavor.

Howdy, this is the second year that i have planted garlic. First time was on an impulse seeing garlic at lowes. Didnt do too well. Got a book, growing great garlic and ordered garlic more suited to my area. Burgundy and silver white(a silver skin). Creole red would have been good but they were out of stock.

Planted in the fall. Here is a recent pic. I think it should be ready in June.

Your garlic looks great, Tracy. I planted 3 varieties in the fall, and only a few of mine are up yet. I'm hoping it will do better once it warms up.

@plantmanager, mine came up pretty quick, a few weeks, because we dont have a real winter. About a total of 4 weeks, split between two different months of below freezing weather. Mostly high 30s to low 50s. That is the challenge growing garlic in central Texas. I seem to have a knack for growing root vegetables so im hoping that carries over to the garlic.

I'm betting your garlic will be fine, Tracy. Our weather has been warming up to the high 70's daily, but nights are still down around 37 to 40. As the nights get warmer, mine should start growing well. This is my first time with growing garlic.

I have onion chives, white bloom with multiple small flowers instead of the wild stuff. My society garlic is also blooming with purple blooms. When you get a single bud wild onion, beware and SMELL - we have a false onion no smell that isnt edible. My chives and garlic grow all year - then there is Dixondale Farms in southern Texas that ships orders for Texas growers come planting time and they are the best with information on what they supply for us on onions, garlics and leeks and they carry what we grow. I approve of a garlic bed, but haven't the soil, miss my patch I had once upon a year near Joe Pool Lake.

I think our OP has disappeared.

As for Redenta's, I'm happy to say that their Dallas store is staying open.