[pol and mick]

I uncovered some buried garlic whilst digging the other day.Would i be able to replant after separating the cloves.Also if i trimmed the green shoots would i be at risk of introducing disease. Please click on thum nail to view pic.
(hope this message uploads as this is my 8th attempt )

[peapod]

Got the pic 

Replanting the same type crops in the same spot the following season risks introducing diseases that may have built up in the soil the previous growing season - hence rotation for a lot of veg we grow.

Onions and garlic (and others of the allium family) especially can be one of the worst offenders, and you may end up with white rot that can live in your soil for over 15 years, and if planted in another plot area, then you could transfer it there too.

(Anyone feel free to rename that, I'm tired and cant be bothered to get Johns book to check!)

So! for the small cost of about £3 vs that risk, Id buy new 

[pol and mick]

Hi Peapod, I know not to plant in the same area,thought about planting in a large tub in my garden, the disease question was really related to the triming of the green shoots.Did think about throwing them away, but it made me feel a little guilty.

[peapod]

I wouldn't compost trimmings if you are even slightly worried...and don't compost the soil after growing in the tub.

EDIT: that sounded bossy, sorry!

[Trikidiki]

Give it a go, put them somewhere you haven't grown alliums (onions, leeks and garlic) before. They look like they've got well developed root systems so will be ahead of those that people are just planting now. Though they may get knocked back a little after transplanting but alliums tend to be less susceptible to problems than other crops.

There is nothing wrong in using your own cloves as seed, in fact it is recomended as it is suggested that garlic will acclimatise itself to your soil, climate etc, if you replant your own cloves over a number of years, thereby creating your own locally improved strain.

If nothing else you coud chop the leaves off and use them to flavour cooked dishes or salads.

Garlic doesn't tend to suffer from much other than rust, that will affect healthy, uncut leaves so a trim won't hurt. I would leave the shoots on and see what you get in the way of bulbs. May be small but its something for nothing.

[pol and mick]