Elephant Garlic has bolted

[spamvindaloo]

My elephant garlic planted last November has bolted.

Am I right in thinking that it's not unusual for elephant garlic to do this and that I can just cut off the scape and leave the bulb in situ, then harvest when the leaves start to die back?

[Jay-ell]

Mine have bolted too and that's what I plan to let it do. Scrapes were tasty

[Mr Bones]

Ellie garlic always bolts for me, the scapes can be either cut for the kitchen or left for the bees and used later as dried flowers. Last year I had two rows next to each other, I cut the scapes from half the plants in each row on opposite ends and couldn't tell any difference in the bulbs when harvested.

[Scarlet]

Elephant garlic will always flower. You can let them grow and eat or cut them off. I cut most of them off and just eat A few. I believe that if you let them flower the bulb will be smaller but like Mr Bones I haven't been able to tell the difference yet.

[Jay-ell]

I have a few growing from the corms - I expect that they'll flower next year when they start splitting into cloves.

[Scarlet]

Are they just single rounds? They will be huge next year.

[Jay-ell]

They're the little corms you get at the bottom of the heads. This year they should make the single clove bulb and next year they should go on to make the multi clove head.

Just want to see if it's worth the extra year and the uncertainty of them germinating.

[Duvy]

Hi all,

my understanding is that elephant garlic is a hard neck variety and they will always flower. As to what to do with the flower I do not know, makes sense to snip it off so the bulb gets all the nutrients.

[Scarlet]

They're the little corms you get at the bottom of the heads. This year they should make the single clove bulb and next year they should go on to make the multi clove head.

Just want to see if it's worth the extra year and the uncertainty of them germinating.

I'd be interested if you can get them going. Some years ive planted them as soon as Ive harvested the main bulb, straight in the ground and in pots. Other years ive waited until the autumn and tried again.ive never had any luck. I would love to know how to get them to start growing.

Edit: you've already got them going! Wow! Tell me more....am I just unlucky?

[Jay-ell]

Lase autumn I peeled off the hard she'll of the corm and sowed into the bed. I've had half a dozen of about two dozen come through.

Done the same early on when I was doing my onions an only one has come through. I noticed a couple of the corms has rose to the surface after this planting and are still firm so it may be that they'll sprout later on this year (or next year, or the year after).

This year I'll try peeling and presoak as soon as they're harvested to see if that makes a difference. It might be that they need a period of cold to shoot, I don't know.

[BUFFS]

I am sorry to say that the first thing that came into my head was the tune of "Nellie the elephant", I know its daft but to hear that elephant garlic had bolted brought a smile to my face....many thanks

[Scarlet]

Haha, that made me laugh Buffs! Snd now I'm singing Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk

Jay, ive never taken the shell off but I have soaked...I'm going to have another go now!

[Jay-ell]

I am sorry to say that the first thing that came into my head was the tune of "Nellie the elephant", I know its daft but to hear that elephant garlic had bolted brought a smile to my face....many thanks

To the tune of Nellie the Elephant (Toy Dolls version )

week on week
it's been growing nice and strong
now there's been a change
and I'm a bit deranged
so I'll sing this little song

whoaaaaaaaaa

My elephant garlic's bolted
what should I do
should I scream and shout
should I pull it out
and stuff it down the loo

My elephant garlic's bolted
it's throwing up a flower
will it run to seed
and become a weed
is my future looking sour

[happyhumph]

Cut the scape off & eat them. Had mine yesterday steamed with psb (which had sprouted by itself in the raspberries) & melted butter - yum!

[Mr Bones]

Re the bulbils, I chucked some at the side of the compost heap at harvest time last year and quite a few have sprouted, be interesting to see how they do.