Wild Garlic

Monek Marie

I have a huge patch of Wild Garlic. I would say 20 foot by 30 foot. Most of this I will let grow so that I have scrapes to harvest and use. But I did dig some up today. They are so mild when they are small like they are now.

Do you harvest wild garlic and how do you use it?

Monek Marie

https://nordicforestfoods.com/wild-garlic-facts/

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

I'd love to know how/when is best to harvest wild garlic myself. I have found one space where I believe there is some growing. And now that I know what to look for I'm hoping to spot more around the property.

The recipes will be very helpful thanks for sharing @Monek Marie. I just need to figure out when/how to harvest and I'll be all set.😊

Monek Marie

@JennyT Upstate South Carolina Are your wild onion plants in groups? Put a photo up and we can see if it is wild garlic. Its pretty easy to identify though. I'll take a photo of mine. Mine are very much in bunches so they stay small. I plant to break some up this fall.

Wild garlic can be used any time. The leaves are better when they are young or if you use the smaller leaves. They are more tender this way but older ones are good for seasoning. The scrapes are cut off and used and after that you use the bulb if you have plenty.

water2world

@Monek Marie Thanks for the link, I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes!

Michelle D

There is a spot in the back of my property where a new plant has come up that I'm thinking may be wild garlic. Not much grows there because it is very shaded with several mature trees. I'm going to let it get a bit bigger so that I can be more likely to correctly identify it. I have no idea where it came from but it will be exciting if it is wild garlic!

@Monek Marie thanks for the link. I have never harvested or used wild garlic.

Monek Marie

@Michelle D you will be able to help ID if its wild garlic by the smell. the leaves ,if bruised, will smell like garlic

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/913660#Comment_913660

I think they are ramps they have red stems. That's what the id apps were telling me. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow if there are any left.👍️

Michelle D

@Monek Marie now that you mention , I remember @Scott Sexton saying that during the foraging class in the academy. Unfortunately, using that test it is clear that my plant is not wild garlic.

Monek Marie

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/913686#Comment_913686

Ramps are excellent too. If they die down mark the spot so you know where they are. The leaves can also be used for seasoning and you can still use the bulbs if you can find them. They are much sweeter in the spring though and you have to make sure to leave bulbs behind to spread

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

So here's a picture, @Monek Marie. It's hard to know if there is more at the moment. The remnants of chickweed is creating a cobweb effect all over. So I'll need to search this area further.

@Monek Marie

Monek Marie

@JennyT Upstate South Carolina It does not look poisonous but just in case put on gloves and carefully dig by the base of the plant to see if there is a bulb.

Ramps have more of a rounded stem where as my wild garlic has a flattened spot. I'll take photos later today

VermontCathy

I am considering planting some garlic and walking onions on the edge of my yard, far from the regular garden and in largely unimproved soil.

My hope is that these plants are robust enough and close enough to wild plants to do well with little care. I can allow them to grow a few years and see if they form a self-perpetuating bed, while growing my regular food garlic and onion in the tended garden.

This would not work with most onions, which don't tolerate competition well. But walking onions are practically weeds here. They overwinter under snow, come up as soon as the snow melts, and readily multiply through bulbils.

I just learned yesterday that there are legal restrictions on importing wild onions to Vermont. This is probably why. It wouldn't take much for them to spread and become a nuisance.

Has anyone here successfully started such a bed of perennial onions or garlic?