Successful growing requires a good understanding of its natural habitat. This woodland plant of moist, well-drained, base-rich soils can also very occasionally be found in hedge banks, riversides and even rock crevices. In common with other woodland specialists ramsons puts on all its growth early in the year thereby avoiding the deep shade cast by the tree canopy in late spring and summer. Regeneration is mainly by seed which can be produced in large numbers under suitable conditions. When conditions are right ramsons will out-compete all other ground cover herbs. Although this native plant produces prodigious amounts of seed, dispersal is poor so new woodland sites are not readily colonised. As a result, ramsons has experienced a small decline mainly because of habitat loss.
Sow the seeds indoors using normal potting compost in March or sow direct outside April-June in a shady site under deciduous foliage (preferably dark enough to inhibit grass growth in high summer) in late summer or autumn. Typically, wild garlic need to be germinated at a temperature of 15 to 20C and kept moist. Plants usually take three years to flower and can become dominant on ideal sites. Although ramsons are susceptible to drought and require moist soils they are also intolerant of waterlogged conditions.
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