One of my elephant garlic’s has a flower spike. Do I just cut it off and let the garlic carry on growing?
I've never cut them off as I like the flowerheads. You can eat them as scapes though I've never done that.
The Babington leeks are also producing flower heads - but these are definitely left as they produce the bulbils for a future crop.
I cut all my scapes off last year and used them in a stir fry. (Wasn't too impressed actually) I had a decent crop of the garlic after the tops had died down a bit.I don't know what would have happened if I had left them to flower,? but I am growing quite a few this year so shall leave half to flower and see what happens?
When do you harvest elephant garlic? I had a little rummage and the bulb was a very good size. But don’t know if now is a good time to harvest or leave them until leaves have yellowed more. I cut the flower spikes off them early last month.
My leaves and spikes have died down, I've not rummaged, but I don't think they're very big. I'm thinking of digging mine up to get the free ground for something else.
No good asking me - I leave them to flower and die back completely. Dig up a few stalks then but leave most of the bulbs in the ground for next year.
I'm a lazy gardener.
(06-07-2025, 12:18 PM)Veggie Wrote: [ -> ]No good asking me - I leave them to flower and die back completely. Dig up a few stalks then but leave most of the bulbs in the ground for next year.
I'm a lazy gardener.
With land as big as yours needing looking after, I don't think I'd call you lazy.
I've dug mine up. The bulbs are small, not much bigger than a normal garlic and not separated into cloves. I've only got a few, what do I do with them next? I'm contemplating replanting them and seeing what they do next year. Where I put them will take a bit more thought.
Probably not mature enough. Don't know when you planted them but it can only be a few months ago. Replant them in the autumn and give them a winter in the ground.
I did pull one of mine. It looks like it’s split and it’s about twice the size of a normal garlic. It had 2 little baby bulbs on the bottom. I replanted them.