They’re actually also found occasionally at the top of softneck bulbs, but at a much less reliable rate because softneck types don’t tend to bolt. “Bulbil” is the darling and utterly fitting name for the tiny mini-cloves that develop in amongst the flowers of hardneck garlic.

The second, and less common way to propagate, is by using bulbils. This method is successful with both softneck and hardneck types. You can do this with bulbs from the organic section of the grocery store or from bulbs purchased from a nursery. The first and most common is to remove cloves from an existing bulb and plant them individually.

There are two main ways to propagate garlic at home. Keep reading to find out why! Three Ways to Propagate These differences come into play when you’re selecting a propagation method. ophioscorodon, the hardneck type, which grows a rigid, flowering stem and features larger cloves with complex flavors. sativum, the softneck variety, which boasts a six to eight month shelf life and is commonly sold in grocery stores. Just take a sniff around the garden and it’ll be clear that leeks, onions, shallots, chives, and scallions are all part of the Allium genus of the Amaryllidaceae family, just like our star herb.įor a detailed history of this fragrant Allium, check out our guide to growing garlic.īefore we get started, all you need to know is that there are two types grown by home gardeners: It’s easy to tell who else is in the same family as garlic.

Clone x to seeds before sprout