A Garlic That Doesn’t Forget to Produce

Elephant garlic is aptly named. The bulbs are huge, each weighing as much as a pound, and the cloves are so large they won’t fit in a garlic press. The flavor, however, does not increase with size--it’s milder than regular garlic.

Many gardeners complain that standard garlic is difficult to grow because it may die before it reaches the bulb stage, or fail to produce a proper bulb. Not so with elephant garlic; its plants are more vigorous and almost always form suitable bulbs. In fact, the plants are so productive that you can easily grow enough for Chicken Cooked with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Korean bulgogi or loaf after loaf of garlic bread.

Fall is by far the best time to plant elephant garlic. Until recently, cloves for planting could not be expected to appear in local nurseries until early winter. Now many nurseries have them in the fall, usually in bags of three to five cloves. Each clove will eventually form a giant bulb of garlic.

If your local nursery does not have the cloves, ask them to order them for you. Burpee Co., Warminster, Pa. 18974, sells elephant garlic cloves by mail.

Rich Soil, Full Sun

Elephant garlic requires full sun. It benefits from a well-worked soil that’s been enriched with organic materials and to which a vegetable fertilizer has been added. Every two months, sprinkle a little additional fertilizer along the sides of the rows or use a liquid fertilizer.

Elephant garlic also grows well in containers. A large container, such as half a whiskey barrel, will produce an ample supply.

Plant the individual cloves one to two inches deep with the pointed ends up, spaced five inches apart. If you’re planting in rows, space the rows 15 inches apart. Water weekly until three weeks before harvest. If flower stalks form during the growing period, break them off; they tend to hinder bulb formation.

In late spring or early summer, when the green foliage starts to droop and turn yellow, discontinue watering. When the tops turn brown and fall over, it’s harvest time.

Dig up the bulbs and let them dry in the sun for two days. Then let them cure in an airy place protected from the sun. You may also want to braid the stems to form long clusters of bulbs--a splendid and satisfying sight. Store them in a dry, cool place with good ventilation.