Wild Garlic

[tiggerblue10]

Just watching James Martin and he's using this instead of cloves.

Is wild garlic available in shops? I've never seen it.

[maggiebee]

Never bought it, just pick it in the countryside.

[Vagus]

I’ve never seen it in the shops but have seen lots of it growing wild when we’re out walking, just green tops.

[barry1010]

I pick it wild, never seen it in the shops. When it is in flower you smell it before you see it, a mass of white flowers.

[tiggerblue10]

Not much countryside near me in Croydon unfortunately.

[MartinMillar]

You can grow it in pots tigger

https://www.almostoffgrid.com/blogs/almost-off-grid/grow-your-own-wild-garlic

[alavahalf]

It wouldn't keep on the shelves and would look unappealing and wilted after a few hours .... stick to cloves, they will store for many months !

TV chefs are always in need of something 'New' to keep the show fresh, it isn't necessarily better !

[tiggerblue10]

Interesting Martin, will look into that. Its been a long time since I grew any herbs but seems like a good idea to do stuff like that whilst in lockdown.

[MartinMillar]

It’s addictive tigger, I started growing a few herbs last year in lockdown moved onto salads then a few veg and before I knew it I have taken delivery of a coldframe and a greenhouse for this and have about 30 different packs of seeds and more raised beds.

[tiggerblue10]

One of the reasons I don't do anything garden related is me phobia of worms. Maybe just pots kept quite high up will keep the wrigglies at bay.

We don't have a greenhouse, shed or anything like that so it'll be a window sill job.

[woofgang]

tiggs if you use packaged earth and the plant is kept indoors then there shouldn't be any worms

[Buenchico]

>>> Not much countryside near me in Croydon unfortunately

Worth a read, I think ;-)
https://insidecroydon.com/2017/09/07/time-to-take-a-container-for-those-brambles-on-your-rambles/

[Old_Geezer]

I find most traditional herbs don't do as well as I'd like. Unsure my third attempt at French tarragon will survive the winter. And a multitude of others I planted just over a year ago seem down to about four left now. Garlic proved easy though. Unsure why wild would be specified though. Does it taste differently to cultivated species ?

[woofgang]

yes it does OG and you use the leaves and flowers, it doesn't have a bulb like "proper" garlic

[Old_Geezer]

Ah ! Cheers.

[Buenchico]

Possibly of interest:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/04/wild-garlic-pesto-and-foraging/

[tiggerblue10]

I had loads if bramble at my old house and used to eat the blackberries.

I'll be moving to a more rural part of Croydon in the summer not too far from the M25 and loads of green spaces :o)

[pastafreak]

I see it here a lot in the spring. I'm just wary in case somebody's dog has peed on it as it's usually near to or bordering the park.

[Atheist]

Sorry to butt in, but garlic tastes nothing like cloves. The minibulbs of the garlic head are referred to as cloves of garlic; they're completely different plants. I'm surprised that no-one else has spotted this.

[Mamyalynne]

Pretty sure Alava didn't mean cloves in that sense but to stick to buying heads of ordinary garlic as they store well.

Anyone tried the Black Garlic?

[Atheist]

Mamy, no, I've not used black garlic, but I saw a recipe in one of these colour supplements or supermarket mags that said you boil it for three hours. What world do these people live in?