Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium hardneck garlic bulbils. Specifically, these are the highly sought-after Kranagasger Red garlic variety, renowned for its robust flavor and excellent storage qualities. Unlike cloves, bulbils are the true ‘seed’ of the garlic plant, originating from the flower stalk. While smaller initially, these bulbils offer a unique and economical way to establish a thriving garlic patch. They are non-gmo heirloom garlic, ensuring you’re planting a natural, time-tested variety that retains its genetic integrity and superior characteristics. Our bulbils empower you to grow garlic from seed, allowing you to cultivate numerous garlic plants from a small initial investment, eventually yielding full-sized bulbs and cloves for your culinary needs.

These bulbils are an excellent choice for gardeners who want to expand their garlic growing efforts or preserve specific heirloom varieties. They provide a fascinating insight into the life cycle of garlic, offering a direct path from flower to bulb. The Kranagasger Red garlic is known for its beautiful reddish-purple striped wrappers and a rich, spicy flavor that mellows beautifully when cooked. Planting bulbils is a patient process, as they typically take two seasons to reach full bulb size, but the reward of harvesting your own homegrown, flavorful garlic is immeasurable.

Key Benefits

Choosing to plant hardneck garlic bulbils offers a multitude of benefits for both the avid gardener and the culinary enthusiast. These small propagules are not just a starting point; they represent a commitment to sustainable, flavorful gardening. When you grow garlic from seed, you unlock a deeper connection to your food source.

• Economical Expansion: Bulbils allow for a cost-effective way to produce a large quantity of garlic plants compared to planting individual cloves, making them ideal for expanding your garden.
• Disease-Free Start: Growing from bulbils can help reduce the transmission of soil-borne diseases that might be present in cloves, offering a healthier start for your garlic crop.
• Preserve Heirloom Varieties: By propagating non-gmo heirloom garlic like the Kranagasger Red through bulbils, you contribute to the preservation of unique and flavorful genetic lines for future generations.
• Exceptional Flavor: The Kranagasger Red garlic is celebrated for its deep, complex flavor profile, adding a gourmet touch to any dish, from roasting to stir-fries.
• Long Shelf Life: Garlic grown from these bulbils often boasts an impressive storage duration after harvest, ensuring you have fresh garlic for many months.
• Educational Experience: Observing the full life cycle of garlic, from tiny bulbil to mature bulb, provides an enriching educational experience for gardeners of all ages.
• Culinary Versatility: Homegrown garlic offers unparalleled freshness and taste, elevating everyday meals and becoming a favorite ingredient for chefs and home cooks alike.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To successfully grow garlic from seed using hardneck garlic bulbils, proper care and attention to growing conditions are essential. Garlic thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. It prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Before planting, amend your garden bed with compost or aged manure to enrich the soil. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soils, as this can lead to rot. Plant the bulbils in the fall, typically 4-6 weeks before the first hard freeze, allowing them to establish roots before winter. Space them about 4-6 inches apart in rows, with rows 12-18 inches apart, planting them 1-2 inches deep with the pointed end facing up.

Water consistently, especially during dry periods, to keep the soil evenly moist but not saturated. Reduce watering as the leaves begin to yellow and fall over, signaling the bulbs are maturing. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or a nitrogen-rich amendment. Mulching with straw or leaves can help suppress weeds, retain moisture, and regulate soil temperature. Keep an eye out for pests like onion thrips or diseases such as white rot, though starting with bulbils can offer some protection against common clove-borne issues. Harvesting typically occurs in mid-to-late summer when the lower third of the leaves have turned yellow, but the upper leaves are still green. This careful cultivation will ensure a bountiful harvest of delicious Kranagasger Red garlic.

Size & Details

These hardneck garlic bulbils are offered in quantities of 50+ or 100+ bulbils, providing ample opportunity to establish a robust garlic patch. Bulbils are significantly smaller than typical garlic cloves, resembling tiny seeds, usually ranging from the size of a grain of rice to a small pea. In their first growing season, these bulbils will produce a small, round, undivided bulb (often called a ’round’). If left in the ground, or replanted, these rounds will then grow into a full-sized, segmented garlic bulb in the second season. This two-year cycle is characteristic of growing garlic from bulbils and results in vigorous, healthy plants. The non-gmo heirloom garlic variety, Kranagasger Red, is known for its medium-to-large mature bulbs, typically producing 6-10 cloves per bulb with a beautiful purple-streaked wrapper. Expect excellent flavor and storage potential from your mature Kranagasger Red garlic.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What are hardneck garlic bulbils? A: Hardneck garlic bulbils are small, seed-like propagules that grow on the flower stalk (scape) of hardneck garlic plants. They are essentially miniature garlic clones that can be planted to grow new garlic plants, offering a genetic replica of the parent plant.
• Q: How do I plant these Kranagasger Red garlic bulbils? A: Plant your Kranagasger Red garlic bulbils in the fall, about 1-2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart, in well-drained soil with full sun. They will develop roots over winter and grow into small ’rounds’ in their first season, then full bulbs in the second.
• Q: Is this a non-GMO heirloom garlic variety? A: Yes, these are non-gmo heirloom garlic bulbils, ensuring you receive a natural, open-pollinated variety with stable genetic traits and excellent flavor that has been passed down through generations.
• Q: How long does it take to grow garlic from seed using bulbils? A: When you grow garlic from seed (bulbils), it typically takes two growing seasons to produce full-sized, segmented garlic bulbs. The first season yields small, undivided ’rounds’, which are then replanted to grow into full bulbs.
• Q: What kind of flavor does Kranagasger Red garlic have? A: Kranagasger Red garlic is known for its strong, rich, and spicy flavor when raw, which sweetens and mellows beautifully when cooked. It’s a favorite among chefs for its robust taste.
• Q: What condition will the bulbils arrive in? A: Your bulbils will arrive fresh and ready for planting, carefully packaged to ensure their viability. We recommend planting them as soon as possible after arrival for best results.
• Q: What USDA hardiness zone is suitable for growing this garlic? A: Most hardneck garlic varieties, including Kranagasger Red, are well-suited for USDA Zones 3-8. They require a cold period to properly develop their cloves.
• Q: Can I grow these garlic bulbils indoors? A: While it is possible to start garlic bulbils indoors, garlic generally performs best when grown outdoors in a garden setting, as it requires specific temperature fluctuations and ample space for root development.
• Q: How do I store harvested garlic grown from bulbils? A: After harvesting your mature hardneck garlic bulbils, cure the bulbs in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area for 2-4 weeks. Once cured, store them in a cool, dry place with good air circulation, where they can last for many months.
• Q: Are these bulbils the same as garlic cloves? A: No, bulbils are not the same as cloves. Cloves are sections of a garlic bulb, while bulbils are the true ‘seed’ of the garlic plant, growing on the flower stalk. Both can be used for propagation, but bulbils offer a cleaner, more economical start.