[Ma and Pa Snip]

Late 2009, well known suppliers Garlic cloves planted out in a half barrel  for overwintering.
Dont ask which variety, can't remember. Was defintely overwintering variety though.

2010, growth as one would expect and once leaves died down crop of garlic cloves removed.
There is no question that none produced flowers or went to seed.

Late 2010 we suddenly get lots of growth in the barrel, as barrel not required for other crops we decided to leave it and see what happens.

Picture No 1  taken 2 days ago of barrel with leaf growth. This is totally indicative of how tall the growth was by late 2010 and overwinter.

Having no idea what it could be we decided to investigate by digging some out.

Looks like spring onion, see pic 2,  smells like garlic........... blows your mouth off

How can garlic grow like this without any of the previous crop having gone to seed.
Please don't say "it must have" there is no question that it didn't, at least not in the normal visual way it didn't.

Any ideas.

[mumofstig]

I can only assume that some of the cloves that had formed on the outside of the bulbs were a bit 'looser' (like shallots) and were left behind when you took the bulbs out.
These then grew and what you have dug out is spring garlic....lucky you

[DD.]

I've got a very similar patch near to the greenhouse at home.  It's where I missed lifting a bulb. Been there years now, I never lift it, but occasionally cut some of the stems for a bit of flavouring.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

MoS,
thats a definite maybe of whats happened then, just seems to be so much of it considering how few cloves were planted in the first place.

DD, good idea on the cutting front, we've been debating what we could do with it.
Does yours ever form into full cloves now ?

Ma wants to dig it all out and use the barrel for carrots, judging by the smell of the soil Ive a feeling they might end up tainted. You can tell from pic2 how deep this has grown from.

[mumofstig]

You could replant some of the green garlic and it will bulb up in summer, just as if you had planted cloves before Christmas

[Ma and Pa Snip]

You could replant some of the green garlic and it will bulb up in summer, just as if you had planted cloves before Christmas

Thanks MoS, sounds like we might be doing a bit of experimenting.  Wonder if it would freeze in its current state, cleaned up of course.

[DD.]

DD, good idea on the cutting front, we've been debating what we could do with it.
Does yours ever form into full cloves now ?

I don't know!

We've just left it there and snip it now and then if we're a bit short of the "real" stuff - but that doesn't happen very often.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

As I said, I think a bit of experimenting is in order.

Its been gracious enough to grow so I would hate to waste it.