Does anyone know when the best time to cut scapes off garlic? As soon
as you see them? Let them make one curl? Don't cut them?

IC_Gardener
Iowa City, Iowa
Zone 5A

(IC_Gardener) wrote:

Does anyone know when the best time to cut scapes off garlic? As soon
as you see them? Let them make one curl? Don't cut them?

Boy, are you cruising for a flame war!

But seriously folks: If you have plenty of moisture and plenty of soil
nutrients, you may not need to cut the scapes. At my location in upstate
New York, it makes a _big_ difference in bulb size. I cut mine as soon as
I can get to it, to maximize the energy savings for the plant. Which
means that many have started to curl. Younger scapes are more tender for
stir-fries and for pesto as well.
Leave a few on for comparison.

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. Again today.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

On Tue, 03 Jun 2003 16:59:38 -0400, Gary Woods
wrote:

(IC_Gardener) wrote:

Does anyone know when the best time to cut scapes off garlic? As soon
as you see them? Let them make one curl? Don't cut them?

Boy, are you cruising for a flame war!

But seriously folks: If you have plenty of moisture and plenty of soil
nutrients, you may not need to cut the scapes. At my location in upstate
New York, it makes a _big_ difference in bulb size. I cut mine as soon as
I can get to it, to maximize the energy savings for the plant. Which
means that many have started to curl. Younger scapes are more tender for
stir-fries and for pesto as well.
Leave a few on for comparison.

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. Again today.

What *is* a scape?

I've never grown garlic, but will plant some for next year.
Gary, my climate's similar to yours, perhaps a little bit
colder. Should I plant it in fall, for spring?

And where do you get it? I mean, I assume supermarket
garlic wouldn't be the best kind to grow?

Thanks.
Pat

Pat Meadows wrote:

What *is* a scape?

It's a "flower" stalk that hardneck garlic puts up. Not true flowers, but
little bulbils form on the top, which can be planted to grow garlic, though
it takes an extra year or more.

(More excessively wordy response sent by email).


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Gary Woods wrote:
(IC_Gardener) wrote:


Does anyone know when the best time to cut scapes off garlic? As soon
as you see them? Let them make one curl? Don't cut them?


Boy, are you cruising for a flame war!

But seriously folks: If you have plenty of moisture and plenty of soil
nutrients, you may not need to cut the scapes. At my location in upstate
New York, it makes a _big_ difference in bulb size. I cut mine as soon as
I can get to it, to maximize the energy savings for the plant. Which
means that many have started to curl. Younger scapes are more tender for
stir-fries and for pesto as well.
Leave a few on for comparison.

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. Again today.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

I'm in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York and do mine exactly as Gary
described. Never had a problem and the garlic has always come out
good. I cut 'em as soon as it's evident that a "pod" is attempting to
form and use 'em in salads or whatever... Good Eats, OOPS, that's
something else huh? ;-)


Gary: Ever make it down to the Garlic Festival in Saugraties the third
week in September?

--
Steve

Steve Calvin wrote:

Gary: Ever make it down to the Garlic Festival in Saugraties the third
week in September?

I view it as my Hajj!
Or, Yes!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Gary Woods wrote in message . ..
Steve Calvin wrote:

Gary: Ever make it down to the Garlic Festival in Saugraties the third
week in September?

I view it as my Hajj!
Or, Yes!



I cut all the scapes off my elephant garlic except two of them. One
has made a really interesting curl; the other one has continued to
grow straight up and is as tall as me now (I'm 6'3"). Not that I'm
complaining or anything, but is this normal?

Mark