Frequently asked questions
Can garlic be grown from seed?
Very rarely. Almost all garlic is grown from cloves because most garlic plants do not flower properly or set viable seed. True garlic seed exists only from specialist breeding lines and germinates poorly compared with planting a clove.
Can I plant the bulbils from a garlic flower head?
Yes. Bulbils are small clones of the parent plant. Plant them like small cloves; they are much smaller than cloves, so expect small bulbs at first.
Why are my garlic bulbs small?
Usually the plants did not get enough cold or went short of water while the bulbs swelled. Most varieties need one to two months at 0-10 °C (32-50 °F), so plant in autumn or the coolest part of the year and water in dry spells.
When should I plant garlic in India?
In the cool season. TNAU lists June-July and October-November; choose the window that gives your crop the coolest growing months.