Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garlic grow?

I have scapes on my garlic, also.  We've had a week of rain so not sure if they will ever be ready!  However, they have looped nicely.  If it ever stops raining, I will try to post a picture.

Nonna ,
Those garlic's look to have been rather deeply planted and kept a wee bit too wet ... what think you ?

 DunkinJean ,
My late Italian garlic is not going to be ready for at least another six weeks ...when did you plant yours ?

The garlic is growing nicely and starting to brown a little.  But, I have two plants that have developed what looks like a bulb on the lower stalk.  Any idea what is going on?  Thanks everyone.

I have scapes but no loops.  Should I wait for them to loop before cutting the scapes?

CC

Planted some garlic left from last year in Oct - not many bulbs left so just a few.  I had hopes that the plants would last until July, but the past 2 weeks they said sorry, we have had it.  So I pulled them up earlier this week.  Not good but not bad. 

There were bulblets on the 4 elephant garlic bulbs, so I pulled them off and planted again. 

meatburner... I think that those things are bulblets and can be eaten as little garlic cloves.
I think that they form on elephant garlics.

Janet

Thanks GWN.  I think I will save them and plant this fall if it's possible to keep them until then.  You all are just great to help folks like me.  Thanks so much.

Look at my purple garlic closest to the camera - not an elephant garlic.  It also has that little bulge.  I'm thinking it might be the start of a scape which is not supposed to form on my softnecks.  There are little bulblets inside, strong in flavor and, except for the one I ate, I just replanted  along with my elephant garlic bulblets.  We shall see.

Kay

Kay, what would you expect the production to be by planting them now?  I guess the worst would still be a nice treat later in the fall for fresh garlic no matter how much it grew.  Thanks.

GWN wrote:
 Unfortunately no broccoli here likely until the actual garlic is ready

raab.....   a fast growing green similar to a wild mustard broccoli cross.  It is one of the first greens from my garden in the spring.


I am surprised by how early the Glazier garlic is scaping.  I am comparing it with my usual variety (Bavarian purple or is it really German red???????)

Those 4 white elephant garlics are from bulblets planted last summer.  I replanted because I didn't think those little things would last until fall to plant.  :scratch:  The 2 smaller ones I'm, going to try and save until Oct and replant to see if I can get a really big elephant garlic.

Kay

Pulled a couple of garlic today and was really surprised.  I think Filaree farms grades premium sizes at 2-1/2 inches, other graders call them jumbo at 2-1/4 inches.  I just can't believe this with first year attempt at german red garlic. 
Also,  the wrapper tore on the left one, can it be eaten right away or should I still try to cure it first?  

Meatburner, the swelling you photographed is a somewhat rare occurrence in the artichoke garlic family (softnecks).  Here's an explanation from Filaree Garlic Farms:

"Artichoke strains are very vigorous and large bulbed.  Plants are shorter than hardneck varieties with a spreading growth habit.  The leaves are broader than any other variety.  While Artichokes normally do not produce a seed head, they may produce large bulbils that protrude from the lower third of the stem.  When stressed, Artichokes can produce hard necks and seed heads.  Cloves planted from these bulbs will usually revert to soft necks the following season."

Your plant looks like a well-grown one that's just hit something (heat, dryness, etc.) that stressed it a bit, so it's making contingent plans for survival: a bulbil for reproduction.  Nonna

Thanks Nonna.  The spring weather has definitely been a stress on any and all the plants.  I am just glad it isn't something bad to worry about.  I did pull one of the other plants today to take to my daughter on her birthday and it was just a fuzz shy of 3" in diameter.  Thanks again for you help.

Nonna,
 The 2 garlic on the left I threw out.
 The 2 garlic on the right smell of garlic so I will keep.

Nonna & Domainzone10,
 I believe you are both correct; they are immature.

Plantoid,
 I planted the Late Italian (garlic in prior photo) Oct 10, 2012
 I planted the Chinese Pink also Oct 10, 2012.

We have had a lot of rain and cool weather this spring with a few hot days - last week and this week almost rained every day!

I had thought that the garlic would be ready by now.

Chinese Pink Garlic planted 10/10/12



Late Italian planted 10/10/12



Thank you everyone with your assistance and quick responses! You are the best!

OK so while we are on the topic, HOW DO you know when to harvest hardnecks...... and soft necks?

Once again, I bow to the superior garlic-growing wisdom of Filaree Garlic Farms.  Their site is totally full of good advice on getting the most from your garlic patch. 

"As harvest approaches, plants begin to dry down from the lowest leaf up and from the leaf tips downward, one leaf at a time. We harvest when top 4 leaves are still mostly green. Most gardeners use a spade, fork, or shovel to harvest their garlic crop.  Depending on soil type and the variety of garlic, it is possible to simply harvest by pulling the garlic up while holding the plant close to the soil.  Commercial growers or those with larger crops often use an undercutting bar attachment with a tractor (or horse).  Bundle plants in groups of five to ten plants and hang inside, out of direct sunlight and with good air circulation. Don’t leave freshly dug bulbs in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes or they may sunburn (literally cook). The plants and bulbs cure completely in 3 to 4 weeks in dry climates, but may need fans and heat sources in wet climates. Check clove wrappers inside bulb to make sure they are dry. When completely cured the neck may be cut about one-half inch above the bulb without any moisture being apparent. We trim the roots and necks to one-half inch length and store in netted onion bags or ventilated crates."

And there you have it, folks, from the experts.  the website has great pictures to go with this paragraph:  http://www.filareefarm.com/growing.html    Nonna

Dunkinjean wrote:Nonna,
 The 2 garlic on the left I threw out.
 The 2 garlic on the right smell of garlic so I will keep.

Nonna & Domainzone10,
 I believe you are both correct; they are immature.

Plantoid,
 I planted the Late Italian (garlic in prior photo) Oct 10, 2012
 I planted the Chinese Pink also Oct 10, 2012.

We have had a lot of rain and cool weather this spring with a few hot days - last week and this week almost rained every day!

I had thought that the garlic would be ready by now.

Chinese Pink Garlic planted 10/10/12



Late Italian planted 10/10/12



Thank you everyone with your assistance and quick responses! You are the best!

I've stopped the auto watering on my garlics for our weathers seem almost identical .. None of mine that were planted early in the first week of November have produced any sensible bulbs .

I had a little grope down in the MM around one or two plants before carefully recovering .. the bulbs are about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter ...the lower leaver are still quite green ,  there are no signs of any scapes on any of the 60 or so garlics .
I reckon that by mid July I should see some improvement so long as the weather dries off & up

Thanks Nonna
I am glad to have lots of scapes to keep me going until my real garlic is ready, which from the looks of things will be about another month 

llama momma wrote:Pulled a couple of garlic today and was really surprised. ...
Also,  the wrapper tore on the left one, can it be eaten right away or should I still

I feel your surprise, lm! I pulled up a garlic plant to use the leaves since I was told it was planted to late (mid winter under snow) to amount to anything, and a beautiful little garlic popped out. And it smells SO GOOD! Much much stronger than the grocery store one from whence it came. It's probably not fully grown yet as none of the leaves were dying, so I'll be sure to leave the rest that were planted during the winter and harvest when they tell me to.

So I, too, would like to know if we can eat them right away straight from the ground???

CC

CapeCoddess wrote:

llama momma wrote:Pulled a couple of garlic today and was really surprised. ...
Also,  the wrapper tore on the left one, can it be eaten right away or should I still

I feel your surprise, lm!  I pulled up a garlic plant to use the leaves since I was told it was planted to late (mid winter under snow) to amount to anything, and a beautiful little garlic popped out.  And it smells SO GOOD!  Much much stronger than the grocery store one from whence it came.  It's probably not fully grown yet as none of the leaves were dying, so I'll be sure to leave the rest that were planted during the winter and harvest when they tell me to.

So I, too, would like to know if we can eat them right away straight from the ground???

CC

CC- It's pretty exciting the first time istn't it?? Until someone else comes along I'll tell you what I found online from a couple of sources, and that is Yes Indeed you can use early or freshly pulled garlic, i think it's called immature garlic before it it cured.. I think? Anyway you can use it however you want and certainly in your cooking. I'm very excited to try it out myself, I'd love to hear Nonna or Camp's take on it too. Or anyone who knows.

Only thing I've noticed in just-pulled, uncured garlic bulbs is that the individual wrappers on each clove are still fleshy and less easy to remove than the dry wrappers on fully cured bulbs. Also the flavor may be a bit less concentrated because of the moisture content. Except for not roasting uncured bulbs (because of the water content), use it as you would fully cured garlic. Bon Appetit! Nonna who just harvested four Chinese Pink today--the others in the row weren't as mature appearing.

Thank you Nonna, I just used immature garlic this evening in a steak marinade, will be eating it in just a few minutes....

llama momma wrote:Thank you Nonna, I just used immature garlic this evening in a steak marinade, will be eating it in just a few minutes....

Well???

CC