How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Elephant Hardneck Garlic

You’ve probably seen these enormous bulbs in the grocery store or local farmer’s market. If you’ve given them a try, you know that while they won’t replace conventional garlic in the kitchen, they certainly have qualities of their own. Elephant garlic is more closely related to leeks, but it has some similar uses and growth habits to smaller-cloved varieties.

If you’ve never tried this giant allium and wondered if it’s worth it, you’ve come to the right place. I’d love to tell you all about this interesting vegetable that’s easy to grow and makes a great addition to the kitchen garden. Join me in discussing and learning how to grow this tasty member of the onion family.

Elephant Hardneck Garlic Overview

Botanical Name Allium ampeloprasum Plant Type Herbaceous biennial Family Amaryilladaceae Genus Allium	Species ampeloprasum Native Area Europe, Asia, Africa Exposure Full sun Height 18-24″ Watering Requirements Moderate	Pests and Diseases Slugs, bulb mites, bulb rot, rust Maintenance Moderate Soil Type Loose, fertile, well-drained, loam Hardiness Zone 4-9

What Is It?

Elephant garlic, while it might appear to be, is not a true garlic. Rather, it is more closely related to leeks, and one taste will accentuate the difference. Crisp and refreshing, these cloves are delicious when eaten raw. They make a lovely addition to salads and other dishes where you desire a more mild flavor than you’d get with traditional cloves. 

Characteristics

The most noteworthy characteristic of these bulbs is their massive size. Easily twice the size of conventional bulbs, elephant bulbs can weigh a pound or more. The individual cloves are also much larger. Each bulb only contains about four. 

Aside from their size, their flavor sets this type apart from others and hints at their leek relatives. If you’re looking for that signature garlic spice, this isn’t going to do it. However, if you want some of the flavor without the bite, this should be one you plant in your garden this year. 

This hardneck has a mild flavor somewhere between a leek and traditional garlic. It has a crisp texture, and the flavor is most intense when it’s eaten raw. Cooking it will leave just a hint of the taste behind. This makes it excellent for roasting.

Slice a clove and eat it raw with a flaky white fish, or toss it into your favorite cold salad. I think you’ll find the versatility and flavor pleasantly surprising. 

Native Area

Also known as great-headed or Levant garlic, these bulbs are native to areas in North Africa, Asia, and Europe. The Mediterranean region is the most likely area where this plant originated, with the range extending into Asia. It came to America via the Scio settlement in Oregon. Immigrants from the Balkans brought it along with them. It stands up well to the heat and humidity common to its native range. 

Planting

It might not be a traditional clove variety, but this plant has the same planting and growing needs. It likes to get its start during the cooler months and sprouts best in the range of 40-50°F (4-10°C). In cool climates, plant these cloves in early to mid-fall. September or October are ideal. Make sure to get them in the ground before your first frost. 

In warmer climates, October is a good time for planting. If you’re still experiencing warm temperatures in October, feel free to wait until November. This way, the soil is cool enough for your seeds to get a vigorous start. If you plant too soon, they will have a delayed start and will mature later, and likely, smaller. 

Prepping Your Cloves (Seeds)

Before you get started, if you are working with bulbs, remove the outer papery layers and separate the cloves. Because garlic is susceptible to fungal diseases and there are a handful of pests that like to attack this crop, it’s a good idea to sterilize your seeds before planting. 

Inspect your cloves and discard any that are compromised by mold or other forces. There are several ways to sterilize your seed garlic, so before you run out and buy anything, see if you have one of these substances around the house. You can use isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, or even clear liquor like vodka. 

Soak your seeds in an alcohol solution diluted in water for about 20 minutes. If you’re using peroxide, use a three percent solution and soak for ten minutes. For a bleach soak, use a ratio of one part bleach to nine parts water or a 10% solution. Soak for ten minutes in this bleach solution.

After sterilizing, you can give your crop a jump start by soaking the cloves in a fertilizer solution. Fish fertilizer or kelp mixed with baking soda is great for this task. You can soak them for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.

Transplanting

Since we grow this crop from cloves rather than actual seeds, we are technically transplanting. This is a heavy-feeding crop. It likes a lot of nutrients, so amend your soil before planting. I’ll talk more about this in just a bit. 

Plant your cloves (with the skin on) about 12 inches apart and four inches deep. In cooler climates, dig down about two inches deeper for some added protection. Always plant your seeds with the pointed end facing upward. This is where they sprout, and planting them in this direction saves your plants some energy. 

After placing cloves in the holes, gently backfill and water them in well. Cover the area with several inches of mulch or straw. Straw is great mulch as it reflects the sun and offers some temperature control, but mulch will work, too. 

How to Grow

Elephant garlic has a long growing season (eight to nine months), but as long as you have the patience, it’s not difficult to grow. Prepare your garden well, and give it the moderate care it needs, and you will have plenty of delicious bulbs maturing in the summer.

Light

Choose a location that gets a lot of direct sun exposure. Garlic prefers full sun. Six hours will suffice, but ideally, your crop will grow best if it gets eight to ten hours per day.

Water

Take a balanced approach to watering to keep your bulbs growing strong and reduce the risk of fungal disease. Proper draining is key to preventing fungus in this moisture-loving crop. Too little water will stress your cloves and lead to a sub-par harvest. 

Ensure at least 1/2 and one inch of water per week. If you get plenty of rain, you’re not likely to need to supplement, but in times of drought, don’t let your bulbs go without. If you need to supplement, water deeply but infrequently. 

Soil

Rich, loamy, fertile soil is best for growing this plant. Drainage is of utmost importance because soggy soil will lead to weak skin and rotting bulbs. If your garlic has weak skin, it will be more difficult to cure it, and then it won’t keep as long. 

Heavy, dense soil types can hold water and lead to a proliferation of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Alliums are sensitive to these microbes, so it’s important to maintain loose, well-draining soil. Loosen your soil before planting and if you have dense soil, mix in amendments to improve drainage, like vermiculite, perlite, or leaf litter. 

Unless your soil is naturally rich, amend it with several inches of well-rotted compost, aged manure, and other nutrient-dense materials. Alfalfa meal and neem cake make great additions to beef up your soil for optimal growth. 

Blood meal mixed into the soil will help to jump-start your garlic. Only use it in the initial stages, though, as it provides a lot of nitrogen. Garlic needs nitrogen initially, but after it sprouts, it needs less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potassium. 

Temperature and Humidity

Temperature is an important factor in growing all garlic, as it requires cool temperatures to sprout and warming temperatures to bulk. The best and fastest sprouting takes place between 40-50°F (4-10°C). This is important to know when it comes to storing your seeds. Store them at 60-65°F (16-18°C) to prevent early sprouting. 

Plant at a time when the temperature of the soil is near the 40-50°F (4-10°C) range. As the weather warms up in spring, your bulbs will bulk up nicely. Humidity is less important, but a range of 40-50% is ideal for healthy growth. 

Fertilizing

Working fertilizer into the soil at planting time will give your plants a jump start, but garlic is a heavy feeder, so regular fertilizing is necessary. You’ll want to fertilize every two weeks through the growing season, paying attention to the shifting needs of the plant.

An initial dose of nitrogen will help your cloves to sprout, but then the need for nitrogen decreases. Too much nitrogen as the season progresses will lead to a lot of green growth, directing energy away from what you want, which is bulb development. 

Once your garlic sprouts shift to a fertilizer that is high in potassium and phosphorus to encourage bulb development. Look for a formula in the range of 5-10-10. You can also supplement fertilizer with bone meal or fish meal. A balanced fertilizer, like Espoma Garden Tone is appropriate as well.

Maintenance

Hardneck varieties grow something called a scape. This is the central stem that will ultimately bloom and develop bulbils if allowed. It draws quite a bit of energy, which means it takes energy away from bulb development. For that reason, we remove this portion. It usually forms in late spring. Cut the scape off as close as possible to the ground. Use these in cooking, pickle them, and add them to dishes that could use a little mild garlic flavor.

Propagation

Elephant garlic grows from cloves rather than seeds, which makes propagation easy. Simply save some bulbs from your harvest to use as seed for the following season. Since this crop is biennial, it will reproduce and flower in its second year, but the seeds are rarely viable.

You can also grow elephant garlic from bulbils, but that process takes a long time. Growing from cloves is much more straightforward.

Harvesting and Storage

Elephant garlic has a significant growing season, and it can be difficult to wait. This variety takes between eight and nine months to reach its full potential, so be patient with it. When the bottom leaves begin to turn yellow, you’ll know the time is nearing. 

Once the bottom two to three leaves are brown, dig up a single bulb to check for maturity. If the cloves are plump and fill out the skin, it’s time to harvest. Withhold water for a few days before harvesting the remaining garlic to allow it to begin the curing process. This helps to make the skin less vulnerable. 

Use a garden fork or spade to loosen your bulbs; don’t try to pull them up by the leaves. You risk ripping the leaves off, and they will help in the curing process. 

Curing your bulbs is important because it prolongs their storage life. Without curing, you’re likely to end up with rotten bulbs. Don’t wash your bulbs, but brush off as much dirt as possible before curing. 

Bundle your bulbs in groups and tie together the leaves. Hang them, bulb end down, in a cool, dark space and allow them to dry for three to four weeks. After they cure, peel only the top layer of papery skin off to remove any leftover dirt. Be careful not to expose the cloves. 

Once cured, store your elephant garlic in a cool, dark place like a pantry or cabinet. Store them in a container that allows air to circulate around them. A mesh bag or basket works well, or you can purchase a terracotta garlic jar. 

Common Problems

Elephant garlic suffers less from pests than most, with slugs being the main issue. Bulb mites and onion flies occasionally rear their heads, but it’s unusual.

All varieties can be susceptible to fungal disease because they grow underground. White rot is the most prevalent, and it can be serious for the soil. Don’t grow alliums in an area with signs of this pathogen for 15 years. 

Proper drainage is the most important factor in avoiding fungal diseases. Planting in full sun and amending dense soil so that water passes freely through will go a very long way toward a healthy harvest. 

Rust can be a huge problem, especially in areas where garlic is grown year after year. Therefore, crop rotation is an excellent preventative. Remove any leaves that have taken on rust symptoms or exhibiting rust-colored streaks on the leaves. Space your elephant garlic well away from other plants for good circulation.