I've been trying to find someone who could dig up a clump of ramps for about three years now and have not found anyone willing to do it.

Seeds take FOREVER. I got some from Gardens North and the directions say it could take 3 month cycles of alternating cold/warm, but at the most it would need 4-6 month cold/warm cycles.

What are Ramps??

Ramps are wild leeks.

Allium trioccum

They are tasty! A spring delicacy. Combine that with Fiddlehead ferns and Morel mushrooms you got yourself a feast!

Seeds can work. But, they take several cold/warm cycles. If placed outdoors, can take up to two winters to break root dormancy in the seed. Then it needs a hot spell to break the upper growth dormancy.

Then it can be several years before you can harvest anything.

Live roots are the way to go, but I have yet to find someone in Canada that sells them. However there is a company in the states but they only ship with the USA.

Ceara, I have also been looking for bulbs, I have some seeds in a baggie in the fridge at the moment ( from GN) but no sign of anything happening as yet.
If you do find a place that sells them could you post it here or email me please.

I am trying for the second time to germinate some seeds this year from GN. Last time didn't work at all. But I did more reading over the winter and figured out why. I didn't give them enough hot treatment in the summer to break the other dormancy. At least this is the info I read on Montreal's Botanical Gardens website online. They are tough little seeds to trick into germination. I'm almost desperate enough to try GA-3 (giberiellic acid) on them.

These are so tasty, nothing like any of the others in the onion family. I don't understand why they are not more popular, and seem to be tied into seasonal festivals where they are found growing wild.

Ceara, I have my seeds in a baggie with damp vermiculite, am thinking of burying it in the snow for a few weeks and then giving it some heat.
I wonder if GA3 would do the trick?
I haven't used it but am considering getting some for certain types of viola germination.
I LOVE fiddleheads, have never seen a fresh morel though)-:
I've only been living in Canada for 8 years, but fell in love with fiddleheads with the first bite.
I don't understand why they aren't more popular.

To find Morels you need to adopt the mushroom pickers hunchback method. haha Bend over at the waist and look real careful in the leaf litter. Those darn Morels are really close in color to dead leaves.

No clue if the GA-3 would help. I don't have any GA-3 but hey it sounds like a good idea.

"I don't understand why they aren't more popular."

All things are good with moderation is the key...especially with fiddleheads. Too much can be carcinogenic. They also take quite a while to clean and pick through.

I'm certain they grow in my area (ramps that is), but I have yet to find one. I do know all about morels tho, I've been hunting morels and chanterells and a few other yummy mushrooms for a few years now and its amazing what you could find in the forest aroun here. I'm in the woods alot and still cant find any ramps. I suggest anyone thinking of trying mushroom hunting should really go with someone who knows what there doing or at least get a good field guide and use it.

Actually I do know why leeks are not more popular. You reek of wild leeks after you eat them. You sweat leek smell, you exhale leek smell. It just oozes out any way possible it seems. haha But if a whole community is doing the same thing then everyone can stink and it does not matter anyway. Leeks are so darn tasty anyway it's worth a little odor for a wonderful gastronomic experience.

tazdacat I'm not entirely certain that Ramps appear in Zone 2 and they may only be hardy to Zone 3-4. Some lists even say Zone 5. I wish people would make up their minds and decide the hardiness of wild leeks and be done with it. haha Otherwise it is so confusing.

Here is a website link.

http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Plantae/Monocotyledoneae/Liliaceae/Allium/tricoccum/index.html

Listed on that site are distribution maps and other information.

Also, in an earlier post, I misspelled the Latin name.

Allium tricoccum

For help in finding wild ones, look at photos on the internet. There are tons. Then the environment where they are found is depicted and then one can easily try and match up the photos with their own area. And timing is very important.

Some indicator trees and plants include Sugar Maples, Triliums, the Fiddlehead/Ostrich ferns, Solomon's Seal.

In the mean time I am going to be emailing away again this year, asking for people's help in distributing some wild leek clumps. I for one want to create a colony on our property of both wild onion and wild leek, along with many other perennial vegetables as a kind of conservation and permaculture project. Because in many places, the wild plants are being over harvested.

But then again elsewhere, the leeks are dug up and tossed because it's near a dairy farm and the farmers don't want the cows eating the leeks because it makes the milk taste funny. I wrote a guy two years ago asking if he could mail off some clumps to people instead of just destroying them. And he replied sorry they are all gone to the dump. *frown*

Here is a link that might be useful: Allium tricoccum

The only thing I don't like about this website is you cannot go back to a previous post and edit it to add more information.

Anyway here is another website that talks about indicator plants where the Wild Leeks grow, cultivation and growth cycles.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-133.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Cultivation of Ramps

Sorry, yet another addition to my post with more information.

I am in Quebec, and according to law, Wild Leeks cannot be sold. This is why I have been trying so hard the past few years to obtain via trades or supplying postage.

Seeds are not a problem to sell, just the live plants in Quebec.

Here is the information from the Montreal Biodome website, in the special area dedicated to the conservation of these wonderful plants.

Since March 16, 1995, selling wild leek and any activity potentially harmful to the species have been prohibited by a regulation adopted under the Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species (Government of Québec, 1998). An annual harvest of 50 bulbs or plants is allowed, for personal consumption only. Wildlife conservation officers are authorized to enforce the regulation; every year, a number of offenders are arrested and are subject to fines of at least $500. This amount doubles for repeat offenses.

http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome/site/gabarit.php?dossier=recherche&page=aildesbois3&menu=conservation

Here is a link that might be useful: Montreal BioDome Wild Leek Law

Ceara, if you are still around, I looked in my ramps baggie a few minutes ago and have found some starting to germinate, yayyyyyyyyy!!