Hey everyone! I've got a bunch of tiny garlic bulbs on my hands—think sizes from large blueberries to large grapes—due to poor soil and not enough sunlight. I really don't want to just toss them in the compost, as that feels wasteful, but they're definitely too small for cooking. I've heard that you can use these small bulbs to grow garlic leaves and scapes by planting the entire bulb, but I've never seen any detailed advice on how to do this.
I'm in zone 6a and will be planting my new seed garlic in the next 6-8 weeks, as the first frost is expected in early to mid-October. Do I need to remove any of the papery skin from these small bulbs before planting, or can I just cut the excess stem and plant them pointy end up like regular cloves? I realize I might be too late to plant for greens this fall, but I'm open to any suggestions. The parent bulbs were healthy and tasty, so I'm keen to find creative uses for these tiny bulbs. I have about 30 of them—any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
If you're aiming for garlic leaves, definitely plant the whole bulb! I've accidentally left some behind before, and they actually grew great. Just make sure to remove the excess stem, but you can leave the paper on—it'll help protect the bulb while it grows. If you don't care about leaves, another option is to grind them up for garlic powder, though it might not be worth the hassle since they’re so small. If they're soft neck, you probably won't get scapes, and planting them individually might just yield equally tiny bulbs next year.
Yeah, I might experiment a bit! The paper is a pain, but I really love scapes. I’ve never used the leaves in a salad either, but I've heard they taste great when they're young. I'm willing to give anything a shot—even if it means trying 20 times with carrots!