Garlic Scape

[Digger]

I've been studying about growing garlic.  The grocery store garlic is all soft neck type since it can be machine planted.  The other type is hard neck and must be hand planted.

Anyway, the hard neck garlic, while growing , produces a shoot above ground called a scape. This scape is supposed to be really tasty and can be harvested while the bulb is still growing.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this?

[LC EFA]

Only garlic that I've ever grown was a a lump that got "lost" in the bottom of my fridge, and subsequently sprouted (as opposed to turning into mush), and had a good 4" of green growing out the top. I don't know if it was hard or soft neck, but was purchased from a fairly small local producer.

Unfortunately it died shortly after i transplanted it to a big pot of "potting mix". I suspect that it didn't handle the climate change.

The scapes, taste quite similar to (and can be used in place of) a shallote or chive. It's perfectly okay to harvest a few of them as the plant grows.




 

[Digger]

Hey...well you tried.

I think I'll try growing it.  I saw this fellow in West Texas doing quite well with it.  Sells all he can grow at $16.50 per lb.

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/growing.htm

[bijou]

Hey...well you tried.

I think I'll try growing it.  I saw this fellow in West Texas doing quite well with it.  Sells all he can grow at $16.50 per lb.

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/growing.htm

Garlic is worth growing. I've grown it for 2 years now.  Although the bulbs have been smaller than commercially grown ones they taste great.  I grew hard neck last year but switched to soft neck this year because it stores better (although last year's crop stored pretty well.)

[Digger]

No Kidding!   Do you plant in the fall?

From what I've read, there are hundreds of "Old World" varieties which taste much better than the standard Califioria mass produced. 

[bijou]

No Kidding!   Do you plant in the fall?

From what I've read, there are hundreds of "Old World" varieties which taste much better than the standard Califioria mass produced. 

In November/December, the garlic needs really cold weather to divide into cloves properly. You'll need to check the growing instructions but I have found that planting about 6-8 weeks before the coldest month works just fine. There are lots of varieties out there, check with the heritage seed sellers.

[Digger]

No Kidding!   Do you plant in the fall?

From what I've read, there are hundreds of "Old World" varieties which taste much better than the standard Califioria mass produced. 

In November/December, the garlic needs really cold weather to divide into cloves properly. You'll need to check the growing instructions but I have found that planting about 6-8 weeks before the coldest month works just fine. There are lots of varieties out there, check with the heritage seed sellers.

Thanks for the info, I will.