[Little weed]

In autumn last year I planted some garlic I think it was called Thermador (not sure of the spelling ) Its grown well and looks really healthy, so on Saturday I pulled one up to check the size, but instead of a bulb it was like a big spring onion. I'm sure it had a picture of a garlic bulb on the packet when I bought it.  Its very healthy, it smells like garlic and it tastes like garlic but no bulb ! Is this a different type of garlic ? Will  it turn into a bulb ?
Have I pulled it to early ?

Impatient Little weed.

[Harry Flashman VC]

Too early i'd say not ready till june/july.  Planted mine in November also looking very healthy apart from when the chickens got out the other week.

[violet61]

Funny you should say that, I tried to transplant a couple today, same variety & they looked just like that, I think they are supposed to grow into bulbs, deffinately too early, june/july so maybe they'll transform?? maybe someone else can inform us?

[Eatyourgreens]

I think it is at the stage called "Wet" Garlic, in other words it's still growing, and it will probably be Autumn before you get the dried collection of cloves that make up a Garlic bulb like you can buy.

I believe you can eat and use wet Garlic like you would an Onion.

Bob

[violet61]

I used a couple last week, ran out of garlic, was desperate, so dug a couple of cloves up & used them, very nice as well

[mumofstig]

They use them a lot in Greece 'green' garlic is highly prized in the spring to cleanse the blood and the taste is softer too They don't start to split into cloves, until later in the year something to do with day length i believe :blink:

[Elcie]

I'm confused now as I thought it was the cold weather that encouraged them to split into cloves?

[mumofstig]

Yup the cold weather tells them to do it.....BUT they don't actually start to do it till later.
Sounds barmy but that's how it works

[LivvyW]

I have the same variety.

As i understand it, the 'bulbing up' stage is the final stage of growth  for both garlic and onions.

So yes, your a little impatient.

[gobs]

They are ready when the foliage dies back.

[Elcie]

Yup the cold weather tells them to do it.....BUT they don't actually start to do it till later.
Sounds barmy but that's how it works

  Really?  This nature stuff is pretty amazing.  On cold days in the winter I always thought, hey the garlic will be splitting today.  Next year I will have to say, hey the garlic is being told today to split later in the season!!

[mumofstig]

^ 

[LivvyW]

Elcie,

Isn't that just a perfect example of how closely we think about our veg. 

I saw Hugh Fearnly cooking with green/wet garlic recently, and he sliced open the white end of garlic, it looked like a nice fat spring onion but when you looked at it REALLY closely you could see the tiny circles of what would become the cloves. 

So, it had split, it just hadn't fattened up.