Bolting garlic

[Fredmantey]

I'm growing Albigensian garlic. It's in new (as far as alliums are concerned) ground. I planted it just before Bonfire night last year about 4cm. deep. In February I mulched the gound with spent mushroom compost. Some of the flags are starting to show signs of yellowing so it's probably getting ready to crop in a week or maybe 2. I've had virtually no flowers and I've nicked them off with a knife.
About 4inches or 10cm. above the bulbs some stems are swelling and one of them split to display bulbils inside. Just as if it's trying to give me another garlic bulb.
Does anyone know what's going on please?

[zazen999]

They are possibly ready - have you taken one out yet? If you leave them in they will grow in all sorts of strange ways.

[Alice]

Some of mine did the same Fredmantey. There's nothing wrong, they are just ready. Have them up and start drying off, but you don't have to dry any you want to use right now.

[jacob]

A few of mine are doing that too. It's like Alien.

So the theory is that this means they're ready? And I can eat the Alien cloves as green garlic?

[jacob]

Hmmm. Just been for a furtle of the Alien garlic. It still seems to think it's a leek...

[realfood]

Deciding when to harvest the bulbs is always a tricky decision. It is most likely to be May or June in the South, and June or July in the North of the UK. If the weather has been wet for some time, the garlic tends to continue to grow, but if dry, you will suddenly see the garlic leaves start to die down and go yellow or brown. Lift one of the plants and check that the roots are dying back and the papery covering to the bulb is nice and dry. That is the time to lift any bulbs that look if they are ready and place them on wire racks in a well ventilated, covered location such as a cold frame to dry off for a month. I find that all the bulbs do not ripen at once, and you may will have to check them over several times.
The "flower" actually produces bulbils, which if left to mature, can be harvested and planted in the Autumn. They will produce very small garlic bulbs in the first season.

[Fredmantey]

Thanks folks. I've lifted a couple and they nice and ready.
I think I'll keep the bulbils from the best two plants to see what I get in a couple of season's time.
Chapeau!