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Offline KONASDAD

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garlic care
« on: June 30, 2008, 12:26:19 pm »
 My garlic has numerous "buds" about to bloom. Should I be cutiing these off to send energy to roots.? Leave alone?
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline doak

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2008, 05:57:22 pm »
Cut-um. You don't get propagation from those no why.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2008, 08:44:23 pm »
if you are growing elephant or hardneck then you should cut them off when their stalk is standing straight up....some think they make for good eating. harvest your garlic bulbs when 1/3 to 1/2 of the lower leaves turn brown. don't try to pull up the whole plant by hand but use a pitchfork or shovel to loosen the soil around them first. don't wash them or let them get wet. hang in a shady but breezy place to dry for a couple of weeks. then cut off the roots and leaves and gently brush off any loose dirt that hangs on to the bulbs. use the biggest ones for next year's crop.

Offline Paul H

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2008, 11:05:57 pm »
The pencil-thick stalk growing from the top (usually with one or two corkscrewslike twists in it) is called a "scape".  They are great in stir-fry, or even better when pickled.

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2008, 11:08:32 pm »
do you stir fry them whole or do you cut them up? they're pretty big.

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2008, 11:53:13 am »
I cut them off, but let them fall to ground. Sorry I did. Sounds tasty! I could smell the garlic from just the leaves as i worked through garden. I only cut of tippy top, so i guess i should cut off a little more. Pickled also sounds yummy. i assume you just add to typical pickling liquid along w/ other veggies?
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2008, 12:04:33 pm »
theres a billion recipes if you google garlic scapes. i just did and was very surprised to see so much about them.

Offline BenC

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2008, 08:52:41 pm »
Depends on what your garlic goals are.  I always waited until the scape made at least a 180 but preferably a full circle before pinching them.  In my experience if done earlier than that they will oftentimes send up another one and thats just more work.  No need to pinch them off low, I never did lower than waist height as bending over is work and I always figured that the green stalk left behind (stays green) must be photosynthesizing and contributing something. 

Cut-um. You don't get propagation from those no why.
 :)doak

Not exactly right.  You don't get sexual propagation, but you do get asexual propagation.  Exact clones of the mother plant, along with rare mutations.  If you are not interested in this years harvest but rather a tremendous increase in planting stock then leave the scapes intact.  They will never make a real flower, but will go directly to little clone bulbils which may be planted like other seed garlic and in two seasons (first season they'll make fat rounds) will make bulbs containing multiple cloves.  In my opinion, if you wait for the scape to straighten and elongate you're really not gaining anything as harvest (3 lowest leaves dead) is usually not too far off.


don't try to pull up the whole plant by hand but use a pitchfork or shovel to loosen the soil around them first. don't wash them or let them get wet. hang in a shady but breezy place to dry for a couple of weeks. then cut off the roots and leaves and gently brush off any loose dirt that hangs on to the bulbs.


DON"T PULL BY HAND is right.  You'll "pop" the stem and the garlic will rot from the inside and you will be unhappy.  I've got to add to the above: Don't dry them in the field after pulling, even for 15 minutes.  Garlic will sunburn FAST.  get it dug and into a polebuilding or other such structure to dry in the shade.

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2008, 09:28:03 pm »
i looked up some recipes and discovered that i waited to long to take full advantage of scape eating as mine have become kind of fibrous except near the tip. but i went ahead anyway and cut some off and just used the more tender parts closer to the tip. some action with the food processor will give your kitchen a very garlicky smell.
so if i went out tomorrow morning and cut them all off could i store them for later in the frig or freezer?

sure glad kdad started this thread.

Offline Cindi

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2008, 10:55:56 am »
Remember, if you put the garlic tips in the freezer, double bag them or your entire freezer will smell of garlic, not nice, hee, hee.  Beautiful and most wonderful day in this great life, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2008, 11:41:18 am »
i read that they keep forever in the refrigerator.....so i just put a bagful in there. maybe i better double bag like you said cindi.

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2008, 05:49:14 pm »
doing same thing. went outside and retrived scapes and cut more off closer to where stem has leaves, not just the flower pod. I cut into green bean size sticks and will get some vinegar tonite. make a batch of some pickled scapes. maybe a little stir fry. I cant wait to harvesy my first bulb, and start all over for next year. My onions are also going strong. Fresh onions are so much milder than store bought varities.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline Cindi

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Re: garlic care
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2008, 10:47:13 am »
Randy, you can keep garlic in the freezer, but I wouldn't store them in the fridge for fresh use.  If they are in the cold, like the fridge, that can begin the "dormant" stage thingy, and they will begin to sprout if you keep them afterwards in the warmth of a place.  Keep garlic bulbs in the kitchen cupboard or on the counter, dry and not cold.....not sure if you knew that.  BEautiful and most greatest of these days, lovin' these days and livin' them like there was no tomorrow.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

 

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