Elephant garlic...

[coznbob]

This is my first year growing this garlic, and it is starting to flower....

Have been given 2 different sets of advice so not sure whether to leave the flowers on or chop them off.

Plants are huge compared to the other garlic, obviously, and plants haven't really been put under any major stress...  Planted late Nov.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

[coznbob]

[Fork]

Remove the flowers.

Make some tempura batter and deep fry the garlic flowers,very nice  :P

[coznbob]

Ok chopping them off it is then!    ;D

[ruud]

We need all his strenght for the cloves or bulb,flowering takes a lot of energy

[realfood]

Yes, take off the flower buds and use them for cooking, unless you are growing them in a flower border as an ornamental plant.
For a fuller description, see http://www.growyourown.info/page145.html

[Robert_Brenchley]

Chop them off; the bulbs are said to grow significantly bigger if you do. The flowers are edible. I'll be doing mine this weekend.

[Hyacinth]

Chop them off BEFORE they flower next time? As soon as they throw up that thick stalk which starts to swell out at the top? That's the time for the vasectomy I reckon ;D....think it's only courgettes, because of their super-abundance, that you can indulge yourself by leaving some fruits to  flower for eating?