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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Garlic from seeds
Message-ID: <8682@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 17:25:22 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.8682
Posted: Tue Feb 26 17:25:22 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:29:34 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: USAMC ALMSA
Lines: 28

A recent episode of the PBS coking show, The Frugal Gourmet, emphasizing
garlic, inspired me to look into growing my own. I was especially
interested in "elephant garlic", a much larger variety which has a milder
garlic flavor, but otherwise seems to be ordinary garlic increased in size.

Checked some of the nursery/seed catalogs, and Gurney's had both regular
and elephant garlic bulbs; you are supposed to plant individual cloves
in the fall and harvest them the next fall. Well, that leaves me waiting
for 6 months or so before I can start, via that route. 

However, I notice that there is no mention of growing from seeds. I recall
that most onion and onion-like plants are grown from sets, or bulbs, rather
than seeds, but I also recall that onion seed is available for those who
wish to take that route.

My query is, then: Is it possible to grow garlic from seeds, especially
the "elephant garlic" variety? If so, from where can such seeds be obtained?

Or are these artificially-propagated plants which will not breed true from
seed? If I got garlic seed and planted it, would I end up with some 
odd parent throwback varieties, like the wild garlic from which the
cultivated variety was bred?

Thanks for any advice you can give. 

Will Martin

USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin     or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA