Love those scapes ....
garlic
That's pretty cool! I never thought to put them in a vase...
that's just regular old garlic? that's gorgeous...
That's hard neck garlic -- any hard neck garlic will do that ... we have a great garlic festival up here in September so I bought two kinds to plant ... never done it before but it was easy!
What a great idea to do with your scapes! I always just compost mine - although I hear they are delicious in stir-fries too!
They are superslagoovious in stir-fries!!
I tried to stir fry one and wasn't sure what part to eat ... the pod at the end didn't seem edible so I sliced up the stem part but it wasn't that tasty ... any tips to give me?
Betcha those stems were tough, huh? The pod, or bulblet is what to use in stir-fry dishes. I just throw em in whole!
We have a lady who sells them at our market, lots of them.
The beef man is always grilling something, so they do them up so people can sample. They are great!
Bernie
Wow, those are huge.
I grew garlic in my little garden for the first time this year. Just pulled my first two heads today.
I also chucked all my scapes before finding out you could cook them. Darn!
I'm sure this picture is boring to the garlic farmers here; but, it is very exciting for me! Not as pretty as your scapes...
-Erik
Nice looking garlic and good sized, Erik. I LOVE growing my own. Just didn't do any this year.
Thanks darius! I'll have about 2 dozen heads once I'm done harvesting. That will last myself and my wife, (and some friends,) for a little while.
I'm also excited I'll finally be able to reclaim that part of the garden.
Hope to get some greens and lettuce in there for this fall/summer.
I'm assuming you will "cure" them for a couple of weeks? What kind are you growing, and how well will it store?
darius,
First time for me and this garlic, so time will tell.
I'm a little unclear about the "curing" thing. My understanding is you just leave it outside in the sun to dry for a bit? One person said they just left it on top of the soil in their garden.
It was "Persian Star" from Seeds of Change. I got that one because they said it was a good hardneck for warmer climates.
I guess hardnecks only store for 3-6 months, so just in time to plant again!
:-)
-Erik
Erik, I always wash mine after digging and then store in the shade about 2 weeks. Same for shallots.
I haven't tried that variety although I have had several from Seeds of Change. Let me know how it tastes.
Lucky you, I only can get 1 crop a year because of zone!
All garlic, (both hard-neck and soft-neck varieties) prefer to spend about 9 months out of the year in the ground. I plant mine every Fall around Columbus Day, and usually dig them up about the first week of July. Garlic should never be left out in the sun to cure. I get my garlic to my cool, airy garage and hang them in bunches from the rafters. In about 2 weeks or so, I rub the papery skins off along with whatever dirt is there, cut off the stems about 3 inches above the bulb and then store them in my basement using onion sacks.
Lettuceman,
Thanks for the tips! I got mine in a little late last year (early November). This year I hope to do better and get it planted in October.
How much space do you allow between plants and rows of garlic?
My garlic is planted in wide-row raised beds, so I plant the cloves equi-distant in the alotted space--about 6 to 8 inches apart.
I planted mine 6" apart in rows about the same distance apart. 8" might have allowed larger bulbs... along with looser soil.
darius, I am in 6a too. Do you plant your garlic in the spring or fall? I planted mine in the early spring this year and the tops are just now starting to fade.
Kerry, some of each... spring/fall. Last fall I moved here late Oct. and didn't plant but a few cloves in November. Only one came up this spring. I was away for 2+ months in Spring when I should have replanted. Usually what I plant in fall gets some green up to about 8" tall, sorta dies back for winter, and then grows and makes nice bulbs the next summer.