# Transplanting garlic



## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

Has anyone ever transplanted young garlic plants? I'll be moving to my new homestead probably in May. It's about an hour from where I now live so they wouldn't be out of the ground very long. Garlic is pretty tough but I was wondering if anyone actually has done this successfully.

Thanks
Bruce


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I have. I kept as much dirt around each bulb as possible. About a fourth of the plants didn't make divided bulbs that first year, but did so the next.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

buffalocreek said:


> Has anyone ever transplanted young garlic plants? I'll be moving to my new homestead probably in May. It's about an hour from where I now live so they wouldn't be out of the ground very long. Garlic is pretty tough but I was wondering if anyone actually has done this successfully.
> 
> Thanks
> Bruce


I did a trade about 2 years ago. I dug up a bunch of too close garlic and took them off the island by boat, they traveled by car, then by ferry then by car again. It was about 100 garlic plants, they were out of the ground about 2 days. She had great results with them. They died back at first and the next season were viable garlic. This was about the time of year that you are planning. They were planted about 5 inches apart, a couple inches down and into very fertile soil. They were mulched their first winter and she was happy with her first harvest...most all made it and developed into very full bulbs! You may not get your end of summer harvest but you will the following. What type of garlic? Mine is the German hard necked...pretty hardy I guess, there are a lot of tough varieties out there. It is sure worth you trying it out....


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

Yup - done it with little issue 

I have 1 and 2 year garlic on the go at all times .. and my hubby has tilled a bed of 2 year garlic on me - I rescued as many cloves as I could and they were fine on schedule


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks for the info. I have a german hard neck variety. Will try my luck. I didn't know you could keep garlic in the ground for a second year. Does that jut make the bulbs bigger?

Bruce


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

By second year garlic I mean I plant some "bulblets?" every year - the little seeds from the scapies (I get most scapies but a few always get past me) - they go in a 2 year bed - the first year they are tiny little bulbs - the next year they are full garlic heads 

when I miss a garlic clove in the bed the next year I have two or more heads very close to intertwined


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

well i screwed up and planted WAY to many cloves WAY to close together i decided the only way these things were going to grow was to dig them out and replant them they had a whole lot of roots and a long green stem shooting up throught the dirt i planted them at the same depth and watered so hopefully mine and yours come back and grow in the future ill be making sure to leave plenty of room so i wont have to worry 
hope all goes well with your garlic patch


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Garlic does not like to be transplanted. It will survive but usually will not produce a divided bulb. If left in the ground for another year, that round will divide and be a normal bulb. However, the only way to know what's underground is to dig them up. If any had divided, each clove will become a separate plant and the whole works may again result in only rounds. 

For those who don't know much about garlic, those "seeds" are called _bulbils_. Those grow atop long stems called _scapes_. They arise from a circle of cloves called a _bulb_. Some of the finest chefs in the world still think garlic grows like an artichoke since some are referred to as artichoke type. Botanically, garlic heads are the bulbil clusters. 

Martin


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

Well I'll just have to take my chances in transplanting. Maybe I'll have to wait that secnd year. Anyway, I've got 2 quarts of dried garlic powder from this year to see me thru the year.

Bruce


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

Martin - thanks for the right words 
I know garlic isn't supposed to be transplanted easily but I honestly have had little issue with it


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

Glad to hear that othere have had success, because it's never worked for us. That's doing it mostly with softnecks, however.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

well either way it may work may not for both of our sakes i hope it works


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