[mrsparkle]

My Elephant garlic arrived and i'm ready to sow but wanted to double check the sowing instructions as none came with the bulb.

I was going to plant 30cm between rows and 30cm between bulbs, does that sound too much?

[TheSpartacat]

Maybe a little too much space. I do mine 8-10 inches apart in rows that are 20 inches apart, roughly.

[DD.]

I hope you're not expecting a lot of flavour.

A lot of us on the forum have grown it once, and once only.

Looks good, tastes little. You might as well use leeks, to which it is closely related.

[TheSpartacat]

I hope you're not expecting a lot of flavour.

A lot of us on the forum have grown it once, and once only.

Looks good, tastes little. You might as well use leeks, to which it is closely related.

I would agree with that. Was more of a novelty thing to grow. Stuck with good ol' garlic this year

[Paul Plots]

Mrs Sparkle... don't be put off. 

Elephant garlic has a distinctly mild flavour and is not a member of the garlic family but more closely related to the leek (I believe).

It is fine stir-fried as well as placed in the oven towards the end of cooking a roast. Wrapped in tinfoil it cooks quite quickly.

I grow it for my sister's family - they love it.

Certainly worth a try even if only once 

I plant mine in October around 6 or more inches deep with 12" between corms. I feed the plants in Spring.

Once it gets going and summer nears you will eventually see a flower stem and bud. Be sure to snap or cut this off as soon as possible and leave the plant to grow on or it will go to seed drawing strength from the bulb.

Later in the year, once the foliage begins to dry, lift it and dry it undercover if need be in the sun to ripen before storage.

If we / you have a very wet summer do not leave it in the ground for too long once July starts as the new bulbs may develop rot.

Have fun.

Personally they are not my favourite veg 

[New shoot]

I grew it once but when fed to OH it produced wind in the same league as Jerusalam Artichokes    Never again     

[DD.]

Elephant garlic has a distinctly mild flavour and is not a member of the garlic family but more closely related to the leek (I believe).

That's what I said!

I didn't say not to grow it, but forewarned is forearmed regarding it's flavour, there's a few on our site have grown it thinking they are getting gigantic true garlic.

[Jonajo]

I agree. And on our site over the last couple of years there is a sizeable number of folk who are giving it away to others through disappointment. But that is what is good about an allotment community - you often get the chance to try first before planting.  And of course Elephant Garlic has its true fans, like any veg.....horses for courses really.

It has become something that wavers between being a fashionable and a gimmicky veg - and might, in time,  even become an allotment "cliche" like Kohl Rabi, for instance, became (and there is no shame in that!)-  but it is a pleasant diversion nonetheless and it is easy to grow. But as mentioned by others it is not a patch on garlic for flavour. The dissimilarity between a pot noodle and full-on, delicious plate of "pad thai noodles"  comes to mind when comparing Elephant garlic to a true garlic!

That said, it is quite decent when roasted whole, and mixed with butter to make a flavoured butter to go on mushrooms, steak etc.

[Paul Plots]

Elephant garlic has a distinctly mild flavour and is not a member of the garlic family but more closely related to the leek (I believe).

That's what I said!

Nice to know we almost agree then 

[JayG]

Not sure Mr Sparkle will be too impressed with his alleged sex-change though!   

Mrs Sparkle... don't be put off. 

[TheSpartacat]

It has become something that wavers between being a fashionable and a gimmicky veg - and might, in time,  even become an allotment "cliche" like Kohl Rabi, for instance, became (and there is no shame in that!)

Is Kohl Rabi an allotment 'cliche'? 
LOL
Gosh, i love the stuff. Great little catch crop to throw in.... horses for courses eh?

[Paul Plots]

Not sure Mr Sparkle will be too impressed with his alleged sex-change though!   

Mrs Sparkle... don't be put off. 

Well it's not possible for us all to be perfect 

[mrsparkle]

Thanks for all the advice.

I had read that the taste was milder that normal garlic so I have also purchases purple wight, solent wight and lautrec wight to try them all out.

It seems that the test row I planted in mid november is somewhere between what has been advised above..  I think 30cm between bulbs, and 15innch between rows.

Admittedly the prime reason for me to grow this garlic was the spectacle rather than in great hope of of being blown away.  However, hopefully it will take nice baked and smeared over roaast pots or with a baked Camembert Cheese.  Come Summer I guess i'll see whether it works.

[Paul Plots]

I wish you luck. It is great fun lifting the crop - they are huge but the flavour is very mild and not to everyones taste as DD says!! 

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I'm disappointed now and wish i hadn't planted it this year.

I thought this garlic was a bit like the usual varieties, in that normal garlic keeps vampires away.

We have such a problem with elephants in this part of Berkshire !!   


We are trying it for the first time this year just to see how mild it actually is.