Garlic, going to seed?

I planted about a dozen garlic cloves in November and they have been growing steadily but surely since then, throughout a mostly cold and wet winter and spring. Then, a couple of weeks ago we suddenly had our summer and the central shoot on all my garlic plants has developed a bud which I'm guessing means that my garlic is going to seed.

Do I dig it all up now or (as I have heard somewhere) chop the central shoot out and wait for more of the outer leaves to turn yellow. All the plants have at least one yellowing outer leaf but don't look as 'tired' as I assumed they would by this time of year.

I was hoping to dry the garlic bulbs out so that I could use them throughout the year. Will this still be possible? I can post up pics if that would help.

Advice please!!

 

Hi, my garlic also developed a seed pod ahead of the leaves dying back...I think it may have been down to the hot april, then rubbish may.
I have taken all mine up now and plaited them to dry, I used the first one on Sunday and it was lovely, so I suggest going ahead now with your drying and keeping plans :thumb:

 

The kind of seed shoots you are describing as coming up in the middle of your garlic are perfectly normal, and known as garlic scapes.
Cut them off, chop them up and use them in your cooking for anything you want a mild garlic flavour with - soup, stew, fish.
Posh restaurants charge a fortune for anything cooked with garlic scapes.
Your garlic will soon be ready - another 4 weeks maybe.
When the outer leaves turn to yellow try it then.

 

I'd just noticed mine were going to seed, so this is really useful. I'll snip them off tomorrow!

 

I ate mine in a risotto, they were delicious!