Have you tried elephant garlic? I grew some last year, started with 20#, harvested about 75, sold all but 25 of the largest ones that are my seed stock for next year. My neighbor grows a lot of garlic to sell, and he got me started. I posted pictures that may interest you. The thread "Garlic" in Vegetables and Fruit forum

Mary, I have not planted "Elephant" garlic and have none to plant in the fall. It is readily available in the stores here, or at least that is the label on it, and this garlic has so little taste/fire that I prefer to grow the gourmet types, such as Ajo Rojo, Red Toch, Shilla Blanco, Piacenza, Lebera Purple, Rogue River Red, and many others. My wife and I use fresh, home-grown garlic extensively in our meals, and I sell what I cannot eat or want to put aside for the fall planting.






These pixs are just a sample of what I grew last year. The average bulb weighed in at 1/4 lb for each of the varieties that I grew. I think the "elephant" types are even larger.

If it is baseball to softball size, and usually displayed in a net bag, it's elephant. The taste is garlic but it is mild. I think grocery stores prefer them to be in net bags because they are 1/4 to 3/4 of a pound, and even larger. The net keeps customers from pulling off one or two cloves and leaving the rest. For next year I've ordered Turkish Giant (hardneck) and Siskiyou Purple (softneck) to start to build a seedstock of other varieties. Both have big clumps and big cloves. My neighbor who got me started growing garlic grows 8 varieties and is now selling 4 varieties of seed stock on his website. www.marvelousroots.com

You have quite a variety! Where did you buy your original seed stock? Your tastes are much more adventuresome than mine. It's funny, but here I am growing garlic and I don't eat a lot of it. My husband has one of those terra cotta clay garlic roasters, and he eats a lot more garlic than I do, a whole clump 2 or 3 times a week. My stock of regular garlic, mostly Persian Star, is dwindling. Next year I'll grow more for him.

I am sorry for the delay in replying, MaryE, but I just got back from ten days in Ireland and then was away three days for an out-of-town football game. And, in answer to your question, I have ordered garlic bulbs from several suppliers. One is Garmet Garlic Gardens (Texas), another is Afternoon Zephyr Farm (Oregon), and the last order just received was from Forever Yong Farm (I think Arizona).

I have just planted my cloves in a raised bed (and a few dozen cloves in large, deep pots). I planted approximatly 150-200 cloves and perhaps 12-15 varieties. Being in NE Mississippi, I order Creole varieties and varieties that grow well in warm weather. The creole varities are really special, maintaining good zest after cooking, and are generally more expensive than other varieties.

My wife and I love garlic and cook with it regularly. There is nothing quite like the "gourmet" varieties when compared to grocery store garlic. I never knew why the stores put the elephant bulb in a mesh bag. You enlighted me and that makes perfectly good sense for them to do so.

If you have interest, I will be glad to list the varieties I just planted. Ken

I saw your list on another thread in response to Dave. I'm curious, you listed Russian Toch (I think it was Russian). I helped my neighbor plant some of it this week. When do you plant yours, and when does it come up? His won't do anything but grow roots until about late March if our weather is normal. Ha! What is normal?

MaryE, I have never grown Russian Toch but have grown Red Toch, which may or may not be the same plant. Red Toch grows a top just like all the other garlic, resembling onion tops.

I might have the name mixed up with something else. Will look at the row marker tomorrow if I remember.