Garlic scapes

[smallblueplanet]

Did anyone else save the scapes from last years garlic?

We did and planted them in modules to start them off, last week. They're going great guns already. Does anyone know whether they will 'clove-up' this year or just be a single bulb?

[Alice]

I think they will just be a single bulb SBP, and some of the porcelain varieties can take 3 years to grow into decent bulbs, but maybe somebody else knows more. They're delicious whatever size they are.

[rustylady]

Most of my garlic came to nothing last year, however I must have missed some when I was clearing the bed, and they are now shooting like mad. I'm going to leave them in and see what happens. They're not in the way of anything else.

[JennieAtkinson]

SBP - what the are the scrapes? Sorry if this is a silly question, but I have no idea?

[supersprout]

Jennie, I only found this out six months ago when panicking about the odd garlic throwing up a seed head. Scapes are the garlic seed heads - immature (before the neck straightens up and the flower forms) they can be steamed or stir-fried, and taste very good. I believe that prizewinning onions are grown from scapes?

[smallblueplanet]

If you search the forum for scapes I posted some pictures of them growing last year, when lots of peoples garlic seemed to be growing them and we were all wondering what they were.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks for that. I won't be too worried next year then!

[Peter]

Not done this myself, but had advice from an old boy that Garlic grown from scapes had a tendancy to flower rather than bulb.

Can anyone confirm or deny this piece of folklore?