Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: sonnycbr on May 14, 2011, 14:53

Title: garlic gone to seed
Post by: sonnycbr on May 14, 2011, 14:53
I,ve just seen that all of my garlic has gone to seed. >:( I sent away for the bulbs from the Highlands and they were the best I,ve ever seen. I planted them in a raised bed last October, covered them in 2" soil then 2" rotted cow muck and left them alone under all that snow that we had. They seem to be really healthy, lovely and green and about 2 feet tall, so why have they gone to seed?
I forgot to mention, the raised bed is inside a polytunnel but I didn,t put the cover on till March this year. Water has not been an issue, so where have I gone wrong?
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: arugula on May 14, 2011, 15:12
I think you went wrong by covering them with the polytunnel. :( This will have been exacerbated by the hot spell of weather we had, as over-winter garlic needs cold. I think you need to try and see if the bulbs are useable now, as I don't think you will see more growth in them.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: DD. on May 14, 2011, 15:23
Have they gone to seed, or developed "scapes", which is quite normal?

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/untitled-14.png)

These can be removed to allow the energy to go in to the bulb and they can be used in numerous recipies.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: arugula on May 14, 2011, 15:35
That's a very artistic picture. :)
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: DD. on May 14, 2011, 16:24
Plagiarised it all myself.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: sonnycbr on May 14, 2011, 16:34
Have they gone to seed, or developed "scapes", which is quite normal?

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/untitled-14.png)

These can be removed to allow the energy to go in to the bulb and they can be used in numerous recipies.

Thanks for your help. You are quite right DD, they are "scapes"(never heard of em!) I'll remove them and see what uses I can give them.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: DD. on May 14, 2011, 16:37
Some suggestions on this thread from last year:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=58611.0
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: catmint on May 14, 2011, 17:26
I love the scapes. chop pork into slices, add a bit soya source, marinate about 10 mins. chop the scapes about 1inch long. Stir fry pork and scapes. lovely. ;)
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: realfood on May 15, 2011, 23:29
The garlic from the really garlicy farm near Nairn is a hard neck garlic called Music, and always produces scapes.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: DD. on May 16, 2011, 05:15
And as I said on another thread:

Last year I grew a hard neck variety from the Really Garlicky company called "Music". Fantastic crop, only 5 or 6 cloves on each bulb, but a really humungeous size, so very little pratting about peeling them.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: divernon on May 16, 2011, 23:04
A very timely discussion. I looked at my garlic today and they had grown scapes. Took all the scapes and fried them. Very tasty!
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: JohnB47 on May 25, 2011, 20:20
Just spotted that almost all of my Lautrec Wight (hardneck) have produced scapes. I've never seen scapes before so I didn't notice until they got to about 8" long. I whipped em off and might try cooking them, as per other posts.

If this is normal, can I presume that the garlic bulbs are unaffected, unlike an onion that produces a flower stalk?

Ta.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: Yorkie on May 25, 2011, 20:21
Yes, that's right John  :)
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: JohnB47 on May 25, 2011, 20:24
Crikey, quick off the mark there Yorkie.  :lol:

Thanks.
Title: Re: garlic gone to seed
Post by: Yorkie on May 25, 2011, 20:47
No flies on me John  ;) :lol: 8)