Garlic's Dropping

They are what look like 'flowers' but aren't as Garlic doesn't do sex. If left they would produce a head of tiny bulbs which will sprout shoots ('hairs') and will be clones of the parent plant, meaning it could be safely propagated from a bulb growing in white rot contaminated soil.

Cut them at the curly stage for eating, or they will become tough. Some growers advise leaving some on as when they are straight it's sign the bulbs are ready for harvesting. Personally, I pefer the excitement of grubbing around in the dirt checking how mines been swelling up.

 

My garlic had dropped so pulled it all out to dry, I have some tiny ones I threw in the corner, think it was elephant garlic, vaguely recall it takes 2 years, should I replant ?

 

Just realised it's " dropping ".....
not " drooping "



Oh well, at my age you see the letters dginoopr in any order and you automatically see the word " drooping "

 

Dug my garlic out today.
Top growth was dead, but there appears to be some decent cloves, so not too dissapointed.
The elephant stuff is still green and growing.

 

It should only take 2 years if they haven't done vey well for some reason (or have been grown from bulbils rather than cloves) and have only got as far as forming 'rounds' which are small, undivided bulbs, which can be used as they are, or replanted in the Autumn and they will produce proper large bulbs of cloves the follwing year.

 

Not very good at platting

 

Just had some of this year's fine French Beans fried in last year's Garlic, not much left so might start investigating this year's crop next week. About 15 small bulbs left, lots gone soft, so only about equivalent of 3 or 4 good ones, so will be glad if some are ready.

 

Lifted my Elephant garlic today, the ground is like concrete.


I can see why they call it Elephant garlic.

It really does deter Elephants, not seen one all summer on the allotments

 

Mine were straight up too, normal I think.

 

Elephant Garlic is a form of leek and they have tough, straight flower stems, not curly, tasty scapes. Checked my garlics this morning and the whole lot now needs lifting.

I had my scapes fried in Garlic!

 

When the tops start softening, yellowing and some bend over, leave it too long and the tops will detach making it difficult to find the bulbs, plus a period of heavy rain could make the outer cloves start splitting through the bulb wrapper and separating, meaning they wont store so well.

 

Not all varieties make scapes.