Comments on: Gourmet Garlic Scapes http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/ Featuring Vegetable Gardening Tips, Organic Growing Techniques, and Unique Plants for the Backyard Gardener Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:10:12 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-71412 Kenny Point Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:15:09 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-71412 Hi Julia, I grow the Music garlic variety every year and have never really noticed bulbs forming with only two cloves. It could be that Music just doesn't perform well in your growing region... but it sounds like it's fine for your personal use. Hi Julia, I grow the Music garlic variety every year and have never really noticed bulbs forming with only two cloves. It could be that Music just doesn’t perform well in your growing region… but it sounds like it’s fine for your personal use.

]]> By: Julia Southgate http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-70483 Julia Southgate Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:06:29 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-70483 I've been growing garlic in the Ottawa Ontario area now for about 6 years but I'm still learning. I have a question that I'm hoping someone can answer... but first a little background. We are a very small producer. We grow about 1800 plants a year. (that's the number that works best for us for the level of manual effort and the size of our raised bed plots.) We keep about a 1/3 for next year's seed, eat about 1/3 (or give away to family) and sell about 1/3. The money that we get from the sellings is put back into the garden in soil amendments and straw etc. sort of a win-win on a great hobby. We grow two varieties, Music and Russian Reds (at least that's what they were called when I bought them at the farmers market years ago) here's my question: With the Music, the cloves are huge but often there are only two jumbo cloves per head! I know that the bigger the clove you plant the better, but are the twosies pre-disposed to produce another batch of twosies? Part of me says plant them and I'll get bigger heads next year, but that means using up more of my limited yeild on seed. On the other hand, they are not as sellable since there's only two cloves per head. They are wicked roasted since there is little peeling so maybe I should just keep them for our home use..... If you have any feedback for me I would greatly appreciate it! Julia I’ve been growing garlic in the Ottawa Ontario area now for about 6 years but I’m still learning. I have a question that I’m hoping someone can answer… but first a little background.

We are a very small producer. We grow about 1800 plants a year. (that’s the number that works best for us for the level of manual effort and the size of our raised bed plots.) We keep about a 1/3 for next year’s seed, eat about 1/3 (or give away to family) and sell about 1/3. The money that we get from the sellings is put back into the garden in soil amendments and straw etc. sort of a win-win on a great hobby. We grow two varieties, Music and Russian Reds (at least that’s what they were called when I bought them at the farmers market years ago) here’s my question:

With the Music, the cloves are huge but often there are only two jumbo cloves per head! I know that the bigger the clove you plant the better, but are the twosies pre-disposed to produce another batch of twosies? Part of me says plant them and I’ll get bigger heads next year, but that means using up more of my limited yeild on seed. On the other hand, they are not as sellable since there’s only two cloves per head. They are wicked roasted since there is little peeling so maybe I should just keep them for our home use…..

If you have any feedback for me I would greatly appreciate it!

Julia

]]> By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67557 Kenny Point Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:48:01 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67557 Hi Lin, I'm so used to growing the hardneck garlic varieties and all of the one's that I grow produce a stalk and scapes but I should have thought about that... it's the same reason that you can only use the softneck garlic varieties to braid into garlic wreaths. Good luck with growing some scapes in your garden next season. Hi Lin, I’m so used to growing the hardneck garlic varieties and all of the one’s that I grow produce a stalk and scapes but I should have thought about that… it’s the same reason that you can only use the softneck garlic varieties to braid into garlic wreaths. Good luck with growing some scapes in your garden next season.

]]> By: Lin Pearson http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67359 Lin Pearson Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:21:10 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67359 Hi Kenny! I have been looking into this, as I thought I didn't get scapes because I was too far north. But it seems it must be the variety of garlic that is the factor, not so much the latitude. I have found a garlic grower in Nairn, Scotland (farther north than Edinburgh, where I am). They are the Really Garlicky Company, Nairn (http://www.reallygarlicky.co.uk/) Click on the "More about the products" button to have all your garlicky questions answered. Including all about scapes. It is the hard-necked garlic that grows scapes, not the usual soft-neck one. Here is what they say: "Technically, it is allium sativum ophioscorodon. Unlike the softneck garlic grown commercially, especially in Spain and China, this garlic subspecies produces a hard, woody flower stalk. The flower (topset or umbel) often contains bulbils. Many varieties develop partial or full coils in the stalks (scapes). We have to remove the scape in order to increase the size of the harvested bulbs." Seems I'll need to try a proper hard-neck, instead of planting shop bought spanish bulbs. Hi Kenny! I have been looking into this, as I thought I didn’t get scapes because I was too far north. But it seems it must be the variety of garlic that is the factor, not so much the latitude.
I have found a garlic grower in Nairn, Scotland (farther north than Edinburgh, where I am). They are the Really Garlicky Company, Nairn (http://www.reallygarlicky.co.uk/) Click on the “More about the products” button to have all your garlicky questions answered. Including all about scapes. It is the hard-necked garlic that grows scapes, not the usual soft-neck one.
Here is what they say:
“Technically, it is allium sativum ophioscorodon. Unlike the softneck garlic grown commercially, especially in Spain and China, this garlic subspecies produces a hard, woody flower stalk. The flower (topset or umbel) often contains bulbils. Many varieties develop partial or full coils in the stalks (scapes). We have to remove the scape in order to increase the size of the harvested bulbs.”
Seems I’ll need to try a proper hard-neck, instead of planting shop bought spanish bulbs.

]]> By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67300 Kenny Point Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:56:39 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67300 Hi Lin, I believe that you are correct and the absence of the garlic scapes in your garden is due to your climate... I've heard that the garlic plants will not produce scapes at certain latitudes. Hi Lin, I believe that you are correct and the absence of the garlic scapes in your garden is due to your climate… I’ve heard that the garlic plants will not produce scapes at certain latitudes.

]]> By: Garlic scapes - a bonus crop « http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67280 Garlic scapes - a bonus crop « Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:41:09 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67280 [...] You can learn about garlic scapes here. [...] [...] You can learn about garlic scapes here. [...]

]]> By: Lin Pearson http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67279 Lin Pearson Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:34:03 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-67279 I've never seen these on my garlic. I wonder if our more temperate climate and shorter growing season have anything to do with that. What a marvellous bonus crop to have! I’ve never seen these on my garlic. I wonder if our more temperate climate and shorter growing season have anything to do with that. What a marvellous bonus crop to have!

]]> By: Planted Garlic today « DynamicEclectic http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-27293 Planted Garlic today « DynamicEclectic Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:54:55 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/gourmet-garlic-scapes/#comment-27293 [...] get, I may dry some and grind it up for fresh garlic powder, we’ll see!  Also the garlic scapes are awesome in stir fries or salads.  [...] [...] get, I may dry some and grind it up for fresh garlic powder, we’ll see!  Also the garlic scapes are awesome in stir fries or salads.  [...]

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