Garlic Question

The flower spikes are called scapes and are edible - they're good in stirfies  It's quite normal for hardneck varieties.

Garlic is not ready until the tops start to die-off, have a furtle around the roots when that starts to happen, to see what is there, or whether to leave them 'til the leaves have all dried.

Hardneck garlic produce 'scapes' rather than actual flowers which you can cut off and eat if you remove them before they become too tough (good in stir-fries.)

Good idea to cut them off whether you eat them or not because they will be taking some of the energy away from bulb development.

Should be ready when the foliage starts to die down, but don't let it completely die back as you would with shallots or onions as the cloves might start sprouting again.

Edit: Crikey - too slow! 

I always plant mine in Feb, and they are usually ready in late July/early August - I would expect yours to be ready early July, but obviously no two year's growing conditions are the same. Have another look when the foliage starts to yellow and die back.

I always plant mine in Feb, and they are usually ready in late July/early August - I would expect yours to be ready early July, but obviously no two year's growing conditions are the same. Have another look when the foliage starts to yellow and die back.

It depends a lot on the variety - some are early maturing, some late maturing.  I've had very early ones ready for lifting at the end of May/early June but more usually mid-late June and late ones ready from about mid-late July/early August.  When a third of the leaves go brown, then I wouldn't leave them in the ground for much longer - lift one up to check.

To promote bulb formation, give them a top dressing of potash about now and water in - the potassium helps move carbohydrates into the cloves while the sulphur gives the garlic its familiar pungent flavours.