Growing garlic from bulbils is an economical and fascinating way to propagate new garlic plants. Bulbils are the small vegetative buds that form on the scapes (flower stalks) of hardneck garlic varieties. Resembling tiny cloves, bulbils can be collected and planted to produce genetically identical garlic plants.
Follow this complete step-by-step guide to successfully grow full bulbs of garlic from bulbils With some patience and attentive care, you’ll have a thriving perpetual harvest of homegrown garlic.
What Are Garlic Bulbils?
Bulbils form on the umbrella-shaped cluster at the end of a garlic scape as it begins to flower. But garlic is sterile so no actual seeds or reproduction occurs. The bulbils are essentially small bulblets that are genetic clones of the “mother” plant.
Hardneck garlic varieties like Porcelains, Rocamboles, Purple Stripes and Marbled Purples produce an abundance of bulbils. Softneck varieties rarely form bulbils.
Bulbils range greatly in size and shape:
- Porcelain – very small, rice-grain sized
- Rocambole – large, marble to chickpea-sized
- Purple Stripe – small, like a swollen grain of rice
- Marbled Purple – medium, roughly peppercorn-sized
The number of bulbils per cluster also varies:
- Porcelain – 100-200
- Rocambole – 10-25
- Purple Stripe – 80-140
- Marbled Purple – 40-60
When and Where to Harvest Bulbils
Timing is important when harvesting bulbils. Pick them when they are fully formed but before the paper-like covering splits open.
Mid to late summer is the ideal time in most climates. Bulbils are ready when the cluster has turned yellow/brown and they detach easily when lightly rubbed.
You can either:
- Cut off the entire scape and hang to dry before removing the bulbils.
- Harvest just the mature umbel cluster and immediately detach the bulbils.
Avoid wet conditions and wash bulbils only right before planting. Store collected bulbils in a cool, dry spot for up to 6-8 months before planting.
How to Prepare Bulbils for Planting
Before you plant your garlic bulbils, they need a period of cold temperature exposure. This vernalization process breaks down starches and mimics winter conditions.
- Place cleaned, dried bulbils in a breathable bag/container.
- Keep in the refrigerator or freezer (not deep freeze) for 2-4 weeks.
- Allow bulbils to reach room temperature before planting outside.
Proper vernalization synchronizes growth and maturation when planted.
When to Plant Garlic Bulbils
You can either plant your vernalized garlic bulbils in fall or spring:
Fall – Plant 6-8 weeks before first expected frost. Avoid mulching overwinter.
Spring – Plant as soon as frost danger has passed. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost.
Spring planting avoids winter losses but requires extra care before planting out. Determine best timing for your climate.
How to Plant Bulbils for Success
Follow these tips when planting your vernalized garlic bulbils:
- Prepare soil – Loosen, remove weeds/debris, mix in compost.
- Plant 1-2 inches deep, pointed end up.
- Space 2-6 inches apart depending on bulbil size.
- Firm soil gently and water thoroughly after planting.
- Cover beds with 3-4 inches of mulch to retain moisture.
Proper spacing reduces competition so bulbils develop strong.
Caring for Garlic Bulbils
Once planted, be diligent about ongoing care:
- Water whenever top 1-2 inches of soil are dry. Avoid overwatering.
- Weed regularly to prevent competition.
- Watch for pests like thrips, mites and nematodes. Treat organically if found.
- Side dress with nitrogen fertilizer when plants are 8-12 inches tall.
- Heavily mulch beds in late fall if overwintering in cold climates.
Attentive care while growing will produce good yields.
What to Expect as Bulbils Grow
Be patient when growing garlic from bulbils – it takes 2-4 years for them to mature:
- Year 1 – Produces a small “round” with one clove.
- Year 2 – Plant rounds further apart. Gets small multi-cloved bulbs.
- Year 3 – Full mature bulbs ready for replanting or eating.
Faster-maturing varieties like Rocamboles may reach full size in 2 years. Porcelains can take up to 5 years.
Bulbils grown in tight clusters stay small. Thin for larger bulbs.
Harvesting and Storing Homegrown Garlic
Follow these steps when your garlic bulbils are ready to harvest:
- Lift mature bulbs gently with a garden fork when lower leaves yellow.
- Avoid washing. Allow to dry and cure for 2-3 weeks in a warm, dry, shaded location.
- Trim roots and stem to 1⁄2 inch above the top bulb.
- Store cured bulbs in a cool (65°F), dark spot with good air circulation.
Well-cured bulbs will last up to 8 months in storage. Enjoy fresh homegrown garlic all season long!
The Benefits of Growing Garlic from Bulbils
- Propagates genetically identical garlic strains
- Avoids transmitting soil-borne diseases
- Produces robust, acclimated plants suited to your growing conditions
- Provides a very inexpensive way to continually harvest garlic year after year
With some time and attentive care, growing garlic from bulbils is extremely rewarding. Follow this complete step-by-step guide for success!
Why plant bulbils?
Bulbils are like miniature round or oblong cloves. They can be eaten just like a clove (many people dont bother peeling them but simply crush them and use them in recipes) but more importantly for us, they can be planted.
There are several reasons to plant bulbils, either instead of or in addition to planting mature cloves. Unless youre in a big hurry and need to bring a full crop to market next year, try building your stock using the bulbil method. Benefits to farmers include:
- exponential growth of seed stock (see chart below)
- purging of all soil born disease (nematodes, fungus, etc)
- gradual acclimation of cultivar to your growing conditions
Outdoors in Fall – Furrows
FALL PLANTING: You can plant bulbils in the fall at the same time as you plant your cloves, however there is more risk of losing the crop to winter kill or vole/mole activity when planted in fall. At RCF weve had both great success and catastrophic failure using this method. If planting in the fall, DO NOT MULCH UNTIL JUST BEFORE SNOWFALL. Mulch creates a wonderful habitat for voles/moles and theyll be nesting right above their winter snacks.
All but the biggest of bulbils (Rocambole bulbils are huge and can be planted with regular spacing, or at least 4 inches apart) are planted differently than cloves. You can literally plant thousands of bulbils within a very small area. Here are the steps we use:
NOTE: Bulbils can be very difficult to distinguish from weeds in the springtime. We plant in furrows so that it is clear where the bulbils should and should not be coming up. This makes it much easier to weed around them.
- Use a 3/4″ thick board that is a few inches less long than your bed is wide and create furrows approximately 1.5 inches deep across your bed. You can tap on the board with a hammer or just use your hand to wriggle down into the soil.
- Distribute your bulbils in this furrow all the way across. Unless they are very large, it doesnt matter if bulbils are upside down or not, so you can sprinkle them rather than placing them one by one if you like. Use the following spacing:
- Porcelains and other rice grain sized bulbils should be spaced about 1/2″ to 3/4″ apart.
- Marbled Purple Stripes and other medium sized bulbils should be spaced about 1″ apart.
- Larger bulbils should be spaced about 2 inches apart, and the largest should be 4 inches.
- Gently cover the bulbils with soil and pat it down.
- Water them in but dont saturate the soil.
- Once spring comes, KEEP WATERED for first two to three months, allowing dry down towards the end of their growing cycle. Bulbils will not survive if allowed to dry out since their root systems are so small. Water every day if necessary to keep the soil moist.
Growing Garlic from Bulbils and Rounds
FAQ
How long does it take to grow garlic from bulbils?
Then, in the second year, it will split into cloves and make a normal garlic bulb. Planting bulbils takes two years to get a normal-sized bulb.Jul 4, 2019
What do I do with garlic bulbils?
This is another (more effective) form of reproduction for the plant, but bulbils are not edible. Unless you’re planning a garlic breeding program, you don’t want your scapes. You want to cut them off so the garlic focusses on growing fat juicy bulbs underground.
What triggers garlic bulbing?
Fertiliser and regular water (especially in dry weather) will help swell the bulbs up. Garlic is sloooow, I plant mine in September and harvest the following July or even August.
What is the mistake in planting garlic?
Biggest Mistake: Planting too early. Why? Garlic establishes it’s root system before sending up a green shoot. Planted too early, the green shoot can rise several inches, acting as a straw over the winter to draw water from the clove, effectively desiccating the clove and potentially killing it.
Can you grow garlic from bulbils?
Next come the small, delicious, and oh so tender scapes — perfect for homemade garlic scape pesto! And yes, eventually they do produce small bulbs beneath the ground. They’re a pain to peel, but they’re great for pickling. Garlic growing as an ornamental at the Denver Botanic Garden. Garlic grown from bulbils that I tossed around my garden.
How many bulbils does garlic produce?
Only hardneck garlic produces a flower stalk that will develop bulbils. Bulbils vary greatly in size and number depending on variety. Rocambole garlics typically produce 20 to 30 large bulbils. Porcelain garlic produces over 100 bulbils, but they are very tiny. Purple Stripe bulbils vary in size and quantity from plant to plant.
What are garlic bulbils?
Garlic bulbils are tiny “bulbs” that form when a hardneck garlic flower stalk is allowed to mature. They can be grown to increase your crop. Read on.