All of the books will tell you (even my own), that you should not allow your garlic plants to produce full flowers. Cut them off when they’re still closed (called scapes). And it’s true. If you want to grow big, juicy garlic bulbs you’ll need to cut off the scapes as they emerge in early summer. If you don’t do this, the plant will put more energy into taking those flowers all the way to maturity and what you’ll end up with is a pom-pom looking thing comprised of loads of teeny, tiny bulbils, and a bulb that was unable to reach its full potential. We follow the rule because ultimately, what we’re after is that bulb.
The scapes (immature garlic flowers), are really good too. So of course, cutting them off when they’re nice and tender is a bonus gift. I actually prefer the scapes to the bulbs. Fresh garlic is hard on my gut (me and my sensitive gut again). The scapes don’t bother me at all and are such a delectable treat when lightly sautéed like asparagus. Just the other day I added some scapes to a pan of potato fingers that I was about to roast in the oven. I left it in too long and the scapes were overdone. they came out crisp and dry and almost charred on the outside. Wouldn’t you know it they were really good! Like mildly garlic crisps. I ate them dipped in mayo. I may try making them this way again, on purpose.
Garlic bulbils.
Years ago I decided to try and see what would happen when I did not follow the rules. I don’t believe that we should blindly do what “the experts” tell us. I love books, but I learn best and come to the clearest understanding by doing. I already knew what would happen to the bulb, but I was curious about what would happen when I sowed these tiny bulbils. Each fall when I plant out my garlic crop, I choose the biggest and healthiest bulbs because they will carry on and produce the biggest and healthiest harvest the following season. It only stands to reason that teeny, tiny bulbils will produce teeny, tiny garlic plants. And they do! Those itty bitty garlic plants produce itty bitty scapes that just happen to be delicious!
They’re also super freaking easy to grow. While planting out full-sized cloves requires digging into the soil and putting forth some kind of effort, planting the bulbils is as easy as breaking up the ball and tossing them around. They plant themselves. I’ve tried tossing them out in the fall and the early spring with the same effect. Soon enough I am rewarded with loads of small garlic plants that can be pulled early and enjoyed like a scallion. Next come the small, delicious, and oh so tender scapes — perfect for homemade garlic scape pesto! And yes, eventually they do produce small bulbs beneath the ground. They’re a pain to peel, but they’re great for pickling.
Garlic growing as an ornamental at the Denver Botanic Garden.
Garlic grown from bulbils that I tossed around my garden. These are on the edge of my Dry Bed / Hardy Cactus / Rock Garden so they’re a little crisp looking.
I wouldn’t suggest allowing your entire garlic crop to go this route. One plant produces a heck of a lot of bulbils. In late June 2011 I spoke at the Denver Botanic Garden. I noticed that they had garlic growing in some of the beds as ornamentals, the long alien-like scapes poking up amidst a range of leafy perennials. Again, this is a no-no in edible gardening because garlic that is forced to compete with the roots of other plants will produce smaller bulbs. However, I was already growing a percentage of my garlic close to other crops because they make a good companion, repelling insect pests. The sight of these scapes in a strictly ornamental bed inspired me to see them in a new way and I began planting out some of my leftover bulbs all around my garden. Since then I have gone on to toss the bulbils here and there instead because it’s so much easier. I’m not worried about whether or not these small plants will produce big bulbs and if I allow some of them to go to seed on their own then they just keep producing every year all on their own.
I’ve got garlic stashed here and there in my garden for the companion plant aspect, and for the “why did I get all this garlic to plant and where am I going to put it all” problem.
That made me laugh out loud. I know that affliction well.
hey there, I live on the west coast and I was wondering when is the right time to harvest garlic? I planted some elephant garlic last fall and I’m getting pretty antsy.
When the leaves start to yellow and brown it’s usually ready to be harvested.
My garlic crop totally failed this year. The cloves never sprouted, and when I went to investigate why, I found that they had all turned dark and mushy. Any ideas as to what caused it?
Could have been a lack of soil drainage that caused them to rot. Either that or the cloves weren’t healthy to begin with.
Very interesting post! I ‘sort of’ broke the garlic rules this year by planting in early spring instead of fall. I’m curious to see what kind of harvest I get. Scapes are appearing right now. I really like the idea presented here, of tossing the extra little bulbs around wherever, as they do seem to make a great pest deterrent for all the other garden plants.
And if you leave those bulbits in the ground they eventually, after a couple of years or more, end up growing into big garlic bulbs. In fact up here in zone 3 I often leave my garlic in the ground longer than a year until it has reached what I consider to be a decent size. Currently I have half a raised bed devoted to growing bulbits.
I, too, live in zone 3. Do you cover your bulbs for the second winter? Do you cut off the brown stalks instead of harvesting? I am intrigued.
Is there an informal hierarchy in your mind which tells you which ornamentals should get first dibs on the protective aspect of the garlic bulbits ?
I am thinking roses, here in my yard, and then maybe Dahlias next.
Most intriguing.
My garlic crop grows from Halloween to July 4th, approximately. It’s turning tan now, a bit more each day, although far from totally dried up, and I won’t let it get that far before harvest. Scapes were harvested about 4 weeks ago and made into a triple batch of Pesto using your recipe. I have 27 cubes of it in the freezer. Thank you thank you!
Hello,
Where can I buy good quality bulbs for next year’s planting ?
I do not want to use the Chinese garlic bulbs found in supermarkets.
Thank you.
Michellle
P.S. I live in Montréal.
Try Jean Talon market. There are some good garlic sellers there and in the fall they sell garlic for planting at a reasonable price. Once you have some you can save your own for the fall planting.
Any comment on cutting the greens early in the spring from the bulbils and leaving the cloves in the ground? Do you come back again?
I have been experimenting with the bulbils as well, and I can say that the spring greens taste much better than any spring onions and come up earlier as well. Very much worth a try for anyone.
They do come back but tend to be small because their are so many all packed in closely and competing for resources. Also depends on how much of the greens you cut back. They need energy from the leaves to help them grow.
Are there any special instructions you would give out for someone like me that is considering creating a herb *raised* garden? I think the aromas near the kitchen window would be something special.