[Annen]

I pulled the fattest of my garlic this afternoon





So not quite ready yet, but not long.  They were planted out in October.

[3 allotments]

I've grown garlic every year for about 5 years now and I have never had scapes grow on them. Sometimes they get little cloves growing halfway up the stems, but never scapes.  I don't know whether they are hard or soft necked though. I think they were purple wight.

Mine are covered with rust too, but the stems are quite fat, so I'm going to pull one soon and have a look.

I was told the little bulbs half way up are the scapes

Scapes are the flowers and the little bulbs are called the bulbis which you can take off and plant

[JohnB47]

I've read that it's mainly the hardneck varieties that produce scapes.

[3 allotments]

Yes john that's right  here's some more I pulled today 

[Snoop]

Fantastic harvest, 3 allotments. How many heads of garlic do you normally grow each year?

[mumofstig]

Still a bit early for mine, they are only just splitting into cloves.

[maddave]

Is that what garlic should look like by now? 

Mine started off great, but lots have died and the ones that are left look like small, thin spring onions.  I just assumed they were bulking up under the soil.  Should they have leek like stems above ground?  I have not grown them before.

[JayG]

Something wrong there maddave (apart from the ones which died!)

Can't really describe them better in words than 3 Allotment's picture does - not all have really thick stems, although they are probably different varieties there anyway.

Mine were sown in Feb, so won't be ready for about a month yet, although they're looking good so far (and rust-free.) 

[tosca100]

I have had to pull most of our's due to the weather. It is the wettest spring for fifty years and everywhere is sodden. The garlic was starting to rot at the top of the bulb and also has a touch of rust so we have put as much as we can in the little greenhouse with the door open. Still thirty or so waiting for space once they dry.

[Snoop]

Those look lovely Tosca.

[3 allotments]

Fantastic harvest, 3 allotments. How many heads of garlic do you normally grow each year?

This year probably  about 3 to 4 hundred normally 150

[New shoot]

Fantastic harvest, 3 allotments. How many heads of garlic do you normally grow each year?

This year probably  about 3 to 4 hundred normally 150

That's a whole head of garlic a day for you to get though   Or are you sharing your haul 

At least you will be safe from vampires   

[maddave]

Something wrong there maddave (apart from the ones which died!)

Ah...  I will add my garlic to the list of failures then!   

[JayG]

I'm sure we're all ready to try to help you avoid a repeat performance if you want us to Maddave (more info needed about when and how you grew them.)

[ghost61]

Well I had a furtle and mine are rubbish.  They haven't split and were planted in late September.  The mild winter is to blame, as garlic supposedly needs a week of frosts to ensure it splits.  I have whole bulbs and the stems are starting to yellow.  Fed them seaweed and cherished them.  No luck this year!