garlic

[Kathy_SD]

I use a lot of garlic in my cooking and I got this clump from Charlene this spring. This is what they look like now...when do they get the garlic bulbs on them?

[SunshineFL10a]

Saw this in Farmer's Almanac. 

Selecting the type of garlic you want to plant is a matter of individual taste, but be aware that there are many species of garlic out there other than the California white you usually see at the supermarket. There are dozens of exotic varieties available with names like Russian Red, Purple Stripe Porcelain, Rosewood, Kabar and on and on. So-called “hardneck” varieties develop a flowerhead on the stem called a “scape,” which curls and then extends upward, eventually becoming woody (hence the name “hardneck”). Garlic scapes are considered a delicacy in their own right. They are harvested soon after they appear, and are often sold in bunches at farmers’ markets. Cutting the flowerheads off of garlic when they appear also allows more of the plant’s energy to go into producing larger bulbs. Many commercial operations “pop the tops” off of their garlic for this reason.

Your garlic is ready to harvest once the cloves have distinctly formed. When the bottom leaves of the plant turn brown, it’s usually a good indication that the bulbs have nicely divided into cloves. You will need to cure the harvested bulbs by hanging the whole plants in bunches in a dry, airy location for a couple of weeks. A barn, garage, or shed is ideal, but you can also lay them on a screen under cover of a tarp or porch roof. Once your garlic has cured, trim off the stem and store at room temperature, because refrigerated garlic tends to sprout more quickly.

So, get planting this fall for a gourmet treat next summer!

[wilderness]

What Wendy found is good.  There are many different kinds.  They should start to die down before they are ready.  It is best to pick the scapes off when they start to form and not let them go to blossom.  If it were me I would let them stay in the ground this winter since they are usually planted in the fall for late July or August harvest.  Here they don't form a big enough bulb to even bother with so I quite spending the money on the cloves to plant a long time ago.  However, Charlene would be the one who knows how long they had been in the ground before you got them.

[plantdoctor]

Kathy...those are actually garlic chives that I got from Vivian earlier this Spring.  You use them in cooking the same way you use the onion chives.  Mine are blooming right now too...makes are front porch smell an oriental restaurant...lol

Here is a site that gives lots of info:


www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowinggarlicchives.html

[Kathy_SD]

Hmm, so do I understand it correctly that the bulbs are under ground? As you can tell I know absolutely nothing about garlic plants, lol.

[Kathy_SD]

Thanks Charlene

[plantdoctor]

This variety doesnot make a bulb.  You use the chives as you do chives or green onion tops.  You can freeze them.  I like to chop them up....put it in ice cube trays...cover with water and freeze (just enough to cover the chives).  Once they are frozen you can pop the cubes in a ziplock and just grab one or 2 and throw in what ever you are cooking.

That's my tip for the day....lol...works with parsley and basil too if you prefer fresh over dried.  Charlene

[valerian]

Very interesting! I threw some garlic on the compost pile years ago and have garlic in the strangest places, I've never done anything except try to pull it up or just ignore it. I'm going to inspect the patch behind the Russian Sage and see what's happening.

[Gayle]

If they had bulbs, they'd be underground, like onions I guess.

So, with this variety you cut/chop the stems up?  Is that what is called chives?  When can you do that.

Charlene, my SIL melts butter, adds basil to it & freezes it in ice cube trays.  When she makes rolls or something like that for a meal she pops a couple out , lets them thaw a little & serves it with the hot rolls.  I bet these "chives" would make good garlic butter.

I should have read the link first. I see you use the leaves, not the stems.

[annrms]

Love garlic "chives" especially on a baked potato!!!!