How to Transplant Elephant Garlic

Technically, elephant garlic (A. ampeloprasum) is not true garlic, but a form of leek that is cultivated the same as garlic. Gardeners usually propagate elephant garlic in the fall by separating the cloves in a bulb of garlic, just as you would if you were cooking, and placing each one individually in the ground. Another method involves leaving several garlic plants in the ground after harvest in late summer. Green shoots will come up in the spring but need transplanting for healthy growth.

Garden spade
Bucket
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Loosen the soil around the base of the elephant garlic plant with the garden spade. Grasp the plant as close to the base as possible and pull gently to coax the plant out of the ground. You will have a handful of stems with root systems gnarled together at the base, called a clump.
- 2
  Dip this clump into a bucket of clean water to clean the dirt away and then ease one of the stems away from the clump while working under the water. It should separate easily. Lay it to one side.
- 3
  Remove a second stem the same way, and continue until the clump is completely divided.
- 4
  Dig a hole in the garden soil about 4 inches deep. Work the roots of one stem into the hole and cover the bottom of the plant with soil.
- 5
  Plant a second stem the same way, about four to six inches away from the first. Elephant garlic needs a bit of space since they grow so large.
- 6
  Water the transplanted elephant garlic stems.

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