What are bulbils? Although they have a funny name, these propagation tools mean no funny business. They’re a surefire method of garlic reproduction for reliable hardneck types like ‘Chesnok Red.’ They form off of mature flowering stalks with scapes—the scapes produce tiny bulbs, and these are the bulbils!
Most gardeners don’t see them since gardening recommendations say to cut the scapes in favor of clove production. But wild garlic often uses bulbils to spread since they can easily reach new sites aboveground. Spot wild garlic to see these tiny bulbs in nature, or let some of your garlic scapes flower to grow your own.
One garlic plant can produce over 50 bulbils but may only grow between four and ten cloves. Bulbils are more available, although they take a year or two longer to reach a full bulbing size. Exponentially multiply your harvests with a combination of both. If you let one of your plants flower this year, you’ll go from a few cloves to over 200 in three years!
Exponentially increase your garlic production with tiny bulbils. Follow these eight simple steps, and you’ll never have to buy garlic at the grocery store again.
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Step 1: Let Scapes Grow
The first step to acquiring bulbils is letting a scape or two open up and produce flowers. If you already grow hardneck varieties, then leave a scape or two on your plants to open. If you don’t grow garlic, you can order seed online or plant a clove now for some later.
Since you’re not growing garlic for underground bulbs, you don’t have to plant in the fall. Simply plant a clove or two in spring or early summer, then wait for scapes and flowers to appear. Scapes curl with circular stems, then grow straight up as they mature. A green, paper-thin sheath falls off the scape, and flowers appear.
Flowers sometimes form seeds, though more often than not, they’ll mature into bulbils. Both seeds and bulbils grow new garlic plants successfully, although seeds may take longer than three years. Most growers will never see seeds but will see dozens of tiny bulbs.
Step 2: Harvest
Bulbils are ready for you to harvest from midsummer onwards. They’ll look like mini cloves, and some will have small leaves growing out of their tops. Harvest them by chopping off the stalks, then hanging them to dry in a brown paper bag. The propagation material will fall to the bottom when ripe, and you can collect them hassle-free.
If you’d only like a few, you may pluck them off the scapes as they ripen. Let them dry for a few days, then they’re ready for long-term storage. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location like a pantry, closet, or cupboard. They’ll keep for at least a year, although you’ll want to plant them this season for best-growing results.
Garlic bulbils are also edible! Peel them and cook them how you would any garlic. They’re sweeter and milder, and make excellent additions to pestos, salsas, or chilis. Not only are they edible, but garlic scapes and leaves are, too! Try each one for unique, garlicky delicacies.
Step 3: Plant During Fall
It’s best to plant bulbils at the same time that you plant the rest of your garlic in the fall. You’ll want to get them in the ground so they receive cold temperatures throughout winter. They need a cold winter to perform well the next year. You’ll want to sow these tiny bulbs around when your first fall frosts occur. They’ll stay safe below the soil while storms rage above.
Bury them an inch deep in rows with a half inch of space between each other, and space rows an inch apart. Pat soil on top, then water them so they’re moist but not soggy. Wait to add mulch to the site until after snowfall since it can invite bulb-eating critters that’ll ruin your harvest. Add mulch in spring after they sprout if you never receive winter snow.
Step 4: Watch Garlic Grow
Plants vigorously grow in their first year, sending leafy growth up by the bunches. They’ll need well-draining soil, regular water during the growing season, and six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. They’ll swell into individual cloves their first year, although some fast-growing types may create four to six small cloves instead of one large one.
Monitor your seedlings for pests and diseases. Garlic is resistant to infestations and infections because of its strong-smelling nature. It also has a papery protective covering underground that keeps it safe from root rots. If you see pests on the leaves, wash them off until they disappear. Prevent diseases by rotating where you plant garlic every two or three years.
Step 5: Harvest
Bulbils need less time to ripen than big bulbs, and they’ll be ready anywhere from midsummer onwards. Pull up young plants when their leafy tops turn brown. You’ll find small, round cloves belowground. These work similarly to bulbs you’d buy from a seed catalog; although they may look different, they function the same.
You’ll have to unbury your rounds carefully if the stems break off. The rounds bruise and damage easily from metal tools, and they’ll struggle to preserve themselves in the off-season. If you have a pitchfork or broad fork, there’s a simple trick to help. Stab the dirt well below the root zone, then raise it. You’ll find them falling easily out of crumbly soil.
Step 6: Dry and Store Rounds
Rounds need identical conditions as bulbils to dry and store well. Dry them by hanging them upside down with their stems on. They’ll be dry when all moisture leaves the stems and leaves, signaling that multiple papery coatings now wrap them.
Once dry, chop off the stems and roots. Garlic appreciates cool, dark, and dry locations that mimic the underground. Store them inside a harvest basket in your pantry, or use a similar item with holes for airflow. They’ll keep for a year or longer, but plant them this autumn for the biggest harvests next summer.
Step 7: Plant Rounds During Fall
It’s been a year since you planted bulbils, and now it’s time to plant the cloves they turned into! Plant them an inch and a half deep, with at least two or three inches of space from each other. They need more space since they swell into giant bulbs.
Cover with fertile soil, and water them so they’re moist but not too wet. They’ll put down roots from fall through spring and separate into multiple sections. Then, they’ll sprout leafy shoots as warm days arrive. Wait to add mulch to their root zone until the snow falls, or until spring if you have snow-free winters—this keeps tunneling creatures that’ll eat fresh garlic away.
Step 8: Harvest and Repeat!
Most bulbils form big bulbs in their second year, but some may grow multiple tiny cloves. If you have small ones, repeat this process. Separate the bulbs, store them, then plant them during autumn. They’ll form giant bulbs by mid or late summer the next year.
If you have giant bulbs in your second year growing bulbils, harvest them to enjoy! Don’t eat all of them, though, as you’ll want some to plant for another harvest. Keep however many cloves you need to harvest bulbs since each one swells into a bulb with many cloves. For example, if you have 20 large cloves you’re saving for planting, you’ll have 20 giant bulbs next summer.
Repeat this process as often as necessary to gain infinite amounts of propagation material and kitchen ingredients. Grow the two in combination, and you’ll produce enough garlic to never have to buy it from the store again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are! They have a papery wrapping like cloves—peel them and eat them in recipes calling for garlic.
You can exponentially multiply your harvests by planting them, or you can eat them for a sweet garlicky delicacy. Garlic bulbils are like mini cloves, they just need two or three years instead of one to form mature bulbs.
Plant them in the fall around your first average frost date. If it’s already spring, you may plant them in their first year. Second-year cloves grow best from fall plantings, so wait until next year for the best results.
