Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Headgardener22 on March 30, 2012, 08:14

Title: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: Headgardener22 on March 30, 2012, 08:14
I planted my garlic in December as usual but this must have been a particularly good winter as I have lots of strong plants, more than usual so I was thinking of using some as green garlic. Anybody know when they would be ready?
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: mumofstig on March 30, 2012, 08:24
as soon as you want to, as you'll be eating tops rather than cloves  ;)
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: arugula on March 30, 2012, 08:28
Presumably then, you don't get a crop of bulbs/cloves if you harvest the greenery early? If that is the case, I think I'd rather grow wild garlic..  :mellow:
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: mumofstig on March 30, 2012, 08:39
it usually doesn't divide into cloves until quite late in the year. It's just like a garlic flavoured leek ;)  When I used them early, they were mild and quite sweet  :)
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: bigben on March 30, 2012, 09:30
Think of them as being a bit like spring onions.
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: Headgardener22 on March 30, 2012, 09:43
I'd seen recipes that suggested using green garlic as it was milder than garlic cloves. Thanks for the advice I'll dig some up and try them.
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: arugula on March 30, 2012, 10:31
it usually doesn't divide into cloves until quite late in the year.

What I was asking was, does it still achieve proper bulb/clove growth later in the year, once you have removed (some of) the greenery?
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: emptydraw on March 30, 2012, 12:38
it usually doesn't divide into cloves until quite late in the year.

What I was asking was, does it still achieve proper bulb/clove growth later in the year, once you have removed (some of) the greenery?

I guess it depends how much greenery you harvest, if you take most of it or dig it up then you arent going to get anything. But you could take a leaf from several bulbs, or half a leaf even. But its all going to impact the size of the bulb to some degree! Depends on your personal view point. Personally I wait for the scrape, freeze them, and use when needed, but Garlic is all about the bulbs, isnt it!?!
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: arugula on March 30, 2012, 12:51
..but Garlic is all about the bulbs, isnt it!?!

Well I agree, that's why I wondered if you can have it all ways, by doing this.  I bought wild garlic to grow in the garden, so I don't need to take greenery from my bulbs.

:)
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: mumofstig on March 30, 2012, 12:58
In the med they just plant a lot..and I mean a lot! then pull up every other bulb as they need it to use green. I assumed that's what the OP was going to do - pull them up now and use like you would a leek  ;)
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: arugula on March 30, 2012, 13:00
Ah! I see...  :)
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: Headgardener22 on March 30, 2012, 17:49
In the med they just plant a lot..and I mean a lot! then pull up every other bulb as they need it to use green. I assumed that's what the OP was going to do - pull them up now and use like you would a leek  ;)

You got it, I planted the same quantity this year as I normally do but it seems to have survived the winter better than normal and is looking really good (it'll die now I guess :(). We had more than enough garlic last year to eat fresh, frozen as as garlic oil and I was wondering what to do with what looked like an excess
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: emptydraw on March 31, 2012, 16:31
I'm fortunate that my work colleagues will often pay for fresh produce, so any excess I take to work and sell, often paying for next years seeds/bulbs (its also a nice ego boost, saying "I grew that!"). It gives us something else to gossip about when making a cuppa....
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: leeks r us on March 31, 2012, 21:29
you should try garlic chives for green garlic argyll they are fab.
Title: Re: When is Garlic ready to be used as Green Garlic?
Post by: arugula on April 01, 2012, 12:55
you should try garlic chives for green garlic argyll they are fab.

Thanks for the tip, I have, and whilst not as garlicky in flavour as my wild garlic, they have a longer season. :)