Sprouting single clove garlics
As many a gardener I had a dream of growing a few single clove garlics. I have purchased singel clove garlics of chinese origin, planted them, and never had anything growing. Now I have learned from a reliable source, that the single clove garlics are allways radiated to prevent sprouting. Then the other day I found a little basket of sprouting singel clove garlics in the supermarket. I’m uncertain why a single little basket was filled with sprouting garlics, as there was no sprouting to find in any other garlic. Could they have fallen off the band just before the radiation chamber, and then picked up and returned to the band on the other side?
I’ve planted some of them, hoping the roots will be just as viable as the top. If someone is interested, I have a few more sprouting single clove garlics for trade.
Will they grow to new single clove garlics next year? I doubt it. I expect some rather ordinary garlics. But with the right culture this clone could possibly be induced to form single clove garlics. Somewhere I read, that this can be achieved by an early harvest, before the cloves have been created. To learn the right method of cultivation might demand some experimenting.
In the toad's garden 
March 18, 2010 at 16:56
hi,
these kind of garlics are really interesting.
What was your outcomes planting them?
March 21, 2010 at 19:39
They didn’t grow well. In the end, I didn’t get havest any from them 😦
They probably was radiated anyway, but slightly less than normally.
February 6, 2011 at 18:38
Hi. I was interested in growing these single clove garlics and fortunately found a bunch sprouting. Actually I just planted them today on my allotment. I am treating them like shallots as they are segmented inside. So I have planted them above ground and hope they will split. Don’t really have much to lose. I wonder if they have been grown from seed which might make more sense. Only time will tell.
February 15, 2011 at 22:14
Al, please let us know later, how they grow in your garden.
November 1, 2011 at 00:50
Hi,
Theory has it, that if you grow normal multi bulb garlic and plant only then replant the smallest immature cloves you will likely grow single bulb garlics. Its not an exact science but it has worked for me, although i didnt really want them.
November 1, 2011 at 00:57
Further to my previous comment, replanting single clove garlic will most likely yield multi clove garlic not single glove garlic
November 1, 2011 at 19:44
That’s also my experience. I grow sometimes my hardnecks from topsets, and they first make a single garlic, then next season a normal garlic.