Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum
Elephant garlic
Common names: giant garlic, field garlic
Photo: Dave Whitinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Elephant garlic produces fist‑sized bulbs with only a few, enormous cloves, botanically it is more closely related to leek than to true garlic. Its aroma is mild and nutty, making it ideal for roasting whole. It is a generous plant that yields large harvests even for beginners.
Care instructions
Plant individual cloves in September or October about 8 cm deep in loose, nutrient‑rich soil at a sunny spot. Over winter it roots and sprouts vigorously in spring. Break the flower stalks in June so the energy goes into the bulb, and harvest when the foliage dies back in mid‑summer.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, sandy, well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct
Propagation
Methods
- Offsets
- Division
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Umbellifers and alliums confuse each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
For example celery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery) and 18 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
rose family (Rosaceae)
You can plant garlic and chives under strawberries and roses; their scent repels aphids and other pests.
For example AppleRaspberryClimbing rosePearAroniaBlackberry and 52 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed Culture Practice
Rather not
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example Broad beanMarker peaSugar peaRed beanLima beanchickpea and 28 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Onions slow down the growth of nightshade family plants next to potatoes and tomatoes; the classic crop-rotation rule also applies in the bed side by side.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 9 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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