Growing garlic

Hi, well I had garlic last year and if my old memory serves me right I planted them the previous winter as you suggest. I think this time I went by what was on the packet. As you say, still edible so one will be going into the pot tonight. I suspect it might be nice and strong. I'll let you know.
thanks.
gazania

 

Mine have never 'flowered'? (Grown them a couple of times in the past). You mean a real flower on the end? I just get the really long green leaves.

 

There's 2 types of garlic, softneck and hardneck. Only the hardneck varieties produce scapes ('flowers').

 

Don't think mine have ever flowered either, maybe depends on the weather? or variety perhaps?

 

I have always thought if you allow anything not just garlic to flower, all the plants energy goes to producing the flower, we are all hoping for bulbs to use so I always eat the scapes before it starts making flower heads ,in the hope it will produce bigger bulbs.

 

Ive just started getting the scapes on my Garlic (sown the end of last year) - I think its about 2-3 weeks behind where I would expect it to be, bulbs are still small but theres time yet for them to bulk out if we get more than two days sun a week..

 

I sowed my garlic end of October and no sign of a scape yet

 

yes, just to emphasise: don't leave them in the ground too long (better to harvest too early than too late) as they may start to sprout. My "Bible" says to handle them carefully as they bruise easily, but can't say I've ever paid much attention in that regard!

 

Ive just lifted mine 'cos they pretty much gave up after the last batch of wind & rain - not the best crop but theres enough there to keep me going for a month or two. I will probably only dry out the largest ones & make some sort of paste from the rest.

--

 

They look as if they've been pulled too early, as there's still a lot of goodness in the leaves/stems that would've gone down and swelled the bulbs, and with most garlics this doesn't really start happening until after Midsummer Solstice. Having said that, I've been pulling them for while now, but only because I've got loads of them - they stink smell rather nice when pulled when still 'green'.

Don't know how we're going to get through all these scapes though. Better freeze most of them:

 

I`m sure you put that photo on to make me jealous

 

well I had hoped to leave them in for a few more weeks, but the last pass of bad weather had left them at about 45' ... and I need the space for more pak-choi for the slugs to eat (or just to go to seed).