Wild Garlic or Bear's Garlic

tui34

Hi - has anyone had experience of growing wild garlic at home? It can be found here in forests and damp areas - but I'm a bit stubborn and have bought a packet of seeds with the intent of growing them in the coolest dampest part of the garden.

Buttercupdays

I've got it growing on the bank at the back of my Dell, which is a shady, boggy  hollow with a little steam running through.

Started many years ago though and cannot now remember whether it was from seed or just a starter plant. Been no trouble and has spread nicely, so I can't imagine you would have much trouble getting it to grow, provided you have the right conditions. I'm not too worried about it being invasive given my situation, but I know that is a concern for some people.

Gave my daughter a handful of leaves the other day when she was cooking and she was amazed at the strength of the garlic flavour! Usually have to put wellies on to pick it, but it was easier this year after weeks without rain. Mine is only just coming into flower here and looks lovely mingling with the bluebells higher up the bank.

wild edges

I grow it in pots. I started a few years ago with a couple of plants from the local nursery, collected the seed and sowed it straight away into 15cm pots then grew it on the next year. Now I can just prick out as many seedlings as I need from my veg beds as it's managed to self seed into there now. No special treatment needed. I overwinter some of the pots under the bench in the greenhouse but just to get an earlier crop really. Just keep it moist and out of the sun and it's happy enough.

I like the flowers in food more than the leaves I think but we eat plenty of both.

tui34

Thank you Wild Edges.  It's a first for me so I'll let you know how it goes nearer Christmas time.  
I believe once it is in the garden, it's easy to keep going.  

Obelixx

I suspect Béziers may be a bit too hot and dry for it so try and find a cool, moist spot.  It will be dormant at Xmas, being an early spring crop that takes advantage of the light before the trees leaf up. It's leaves die down in late spring and then it disappears till next spring. 

I have a small patch brought from a bit given to me in Belgium and it has only survived because I water it so now I've moved some to a shadier spot I can water more easily and hope to have a good patch eventually.  It makes great pesto and pasta sauces.

tui34

Oh!  Thank you Obelixx from Vendée.  I have a cool spot plotted out against a wall shielded from the afternoon sun.  It tells me on the packet to sow the seeds in a seed bed in July.   Then transplant seeds after summer - in a cool area - and I can harvest them the following year - which I take it as being Spring. The seeds are similar to onion seed or leeks.  (I only grow salad onions (doux) of which I buy the plants - in early March - to eat throughout the summer i.e. July onwards).  I'm a bit impatient to start now.  It's starting to get hot during the day but nights are cool (thankfully).  Thank you very much.  See you "in the Spring" !!

tui34

Just seen your post Buttercup.   Thank you.  The spot I have has an enormous Arum Lily growing, so it must be cool.  I also planted a celery plant in this shady spot too.  The other 5 I stuck around the flower garden part, but because we have had a cooler Spring, they are all thriving.  (You've had better weather in Blighty than the South of France)!!  I had some wild garlic this winter eating Raclette cheese with wild garlic.  It was delicious and as I love garlic, I had the great idea that I would try and grow some.