I bought some pink hardneck garlic from the French market last year, Rose du Tarn, and planted it last autumn. it's grown really well and I noticed that most of the bulbs have sent up flower spikes. I know that you can cut these "scapes" off and use them in the kitchen, but does it meant that the bulbs are ready for lifting or should I leave them in the ground a bit longer? is it OK to leave the scapes on and let them flower?? :-\
any advice gratefully received!
hmm, well I've had a little google and it seems that you cut off the scapes before they straighten up and eat them as quick as you can, and cutting them off helps the bulbs fatten up. still not sure when to lift the bulbs though...
Better not to leave them on or the plant gets the message that its job is to ripen the seed head and not the root. Once they're off - they're really delicious by the way - you can/ should leave the plants a bit as the roots can still get larger.
Take the scapes off and eat them, then leave the garlic till it begins to fall over.
thanks grawrc and robert :)
will be making scape pesto tonight ;D
i tried scapes last week woked up some with chicken lovely mild flavour.
we had some chopped up finely in the salad, and some stir fried, most of the garlic's produced them ;D
Hard neck garlic is so-called because it produces it's flower early and the stalk remnant is the "hard neck".
It is not necessary to remove the head as they will have just about finished swelling by the time the neck is mature.
It is commonly stated that they will not store, but that is a fallacy, however they will not plait.
I have stored mine all winter leaving the stalk on and cutting it at about 8 inches and inverting in a tumbler.
See my photos on :-
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_garlic.html
I use them first but I find they last quite well, certainly into late autumn. I hang them up in bunches. The way to do it is to tie string tightly round the foliage, which is left on. Use the free end of the string to make a loop to hang them up by. I do the same with elephant garlic.