Garlic from Seed (Germany)

[Anita]

I am conducting a multi-year experiment to find out whether hardneck garlic can be encouraged to produce true botanical seeds under completely natural outdoor conditions in my garden at latitude 50° North in Germany — without artificial lighting, climate control, or laboratory intervention. I am also interested in whether certain treatments or environmental stress factors increase the likelihood of seed formation.

Why This Is Interesting

Garlic is almost exclusively propagated vegetatively via cloves or bulbils. True seeds are extremely rare in cultivation, but not impossible. A few documented cases show that fertile flowers and viable seeds can form if the right combination of variety, climate, and treatment is met.

I want to understand: Is it realistically possible in my temperate garden? And if yes: which factors actually do make the difference?

Influencing Factors I’m Considering

From existing research and field reports, the following appear most relevant to me:

• Garlic type: Only hardneck varieties form flowering scapes and are even biologically capable of producing true seeds.

• Genetic originality: Varieties from the purple stripe group are repeatedly reported as most promising.

• Photoperiod + temperature interaction, potentially determined by latitude.

• Pre-planting treatments (cold exposure, virus-reducing methods).

• In-season treatments, especially removal of bulbils and cutting off the scapes.

• Environmental stress / resource competition, which might evolutionarily favor seed production

Varieties I Am Using

Garlic varieties (number of cloves planted per group):

• Chesnok Red (purple stripe) (4)

• Verchnyaya Mcara (purple stripe) (2)

• Cichisdzhvari (purple stripe) (1)

• Rosso di Sulmona (creole) (1)

• Bella italiano (1)

• Ulas Rosé (1)

• Slavin (glazed purple stripe) (1)

• Imshäuser Rockenbolle (rocambole) (1)

• Bingenheimer (supposedly a mix of marbled purple stripe, rocambole and glazed purple stripe)(1)

• Imshäuser Kaiser (same as Imshäuser Rockenbolle and Bingenheimer?) (1)

• Litauischer (1)

• Ljubascha (1)

• Perle (same as Litauischer and Ljubascha?) (1)

Based on the sparse literature and field reports I could find, the purple stripe types (Chesnok Red, Verchnyaya Mcara, and Cichisdzhvari) are the most promising candidates for true seed production, as they are genetically among the closest to wild-type garlic. The remaining varieties are included primarily to increase the overall genetic spectrum.

I suspect that a couple of the other varieties are likely identical or near-clones, as naming appears to be very inconsistent. But I prefer redundancy over a lack of variety and don’t have the means to genetically check.

Experimental Setup

Three planting environments, all started simultaneously, with the same genetic pool:

1. Standard garden soil (right side of the garden gate)— control group — bulbil removal

2. Standard garden soil (left side of the garden gate) — bulbil removal and flowering scapes will be cut and transferred bucket of water

3. Rocky, dry raised bed (raised bed) — bulbil removal

Bulbil removal seems to be non-negotiable, so I´ll apply that intervention to every group. The evidence for the effectiveness of cutting the scapes and influence of the soil is anecdotal at best, so I want to experiment myself and see if I can measure an effect.

Core Research Questions

1. Does removing the flowering scape noticeably affect seed formation?

2. Does a low-nutrient, low water, stress-oriented environment (raised bed) make a difference?

3. Does long-term permanence in the same location increase the likelihood of generative reproduction?

Multi-Year Plan

Year 1 → Do scape removal or soil stress make any difference at all? One group scape removal, one group soil stress, one control group
Year 2 → All bulbs remain in place (multi-year “self-competition” hypothesis). If removing the scapes in year 1 shows a promising effect, I may extend that treatment to the raised bed, otherwise same as Year 1
Year 3 → Same conditions as year 2, to observe cumulative or delayed effects.

After three growing seasons, I will conclude whether natural seed formation is realistically achievable for me in my garden under practical outdoor conditions. I am not attempting to determine which specific variety performs best, only whether seed formation happens at all and if there are treatments that can improve the amounts of seeds for me. All potential seeds will of course be sown and viability recorded, but kept separate from the initial experiment.

[bxh (bryan)]

I love this project. I believe some people did it in the states a few years back with difficulty. Just like potatoes and sweet potatoes from true seeds I LOVE the idea of garlic from seed. I tried picking bulbils from my scapes last year but none of the flowers made viable seeds. Looking forward to your updates.

[Bizarro (Joseph)]

Good on You All for going forth here! A worthy Allium adventure!

The fine folks at Garlicana (Oregon, USA) are known as the real OG’s when it comes to working with TGS as well as trialing and developing new varieties. I actually just trial planted 2 lbs of their new(ish)-to-market ‘Zeramarez’ (bred by Avram Drucker of Garlicana over the past 10 years of trialing and selecting as I understand it). I am excited to trial this. I even randomly found the morass cluster of ALL the garlic the farm pocket gophers stole from me two years back randomly while meandering through my gardens. I just planted out rows of their bulbils in hopes I can reclaim some bulbs for next year’s replantings. I digress. I chime in to share THIS article from back in 2012 (also on the Garlicana website). It is very informative, supportive, and humble. It helped me really form a keen grasp on many of the qualities of working garlic for True Garlic Seed and best practices for we adventurers. I think you’ll find it beneficial as well across the pond as it were.

[Hugo (Hugo Morvan)]

Hello Anita, you might know this member already @Joran . Here he writes about his research.

JSR Catalogs and Collections 2025 : Perennial Leeks and Onions, sexually...

[Anita]

Happy to know that there´s some interest in this project!

I´m super jealous that you are able to try a variety from Garlicana, Joseph, most of the information I could find (and thats not much) was published by them. But I haven´t found that exact article, and its a great summary, so thanks for the link Also interesting that in this article they describe marbled purple striped varieties as best suited to set seeds, whereas I think I read elsewhere that purple striped was better. Excited to see if I get any viable seeds at all!

And thanks Hugo, more reading material for the evening

[Joran (Joran's Seeds and Research)]

Hi @Anita,

Last fall I acquired 19 sexually fertile hybrids and clones from INRAE (the French national institute for agricultural research).

Some of them are very promising in terms of sexual fertility.

For comparison :
(the number of plants was roughly equal)

ASL#1 is a wild Kyrgyzstan male sterile and low fertile accession.

TP5 x J197 comes from INRAE; it is very fertile even without the effort of removing the bulbils.

This year I was really too busy, I didn’t bother removing the bulbils, but as you can see, that didn’t stop me from harvesting a few hundred seeds.

Getting them to germinate is proving to be the most complicated part.

Because so far, none of them have ever germinated.

Perhaps these new clones will be different?

Someone from Eastern Europe, on Facebook, has developed an in vitro protocol that stimulates germination and prevents seeds from rotting.
I will take the time to talk to him about it during the winter and I will share his protocol and my feedback with my seeds this year.

Some photos :

[Anita]

Oh, these hybrids seem super promising, how cool! Not having to remove the bulbils would definitely make the whole endeavor a lot easier for sure.

With your post you’ve now simultaneously raised my hopes of getting seeds (even though I’m roughly 800 km farther north, so who knows) and lowered my hopes of ever seeing any offspring. But well, you have to enjoy a good challenge to get into this

How many plants do you grow for seed?

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your sowing this winter, and I’m really looking forward to any information you’re able to share to improve germination and seedling survival.

[Joran (Joran's Seeds and Research)]

I’m only half sorry then!

There’s no doubt that you can harvest seeds at home!

We are behind compared to the USA, ~15 years, but when you see the progress they have made during this period it is motivating!

Between my collection of perennial leeks (which is my specialty), perennial onions, and my numerous research and development programs unrelated to Alliums, I only have about 50-60m² to dedicate to these ~30 garlic cultivars and clones.

I took the opportunity to start writing a technical guide/tips for seed production, with all the solutions that can be added to optimize results.
But, regarding seed production in garlic, the main factor to consider is genetic.

Because some will simply not flower, others will flower, but you will never harvest any seeds.
Some will only produce seeds under controlled conditions, and while others will produce them naturally without difficulty.

In my opinion, in your list, only the first two cultivars will allow you to obtain seeds.

… This guide had gotten a bit long, and I felt like I’d hijacked your thread!

So it’s here:

Sexual reproduction in garlic.pdf

[Anita]

Hijack away, I’m happy to learn as much as I can from you I think that guide will be super helpful not only for me, but many others!

Yes, I figured that the other varieties are a long shot, but I wanted to plant them anyway on the off chance that they produce some seed for me. These varieties also have to have come from somewhere, right? Also I have a slight (relatively unfounded) hunch that maybe cross pollination between varieties might improve seed production? Do you think that’s feasible?

[Joran (Joran's Seeds and Research)]

@Anita

These varieties also have to have come from somewhere, right?

Haha! Yes!
But if I wanted to be provocative, I’d answer:
Yes, just like all the sterile individuals on Earth come from fertile parents!

@Anita

I have a slight (relatively unfounded) hunch that maybe cross pollination between varieties might improve seed production?

Yes, that’s for sure!
Like ASL#1 which I mentioned earlier, and which doesn’t produce seeds when alone.

There are two cases where having pollen donors is necessary:

• Male sterility:
  Whether in plants or animals, the male function is the most prone to sterility.
  Pollen is simply not viable.
  And in garlic, male sterility must be particularly common.

• Self-incompatibility:
  Alliums also very often have barriers to self-fertilization; they are said to be partially or totally self-incompatible.
  Both the male and female functions are present, but the pollen is recognized by the stigma and results in few, if any, fertilizations.

So yes !

But,
As I was saying: male fertility is the most prone to dysfunction.
We don’t know of sterile female plants, but fertile males.

Therefore, if the cultivar isn’t known as a regular seed producer, we can conclude that it exhibits female sterility.
And in that case, it’s highly likely that there’s also male sterility.

But it is certain that not all cultivars have been observed from the point of view of their sexual fertility, and some are still to be discovered!

[stephane_rave]

Let’s give these damn garlic Viagra so they can start having sex again
!

[raybush]

Research-Grade Jasmonic Acid Inhibitors (jasmonic acid initiates bulbils)

• Salicylic Acid (SA): Salicylic acid (the active ingredient in aspirin) naturally antagonizes the jasmonic acid pathway in plants. It works at the gene transcription level, effectively “shutting down” many JA-responsive genes (like those involved in defense and, in the case of garlic, potentially bulbing development).

• Ibuprofen (IBU): Research has shown that ibuprofen acts as an inhibitor of JA biosynthesis by blocking key enzymes, such as lipoxygenase.

• Neomycin: This is a commercially available antibiotic that has been shown to inhibit JA-mediated responses by blocking the release of intracellular calcium, a crucial secondary messenger in the JA signaling cascade.

• Jarin-1: This is a highly specific chemical inhibitor that targets the JAR1 enzyme, which is responsible for synthesizing the most biologically active form of JA, JA-Ile. By preventing the active hormone from being made, Jarin-1 effectively halts the JA response.

• SHAM (Salicylhydroxamic acid): Similar to some other inhibitors, SHAM can block the biosynthesis pathway of JA by inhibiting key enzymes like lipoxygenase. Potential Avenues for Assessment:

1. Salicylic Acid (SA) Application: The most accessible and practical approach. A grower could set up trials with different concentrations and application timings of salicylic acid (aspirin) solution to see if it reduces bulbil development and enhances seed viability.

2. Targeted Chemical Trials: A researcher could employ chemicals like Jarin-1 in a controlled environment to precisely block the JA pathway and determine if the resulting shift in resource allocation is enough to promote fertile pollen and viable seeds in otherwise sterile varieties.

3. Comparative Study: A comprehensive study could compare three groups:

   • Control group (untreated).

   • Physical intervention group (bulbil removal).

   • SA-treated group (foliar spray).

   • Specific inhibitor group (e.g., Jarin-1 application).

4. Assessing Hormonal Balance: The results of such trials would help researchers determine how critical the JA-mediated hormonal balance is compared to the simple nutrient sink competition. If chemical inhibition works as well as physical removal, it confirms the strong hormonal regulatory mechanism suspected.

but that’s just what i might do if i were back at university still …

[Joran (Joran's Seeds and Research)]

Interesting, thanks for the research leads!

[stephane_rave]

I didn’t think that making such a light joke would allow for medical advice to be given on how to restore the fertility of garlic…