Garlic Seeds Explained – Can You Really Grow Garlic from Seed?

Have you ever wondered whether you can grow garlic from seed, just like you would grow onions, tomatoes, carrots or lettuce?

Perhaps you’ve been looking through seed catalogues and noticed that although there are plenty of garlic bulbs available, it’s surprisingly difficult to find ordinary garlic seeds.

Or maybe you’ve grown garlic on your allotment and discovered little round structures forming at the top of a flowering stem.

You might be wondering whether those are garlic seeds and if you can collect them to grow more plants.

The answer is a little more interesting than you might expect.

Garlic can produce true seeds, but almost all ordinary culinary garlic is grown from cloves rather than seed.

Some varieties can also produce tiny bulbs called bulbils, which offer another way of growing garlic.

However, garlic cloves, bulbils and true seeds are not the same thing.

Here at Gardening with Ben, I love growing garlic because it’s one of those fantastic crops you can plant during autumn, leave growing through winter and harvest the following summer.

It’s also brilliant for gardeners who want to become more self-sufficient.

Once you’ve grown a healthy garlic harvest, you may be able to save some of your bulbs for the following year’s planting.

But if you want to experiment with growing garlic from true seeds or tiny bulbils, there are a few additional things you need to know.

In this complete UK gardening guide, I’ll explain the differences between garlic seeds, cloves and bulbils, how each one grows, which method is best for beginners and how to propagate your own garlic successfully.

We’ll also look at why true garlic seeds are so uncommon, what garlic flowers actually produce and whether growing garlic from seed is worth trying.

Do Garlic Plants Produce Seeds?

Yes, garlic plants can produce true botanical seeds.

However, most familiar cultivated garlic varieties either produce very few viable seeds or don’t reliably produce any at all.

This is one reason why garlic is normally propagated from cloves.

Unlike onions, which readily flower and produce seeds, garlic has been grown through vegetative propagation for generations.

This means gardeners and growers usually reproduce it by planting parts of an existing plant rather than germinating seeds.

Why Is Garlic Different from Most Vegetables?

Think about how you grow tomatoes.

You sow a seed, grow a plant, allow it to produce tomatoes and collect seeds for the next growing season.

Garlic is different.

Instead of sowing seeds, you usually take a garlic bulb, separate it into individual cloves and plant those cloves in the ground.

Each healthy clove has the potential to grow into a new garlic plant and produce another bulb.

Are Garlic Cloves Actually Seeds?

No.

Although they’re sometimes described as garlic seed cloves or seed garlic, they aren’t botanical seeds.

A garlic clove is a storage organ containing a growing point and nutrients that help a new plant establish.

Planting a clove is a form of vegetative propagation.

The resulting plant is genetically the same as the parent plant, apart from any mutations that may occur.

Can You Buy True Garlic Seeds?

True garlic seeds are occasionally available from specialist growers and breeding projects.

However, they’re much less commonly sold than garlic cloves.

If you see a product described as “garlic seeds”, always check exactly what you’re buying.

It might contain planting cloves, bulbils or genuine botanical seeds.

These require different planting techniques.

What Is the Difference Between Garlic Seeds, Cloves and Bulbils?

Understanding the three types of garlic planting material is essential.

Type	What it is	How it’s grown	Time to produce mature bulbs
Garlic clove	An individual section of a mature garlic bulb	Planted directly into soil	Usually one growing season
Garlic bulbil	A tiny bulb formed on certain garlic flower stalks	Planted and grown on over successive seasons	Often two to three years or longer
True garlic seed	A botanical seed produced through flowering and fertilisation	Germinated like other seeds	Variable; often requires more than one season

Garlic Cloves

These are the familiar segments you separate when preparing garlic for cooking.

They’re also the most reliable way of growing garlic in a UK garden.

Garlic Bulbils

These are small, bulb-like structures produced in the flower heads of certain garlic varieties.

They can look like tiny garlic cloves.

Bulbils aren’t true seeds.

True Garlic Seeds

These are produced when fertile garlic flowers are successfully pollinated and develop viable seeds.

They’re much less common than cloves or bulbils.

The key difference is that true seeds result from sexual reproduction, potentially producing plants with new genetic combinations.

Cloves and bulbils reproduce the parent variety vegetatively.

Why Doesn’t Most Garlic Produce True Seeds?

If garlic is a flowering plant, why doesn’t it produce seeds as easily as onions?

The answer is that many cultivated garlic varieties have limited fertility.

Over time, garlic has been selected and propagated mainly for the quality of its bulbs rather than its ability to produce seeds.

Many hardneck varieties produce flowering stems known as scapes.

At the end of the scape, a developing flower head may contain both flowers and small bulbils.

The bulbils often develop strongly while the flowers fail to produce viable seed.

Can Garlic Flowers Be Fertile?

Yes, under suitable circumstances.

Certain garlic lines can produce fertile flowers and true seeds.

Researchers and specialist growers have successfully produced botanical garlic seed.

However, it can require careful variety selection and management of the flower head.

Why Do Bulbils Matter?

Bulbils compete with the flowers for resources.

Specialist growers sometimes remove developing bulbils from flower heads to give the flowers a better opportunity to develop and produce seed.

This isn’t a normal gardening task.

It’s a specialist propagation technique.

Gardening with Ben tip: If your goal is a reliable garlic harvest, planting cloves is much easier than attempting to produce true garlic seeds.

What Do Real Garlic Seeds Look Like?

True garlic seeds are quite different from the cloves you buy for planting.

They’re small, dark seeds produced inside seed capsules following successful flowering and fertilisation.

Depending on the seed, they may appear black or dark brown.

What Do Garlic Bulbils Look Like?

Bulbils resemble miniature garlic bulbs or cloves.

They often have a pale, cream, purple or brownish covering, depending on the variety.

Some are extremely tiny.

Others are substantially larger.

How Can You Tell the Difference?

Look at where the structures are developing and what they look like.

True seeds form inside botanical seed capsules.

Bulbils are miniature vegetative bulbs developing among or instead of flowers.

A garlic flower head containing little purple structures isn’t automatically producing true seed.

Those structures may simply be bulbils.

The Easiest Way to Grow Garlic: Planting Cloves

For most UK gardeners, cloves are the best method.

They’re straightforward to plant and generally produce mature garlic bulbs within a single growing season.

Step 1: Choose Your Planting Garlic

Buy healthy planting garlic from a reputable supplier.

Look for varieties suited to UK growing conditions.

Step 2: Separate the Bulb

Gently break the bulb into individual cloves.

Keep their protective papery coverings intact where possible.

Step 3: Prepare Your Soil

Choose a sunny position.

Garlic prefers fertile, well-drained soil.

Avoid planting in ground that remains waterlogged.

Step 4: Plant the Cloves

Position each clove with its pointed end upwards and flat basal plate downwards.

As a useful UK guide, plant with the tip approximately 2.5 cm beneath the soil surface.

Follow the supplier’s instructions for your particular variety and soil conditions.

Step 5: Allow Enough Space

Space cloves approximately 15 cm apart.

Allow around 30 cm between rows.

Step 6: Water When Needed

Outdoor autumn-planted garlic often receives sufficient natural rainfall.

During spring, water in prolonged dry weather.

Step 7: Keep the Bed Weed-Free

Garlic can struggle when competing with established weeds.

Weed carefully to avoid damaging shallow roots.

Step 8: Harvest in Summer

Garlic planted during autumn is commonly ready during late spring or summer the following year.

Look for signs of maturity, including lower leaves beginning to yellow.

Carefully lift a sample bulb to check its development before harvesting everything.

What Are Garlic Bulbils?

Garlic bulbils are one of the most interesting ways of multiplying certain garlic varieties.

If you grow hardneck garlic, you may notice the plants producing long, curling stems.

These are garlic scapes.

At the top of a scape is a flower head that may contain numerous small bulbils.

Are Garlic Bulbils Edible?

Bulbils from healthy, correctly identified culinary garlic can be edible.

However, they’re usually more valuable to gardeners as planting material.

Do All Garlic Plants Produce Bulbils?

No.

Bulbil production depends on the garlic variety.

Hardneck garlic is more likely to produce prominent scapes and bulbils.

Many softneck varieties rarely produce flower stems under normal growing conditions.

Why Grow Garlic from Bulbils?

One major benefit is multiplication.

A single garlic flower head may contain many bulbils.

This gives you the opportunity to increase your planting stock without using as many full-sized cloves from your harvested bulbs.

It’s particularly useful if you want to build up a supply of a favourite garlic variety.

Do Bulbils Produce Identical Garlic?

Generally, yes.

Bulbils are vegetative propagules, meaning the plants they produce retain the parent variety’s genetic characteristics.

However, growing from bulbils doesn’t automatically remove every possible pest or disease.

Start with healthy plants and practise good hygiene.

How to Collect Garlic Bulbils

If you’ve got a suitable hardneck garlic variety, you can try collecting bulbils from its scapes.

Step 1: Allow a Scape to Develop

Normally, gardeners remove garlic scapes to direct more energy into bulb development.

However, if you want bulbils, leave a suitable scape on the plant.

Step 2: Watch the Flower Head

The scape will develop a swelling head enclosed by a protective covering.

As it matures, the covering may split and reveal the structures inside.

Step 3: Allow the Bulbils to Mature

Wait until the bulbils are sufficiently developed.

Their appearance and maturity will vary by variety.

Step 4: Collect Carefully

Harvest the head before bulbils scatter or become damaged.

Separate the bulbils gently.

Step 5: Inspect Your Planting Material

Discard any that appear mouldy, damaged or unhealthy.

Step 6: Store Appropriately

Keep mature bulbils dry and well ventilated until planting.

Avoid humid, sealed storage that encourages rot.

How to Grow Garlic from Bulbils – Step-by-Step UK Guide

Growing garlic from bulbils is an excellent project for gardeners who enjoy experimenting.

However, it requires patience.

Unlike full-sized cloves, tiny bulbils often need several growing seasons to produce mature garlic bulbs.

Step 1: Prepare a Nursery Area

Choose a sunny, well-drained position.

A small raised bed can work particularly well.

Alternatively, use a sufficiently deep container containing suitable peat-free compost.

Step 2: Remove Weeds

Clear the planting area carefully.

Young bulbil-grown plants are relatively small and can easily be overwhelmed by weeds.

Step 3: Sort the Bulbils

Separate obviously damaged material.

If you have bulbils of different sizes, grouping similarly sized bulbils can make management easier.

Step 4: Plant at a Suitable Depth

Small bulbils are usually planted more shallowly than full-sized garlic cloves.

Depending on size, around 1–2 cm deep can be a useful starting point.

Larger bulbils may require deeper planting.

Avoid burying very tiny bulbils excessively deeply.

Step 5: Allow Room for Growth

For a nursery bed, bulbils can initially be planted several centimetres apart.

Spacing of roughly 3–5 cm may suit many small bulbils, with sufficient room between rows for weeding.

They can be transplanted at wider spacing as they increase in size.

Step 6: Water Appropriately

Keep the growing medium reasonably moist during establishment.

Avoid waterlogging.

Step 7: Wait for Shoots

Small shoots should emerge when temperatures and conditions are suitable.

Growth may be slower and less vigorous than with ordinary garlic cloves.

Step 8: Weed Carefully

This is particularly important.

Young plants can easily disappear among larger weeds.

Step 9: Allow the Plants to Develop

During their first growing season, bulbils commonly produce small underground bulbs, often consisting of a single round.

Step 10: Lift and Replant

Once the foliage has naturally matured, carefully lift the small bulbs if appropriate for your growing system.

Dry them sufficiently for safe storage.

Replant the healthy rounds at the recommended time for garlic planting.

In later seasons, they may develop into larger, divided bulbs.

How Long Does Garlic Take to Grow from Bulbils?

Patience is the key.

Some larger bulbils produce useful divided bulbs relatively quickly.

Smaller bulbils may take considerably longer.

First Growing Season

The bulbil sprouts.

It usually develops into a small plant.

At the end of the season, you may harvest a small single round.

Second Growing Season

Replant the round.

With suitable conditions, the plant may produce a larger bulb.

Some varieties may already begin dividing into cloves.

Third Growing Season

Further growth may produce a more substantial garlic bulb.

Could It Take Longer?

Yes.

Variety, original bulbil size, climate and growing conditions all influence development.

Some growers find that building up garlic from very small bulbils takes three or more years.

Is It Worth the Extra Work?

If you only want garlic for cooking next summer, probably not.

If you want to multiply a favourite variety or enjoy experimenting with propagation, growing bulbils can be very rewarding.

What Is a Garlic Round?

A garlic round is a single, undivided bulb.

Instead of containing several separate cloves, it consists of one solid bulb.

Rounds can form when garlic is grown from small bulbils.

They may also occur when ordinary garlic hasn’t received suitable conditions for normal clove development.

Are Garlic Rounds Useful?

Yes.

Healthy rounds can be replanted to produce larger garlic plants.

Can You Eat Garlic Rounds?

Yes, healthy rounds of culinary garlic are edible.

They can be used in cooking.

However, if you’re trying to multiply your planting stock, saving them for replanting may be more worthwhile.

Can You Grow Garlic from True Botanical Seeds?

Yes, but it’s much more difficult than growing garlic from cloves or bulbils.

True garlic seed is uncommon, and germination results can be unpredictable.

It’s mainly of interest to specialist growers, plant breeders and keen experimenters.

Why Is True Seed Interesting?

Cloves and bulbils normally reproduce an existing garlic variety without creating new genetic combinations.

True seed is different.

Seed-produced plants may inherit different combinations of characteristics from their parents.

This creates opportunities for developing new garlic lines.

Possible differences include bulb size, flavour, growth habit and performance under particular growing conditions.

Will Seed-Grown Garlic Be Identical to Its Parent?

Not necessarily.

Seed-grown plants can vary because they’re produced through sexual reproduction.

This is one reason botanical seed is useful to breeders.

How to Sow True Garlic Seeds

If you’ve managed to obtain genuine, viable true garlic seed from a reputable specialist source, you can attempt to grow it.

Because different garlic lines can behave differently, follow any specific supplier instructions.

Step 1: Prepare Seed Trays

Choose clean seed trays or small pots with drainage holes.

Step 2: Add Seed Compost

Use a fine, free-draining, peat-free seed compost.

Step 3: Sow Carefully

Sow the true seeds individually or thinly.

A shallow covering of fine compost, approximately a few millimetres deep, can be used where recommended.

Avoid burying very small seeds deeply.

Step 4: Maintain Suitable Conditions

Follow the supplier’s guidance on germination temperature and any cold treatment.

Requirements may vary between garlic lines.

Step 5: Keep the Compost Moist

The compost should remain evenly moist during germination.

Avoid waterlogging.

Step 6: Monitor Seedlings

Garlic seedlings may initially resemble very fine grass-like or onion-like shoots.

Do not remove them accidentally.

Step 7: Grow On Carefully

Once seedlings are established, provide sufficient light, suitable nutrition and growing space.

Transplant them only when they’re strong enough to handle.

Step 8: Allow Bulbs to Develop

The first season may produce small bulbs rather than a full-sized harvest.

These may need to be grown on in subsequent seasons.

Step 9: Keep Good Records

Label each batch with its seed source, sowing date and observations.

If you’re experimenting with seed-grown garlic, records will help you identify promising plants.

Can You Collect True Garlic Seeds from Your Own Plants?

It’s possible, but don’t expect every garlic flower to produce viable seed.

Most ordinary cultivated garlic isn’t reliable for true seed production.

Start with Suitable Garlic

Some fertile or partially fertile garlic lines are better suited to experimentation.

Allow the Flower Stalk to Develop

A scape must remain on the plant for flowers to develop.

Identify Flowers and Bulbils

The head may contain both.

Understand Bulbil Competition

Specialist growers sometimes remove developing bulbils to improve flower development.

This is delicate work and doesn’t guarantee success.

Allow Successful Flowers to Mature

If fertile flowers are pollinated and seed capsules develop, they may eventually produce true seeds.

Confirm What You’ve Collected

Small bulbils aren’t botanical seeds.

Make sure you can distinguish seed capsules and their contents from miniature bulbs.

Expect Failure as Part of the Process

True garlic seed production can be unreliable.

You may get very few seeds, none at all or seeds with poor germination.

For most gardeners, collecting bulbils is a much more practical project.

What About Garlic Seeds Sold Online?

This is an important point.

You may discover listings for garlic seeds on marketplaces, gardening websites and online shops.

However, the description isn’t always clear.

Some sellers use the phrase “seed garlic” to mean cloves intended for planting.

Others may be offering a completely different garlic-related plant.

Check the Botanical Name

Ordinary culinary garlic is Allium sativum.

If you’re purchasing seeds specifically for culinary garlic, make sure that’s what the listing identifies.

Check the Product Description

Does the seller describe actual botanical seeds?

Or does the listing contain cloves or bulbils?

Check the Growing Instructions

If the product is intended for sowing into seed trays like onions, it may be genuine seed or a different Allium species.

If it says to separate bulbs into cloves, it’s planting garlic rather than true seed.

Be Careful with Unusual Claims

Be cautious of listings promising enormous garlic bulbs within a few weeks or offering extraordinary colours that don’t match recognised varieties.

Buy from reputable suppliers wherever possible.

Are Garlic Chive Seeds the Same as Garlic Seeds?

No.

Garlic chives are a different plant.

Their botanical name is Allium tuberosum.

They produce edible leaves with a garlicky flavour and can be grown from ordinary botanical seed.

Are Garlic Chives Easy to Grow from Seed?

Yes, they’re generally much easier to raise from seed than ordinary culinary garlic.

What Do You Harvest?

Garlic chives are mainly grown for their leaves rather than a large culinary garlic bulb.

Can You Grow Them in Pots?

Yes.

They can grow well in suitable containers and herb beds.

Are They Perennial?

Garlic chives are herbaceous perennials and can return year after year in suitable UK conditions.

If you want an easy seed-sowing project with a garlic flavour, garlic chives are worth considering.

Are Wild Garlic Seeds the Same as Ordinary Garlic Seeds?

No.

Wild garlic, Allium ursinum, is another different species.

It’s a woodland plant that grows naturally in suitable areas of Britain.

Unlike ordinary culinary garlic, wild garlic can spread by true seed.

Where Does Wild Garlic Grow?

Wild garlic prefers moist, humus-rich soil in partially shaded or shaded positions.

Can You Grow Wild Garlic from Seed?

Yes.

Wild garlic seed can be sown, although germination may require suitable seasonal cold conditions and patience.

Will Wild Garlic Produce Ordinary Garlic Bulbs?

No.

Wild garlic is a different plant grown mainly for its leaves.

A Word of Caution

Wild garlic can resemble poisonous plants, including lily of the valley.

Only eat plants that have been positively identified.

Never rely on appearance or smell alone when identifying potentially poisonous lookalikes.

Is Elephant Garlic Grown from Seeds?

Elephant garlic is another crop worth mentioning.

Despite its name, elephant garlic is more closely related to leeks than ordinary culinary garlic.

Its botanical classification falls within Allium ampeloprasum.

How Is Elephant Garlic Usually Grown?

Elephant garlic is commonly propagated from cloves.

It can also produce small offsets or corm-like structures associated with the bulb.

Can Those Small Offsets Be Planted?

Yes, healthy offsets may be grown on.

They can take additional seasons to develop into large divided bulbs.

Is It the Same as Growing True Garlic Seed?

No.

Growing elephant garlic from cloves or offsets is vegetative propagation.

It’s different from sowing botanical seeds.

Which Method of Growing Garlic Is Best?

If you’re choosing between cloves, bulbils and true seed, think about what you want to achieve.

Best for Beginners: Garlic Cloves

This is the method I’d recommend for most UK gardeners.

It’s straightforward, reliable and gives you the best chance of harvesting useful garlic bulbs the following summer.

Best for Multiplying Favourite Varieties: Bulbils

If you’ve got suitable hardneck garlic and plenty of patience, bulbils can help increase your stock.

They’re also an interesting propagation project.

Best for Specialist Experiments: True Seeds

Genuine garlic seeds are mainly worthwhile if you’re interested in plant breeding, unusual varieties or understanding how garlic reproduces.

They aren’t the easiest option for producing garlic for your kitchen.

Can You Save Your Own Garlic for Replanting?

Yes.

If you’ve grown a healthy garlic crop from reliable planting material, saving suitable bulbs for another season can be worthwhile.

Choose Healthy Bulbs

Select firm, well-formed bulbs that show no signs of pests, mould or disease.

Cure Them Properly

Allow harvested bulbs to dry in a suitable, well-ventilated location.

Store in Suitable Conditions

Keep them somewhere dry and airy until planting.

Select Suitable Cloves

Choose healthy cloves with intact basal plates.

Avoid Saving Diseased Plants

Garlic can carry disease from one growing season into the next.

Don’t save questionable planting material.

Remember That Garlic Is Usually Clonally Propagated

Saving cloves maintains the variety’s characteristics.

It doesn’t create new genetic combinations in the way true seed can.

Garlic Growing Calendar for UK Gardeners

Month	Garlic growing and propagation jobs
January	Check autumn-planted garlic and ensure beds aren’t waterlogged.
February	Plant suitable late-winter varieties and monitor stored planting stock.
March	Weed beds and watch new growth develop.
April	Monitor growing plants and water during prolonged dry spells.
May	Watch for developing hardneck scapes.
June	Harvest suitable scapes for eating or leave selected ones for bulbils.
July	Harvest mature bulbs and monitor bulbil-bearing heads.
August	Cure healthy bulbs and collect mature bulbils where appropriate.
September	Select planting material and prepare nursery beds.
October	Plant garlic cloves and suitable bulbils.
November	Continue autumn planting when conditions allow.
December	Monitor drainage and protect nursery areas from disturbance.

Remember that these timings are approximate.

Individual varieties and local conditions can affect when garlic scapes, bulbs and bulbils mature.

Ten Common Mistakes When Growing Garlic from Seeds or Bulbils

1. Confusing Garlic Cloves with True Seeds

They’re completely different types of planting material.

2. Assuming Every Garlic Flower Produces Seed

Many cultivated garlic varieties don’t produce viable botanical seeds.

3. Mistaking Bulbils for True Seeds

Bulbils are tiny vegetative bulbs, not seeds formed through fertilisation.

4. Expecting Bulbils to Produce Full-Sized Garlic Immediately

Small bulbils may need several growing seasons.

5. Planting Bulbils Too Deeply

Their small size often means they need shallower planting than ordinary cloves.

6. Allowing Nursery Beds to Become Overgrown

Young bulbil-grown garlic can struggle when competing with weeds.

7. Using Diseased Planting Material

Healthy propagation stock is essential.

8. Overwatering Young Plants

Garlic dislikes persistently saturated soil.

9. Buying Incorrectly Labelled Seeds

Always check the botanical name and actual contents.

10. Giving Up Too Soon

Bulbil and true-seed propagation can require more patience than growing ordinary garlic from cloves.

Frequently Asked Questions About Garlic Seeds

Can you grow garlic from seed?

Yes, genuine botanical garlic seed can produce plants, but it’s uncommon and more challenging than growing garlic from cloves.

Does garlic produce seeds?

Some garlic lines can produce viable true seed, but many common cultivated varieties rarely do.

Why can’t I find garlic seeds in garden centres?

Ordinary garlic is generally grown from cloves, so garden centres typically sell planting bulbs instead of true seeds.

Are garlic cloves seeds?

No. They’re vegetative parts of a garlic bulb that can grow into new plants.

What are garlic bulbils?

Garlic bulbils are miniature bulbs that can form in the flower heads of certain garlic varieties.

Can garlic bulbils grow into full-sized bulbs?

Yes, but they often require two or three growing seasons, sometimes longer.

What does true garlic seed look like?

True garlic seed is small and dark, unlike the miniature garlic-clove appearance of bulbils.

Do hardneck garlic plants produce seeds?

Hardneck garlic commonly produces scapes and bulbils. Some suitable lines can produce true seed, but most don’t do so reliably.

Can you grow garlic from supermarket cloves?

They may grow, but supermarket garlic isn’t necessarily suitable planting stock and may carry disease risks.

Is growing garlic from seed cheaper?

Not necessarily. True seed can be difficult to obtain and takes more work. Saving healthy cloves or growing bulbils may be more practical.

Can you plant garlic bulbils in October?

Yes, autumn planting can be suitable for mature bulbils, provided the variety and growing conditions are appropriate.

How deep should garlic bulbils be planted?

Small bulbils may be planted around 1–2 cm deep, depending on size and growing conditions.

What’s the difference between garlic seeds and onion seeds?

Onions readily produce botanical seeds that are commonly sold for sowing. Ordinary culinary garlic is usually propagated from cloves.

Are garlic chive seeds real seeds?

Yes. Garlic chives are a different plant that can readily be grown from botanical seed.

Will garlic grown from true seed be identical to the parent?

Not necessarily. True seed can produce genetically different plants.

What’s the easiest way to multiply garlic?

Separate healthy bulbs into individual cloves and plant them at the appropriate time.

Final Thoughts: Should You Grow Garlic from Seed?

Garlic is one of my favourite crops to grow because it offers a fantastic harvest without needing complicated equipment or growing techniques.

However, when it comes to garlic seeds, things aren’t quite as straightforward as they are with most vegetables.

Although true botanical garlic seeds exist, they’re uncommon and can be difficult to produce and germinate.

For most gardeners, the easiest and most reliable method is to plant individual garlic cloves.

If you want to experiment, collecting and growing bulbils from suitable hardneck garlic can be an exciting project.

It takes longer than planting normal cloves, but it can help you multiply a favourite variety.

True seed propagation is a more specialised challenge.

It’s particularly interesting if you enjoy experimenting with plants or learning about how new varieties are developed.

My recommendation is to start by growing garlic successfully from cloves.

Once you’ve mastered planting, feeding and harvesting your own garlic, you can begin experimenting with bulbils if your chosen variety produces them.

And if you ever manage to grow garlic from genuine botanical seed, you’ll have achieved something that relatively few ordinary gardeners attempt.

Whatever method you choose, growing garlic is a wonderful way to make your garden or allotment more productive.

Keep smiling, keep shining, keep gardening with Ben!