I have had limited success with garlic. I believe I may have a good crop this year. I am not sure when is the right time to pick. Last year I waited until the leaves fell over, and picked it. This year I planted elephant garlic along with regular garlic. They both seem happy....when is the perfect time to harvest?....thanks in advance.
When the leaves brown and droop down. Like onions.
I normally wait for the six bottom leaves to turn brown.
I usually harvest my garlic in May ... maybe this year will be earlier ... I cannot wait !
Really nice looking garlic Hornstrider. Last year my garlic was ready about the same time as my onions (late May). I pulled when the tops were pretty well brown. I didn't get any garlic planted this year... I still have bulbs for cooking from last year's crop. I'm guessing that planting about every two years will keep me in garlic, since I don't use a huge amount. As nice as those plants look, you should have good-sized bulbs.
dreaves.......thank you neighbor. The bigger leafed plants are elephant garlic. I don't believe it is really garlic........... but it has a sweetness to it. Really good. One of these days we are going to have to walk across the street, and meet each other.
Yep, what the others said.
Those pictures were taken last May 24, 2011.
I had enough garlic for six months ... I love to use garlic in my cooking.
My garlic is usually ready around the end of June beginning of July. I pull them after the leaves die and flop over.
Because of our mild winter, the garlic has grown very tall. It is already thigh-high, so I'm looking forward to a really good crop this year.
Thanks everyone..........I kinda' knew that, and that is what I have done in the past. But this years crop is really special looking, and I don't want to mess it up. What about when scapes start to appear? I have read I need to cut them......is that correct?
Yes, cut the scapes - and eat them. They should add a really nice spicy (hot?!) touch to many dishes. I add them to anything that calls for garlic and hot peppers, reducing the amount of hot peppers. Yummy. Your garlic sure looks good.
kmom246.........Thank you.......That is what I love about this forum........ask, and you shall receive.
Somewhere I read about the scapes- either softneck or hardneck is the only type that makes scapes- I can't remember which-
Hardneck makes scapes. Pickled scapes are wonderful.
Hardneck makes scapes
Softnecks do better in the South anyway.
Thanks, darius, I didn't know that.
I save my own garlic from year-to-year and choose the largest cloves for replanting. I've noticed that they grow better every year, so I guess I'm getting them to adapt to my climate/growing conditions by doing this.
Indeed they do. I wrote several articles on garlic for DG several years back, you can find them near the bottom of my member page.
HoneybeeNC wrote "I save my own garlic from year-to-year and choose the largest cloves for replanting. I've noticed that they grow better every year, so I guess I'm getting them to adapt to my climate/growing conditions by doing this."
Wow that is good information.......thanks for posting.
darius wrote "Indeed they do. I wrote several articles on garlic for DG several years back, you can find them near the bottom of my member page."
darius.......can you tell me more about growing garlic. What exactly is elephant garlic? I grew it last year w/ limited success, and it is really is tasty. The bulbs are huge.
Is the "SCAPE" a flower?
If so, I normally have a few buds forming on my garlic and I remove them right away.
I grow only softneck garlic
Yes, the scape is the flower/seed head. There are a few softnecks that flower, but not many... out of several hundred garlic varieties.
Elephant garlic is not a true garlic, but actually a kind of leek that produces mild garlic-like cloves. It doesn't grow well for me, unlike garlic and shallots.
Make sure you cut the scapes off soon enough as they get woody otherwise. We grill them or saute them like asparagus.
We also pick green garlic to cook with like green onions and use the young tips of the garlic "leaves" in soups as a flavoring.
darius - thanks for mentioning your Member Page - I did not know such a thing existed!
Great read about the different garlics. I knew there were a lot, but I'm happy with mine.
Honeybee, the garlic that seems to do best in my 3-county area is "Music" and I've noticed over time (just as with your own garlic) that it changes and improves growth a bit as it adapts to the soil. It's not my favorite garlic, but it grows well so I plant it. I haven't yet determined which one garlic I want to keep and propagate, too many to trial!
There are a few softnecks that flower, but not many... out of several hundred garlic varieties
No Kristie, the recipe is on my blog but should be easy to find. I'm not allowed to post the link here.
I have some garlic left in the root cellar and I plan to encircle my new fruit trees and shrubs with it, densely planted in hopes of deterring the voles from eating the roots. That garlic will stay in the ground. Should be interesting to see what it does in a couple of years without harvesting!
This message was edited Apr 7, 2012 6:51 AM
I found your blog, darius ^_^
Not to worry... I go to your blog on a regular basis. Some of your blog posts are favorites that I reread occasionally. I easily found the garlic scape recipe, thank you. Do you eat them as pickles only or use them in cooking also?
I do cook with some fresh scapes; they have a mild garlic flavor.
how do u find the blog? just skimmed over the list of articles you've done here on DG -- too many sound interesting (and the sun's coming up so I can garden) so I'll have to come back....
TX, look down at the bottom of my DG Member page. Most of us who have blogs list them there as a favorite website...
I just sent her links to both your blog and the garlic scapes post. 8 ) If anyone else wants, just say the word...
Silly that you can't link it when you can member page it... IMO
Thanks for sending her the links. I fight with Admin over that all the time, but the policy is "no advertising". Since I don't sell anything, I don't see it as advertising, but rather as an information source. If YOU had a blog, even a blog selling something, I could post a link to it... but just cannot post a link to my own blog.
It would drive me crazy trying to write (and uphold) rules for half a million gardeners who visit here!
You do have some interesting article titles.
darius..........that is an awesome blog. So far I have red the snail article, and the leek article. Very, very nice..thank you for the effort.
Pod, would you please send it to me? Thanks Jeanette
You got it... give me just a minute.
Darius, I found your blog, and enjoyed reading it and several of the articles. But I couldn't find the post on Pickled Garlic Scapes. Can you help?
Thanks!
Pam
Here, I can get away with it... http://2footalligator.blogspot.com/2010/06/pickled-garlic-scapes.html
and last nite I noticed mine are starting to bloom.
Thank you, podster! It looks great, I can't wait to try it. Unfortunately I will have to wait a while. After an un-naturally warm February and March, we're having freezing temps in April. Brrrrr.......
Pam
My onions are starting to lay over.....I think its almost time to harvest...but my garlic is still standing tall.....no scapes, no flowers....I guess I should still water the garlic?
