Hardneck Garlic Scapes?

[irridium]

Planted Porcelain 'Music' in a raised bed back in Nov. and they're now about 2ft tall with scapes (think that's what they're called - wispy seed heads on a main flowering stalk) and am not sure whether I should whip these off before they get too big so as to get the plant to send its energy to form bigger bulbs... Is this the correct method?

[irridium]

[goodlife]

In some varieties it is shown that removal of the scapes do result slightly larger bulbs..but generally it doesn't make much difference wether you do take them off or not.
I did do trial once with my garlic..and could not really tell difference.
But if you scapes are still tender and not gone too far you can certainly eat them so there is no waste.. ;)

[irridium]

as in eat them as whole or remove the outer 'skin' covering on them first?  What varieties are you lot growing? It took me ages to decide on what to try this yr. Think I'll go for 'Arno' and 'Cristo' next time. Out of the 20 I bought it'd be v. hard to keep some back for replanting later in the yr. Has anyone else grown 'Music' before - and would it keep for 4 mths before planting again in Nov? ::)

[goodlife]

You eat bulbous end and stem all..I don't peel nothing just slicing it up and into stir fry..yum.
But only the young scapes are worth it or they go bit though and the stem woody.
If your scapes have gone 'too far' for eating..just let them make bulbils..those again you can eat..or harvest them and scatter them on some small piece of 'left over' land and next spring you have young spring garlic =garlic green sprouting. That can be used just like chives but whole lot more flavour. ;D
Nothing wasted.. ;)
If there is any bulbs/cloves available this time of the year it is no good anymore for autumn planting.
You really need to wait and get some fresh stock that have been lifted up during summer and dried for storage.
From those you get best cloves for late autumn planting again.
If you get 20 bulbs this summer..you only need to use 3 cloves from each bulb and eat rest..then next year you have 60 bulbs to 'play with'.

[realfood]

Music easily keeps till the next planting season. It is one of the best to grow in the North of the UK.

[irridium]

I was meant to said - 20 cloves that I've planted :P I was a bit disappointed when each bulb had about 3 or 4 cloves each so that meant a lot less than I expected. the scapes are now kinda growing into a loop type of design and the ends of them are lengthening. I shall whip them off them for tonight's dinner. Maybe have them in a noodle soup instead of using Chinese or Garlic Chives (mine's in it's 2nd yr and still establishing itself)

realfood: am glad that Music's good for 'up North'. Ideally, next yr's crops will be planted out at the lotti in solid ground as I'm not too certain how the raised bed's MP soil will have done much good for the garlic as it's been so dry this Spring.