Garlic isn’t just great for boosting the flavor of your dishes; it’s also packed with health benefits. It’s a staple in kitchens around the world, enhancing both local and international dishes.
Have you ever wondered if garlic plants bloom? Just like any other bulb, garlic sprouts and blooms too. Some gardeners even grow garlic specifically for its flowers, known as scapes. These scapes, which burst into charming little clusters of florets, add a unique touch to any garden and taste wonderful when sautéed.
As for the flowers themselves, they emerge as long, curly stalks from the garlic bulb in early summer. Growing up to three feet tall, these stalks end in clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers, typically white or pink, which are softer in flavor compared to the bulb and perfectly edible.
However, to get the biggest and best garlic bulbs, most growers prefer to snip these flowers off, redirecting the plant’s energy back into the bulb.
Curious about garlic flowers? They carry the distinct garlic scent and flavor and can be used in cooking as well. Keep reading to discover more about:
- Growing garlic flowers
- Interesting facts about these blooms
- Creative ways to use garlic flowers in your kitchen
Do Garlic Plants Bloom?
Do you wonder if garlic plants ever bloom? Well, let me walk you through what might surprise you in your garden. Just when you think you’ve got the hang of growing garlic, you might notice something unusual: long stalks with bulbous ends suddenly shooting up from your garlic plants.
These aren’t flowers but ‘scapes,’ signaling that it’s almost time to harvest your garlic bulbs. For those big, dreamy bulbs, make sure to snip these scapes off. Don’t toss them, though—they’re tasty and totally edible!
If you do spot actual flowers, it’s likely you’re cultivating a relative of garlic, such as elephant garlic. Despite its name, it’s a type of leek, not true garlic, and it sports striking purple flowers.
Garlic itself doesn’t bloom in the conventional sense; it doesn’t produce seeds either, especially the varieties most home gardeners plant. About a month after the garlic begins to bulb, you’ll see the scapes.
These can be packed with tiny cloves—mini clones of the original plant. Sometimes these are topped with sterile blossoms, which, by the way, you can plant.
This phenomenon generally occurs with hard-neck garlic varieties, which do produce these flower-like scapes. Soft-neck varieties, on the other hand, rarely sport a flower spike, which is why their “neck” remains soft. However, occasionally, even a few soft-neck types might sprout a delicate flower spike.
Identifying a scape is easy: look for a long, green tendril emerging from the bulb’s base, cylindrical and distinct from the flat, strap-like leaves. If you find one with a bump in the middle or at the end, that’s the developing scape. These tend to appear from late spring to early summer.
Garlic flowering is part of the plant’s natural cycle toward the end of its growth period. If you leave the plants to grow beyond the usual harvest time, you’ll see them flower, which adds an interesting twist to your herb garden.
Though flowering diverts energy from the bulb, you can still harvest substantial bulbs by removing the scapes early. Flowering in garlic is all about the plant’s drive to reproduce, but for us gardeners, it’s a chance to enjoy the scapes, a delicacy with a longstanding culinary heritage.
Why remove the garlic scape?
If you’re aiming for large, flavorful garlic bulbs, removing garlic scapes is essential. Scapes are the flower stems that sprout from the center of hardneck and elephant garlic plants.
If left to mature, they steal energy from the underground bulb to focus on flowering and seed production. While missing a few won’t ruin the flavor, timely removal ensures your bulbs grow bigger and tastier.
You’ll typically spot scapes in early to mid-June. They’re thicker than the leaves and curl into spirals as they grow. Once the stalk is fully formed and starts curling, it’s time to cut them. Snip the scape low on the stem, being careful not to damage the leaves. Since scapes don’t all appear at once, check your garlic patch weekly to catch new growth.
Why remove scapes?
Simple: it redirects the plant’s energy from flowering to bulb development. Research from the University of Guelph even found that cutting scapes can boost garlic yield by 20-30%.
Plus, scapes are a bonus harvest! Their mild garlic flavor makes them perfect for stir-fries, pesto, hummus, soups, or even pickling. Treat them like you would garlic, green beans, or asparagus in your recipes.
Leaving scapes on the plant won’t ruin your crop, but it can lead to smaller, less flavorful bulbs. If you forget to cut them, the plant will focus on producing tiny cloves in the flower head instead of the underground bulb.
For those in regions where garlic can overwinter, leaving the plant intact may allow for a second-year harvest. However, scape removal generally gives the best results for bulb size and flavor.
Garlic takes a full year to mature, so don’t let all that effort go to waste. Removing scapes is a small task with big rewards: larger bulbs and a tasty ingredient to enjoy while waiting for your garlic harvest.
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To let the garlic bloom?
You might have read this before, even in my own writing: don’t let your garlic plants bloom fully. Cut the scapes off while they’re still buds. It’s essential advice if you’re aiming for large, plump garlic bulbs.
Removing the scapes early in the season prevents the plant from diverting its energy into flowering, which would otherwise result in small bulbils and underdeveloped bulbs resembling tiny pom-poms.
But here’s a twist: flowering isn’t necessarily a bad thing for hard-neck garlic. These types, more akin to wild garlic, naturally produce bold flower stems. In fact, if you leave the scapes intact on a few plants, they signal when it’s prime time to harvest your garlic.
You can even plant the mini cloves from these scapes, though be patient—they take longer to grow than the cloves underground.
Garlic scapes are a culinary delight too. Tender and milder than the bulbs, they’re perfect in salads or cooked like any other garlic form. Snip them young, and enjoy them sautéed in butter or whipped into pesto.
They’ll keep in the fridge for about three weeks, and since you won’t find them in most stores, growing your own garlic means you’ll always have access to this special treat.
I once experimented with not cutting off the scapes at all, curious about the tiny bulbils. Though they grow into smaller plants and bulbs, these little guys are surprisingly tasty and incredibly easy to cultivate.
Just scatter the bulbils in your garden—they virtually plant themselves! They’re perfect for early harvesting, much like scallions, and make for tender scapes that are ideal for homemade pesto.
Though it’s traditional to keep garlic strictly for the veggie beds, I’ve started mixing things up by planting them among ornamental beds too, despite the usual advice against it. This not only helps repel pests but also adds a quirky touch to my garden landscape.
So, while it’s wise not to let all your garlic go to seed, allowing a few to do so can offer a delightful yield of scapes and tiny, picklable bulbs each year.
How Do We Grow the Garlic Flowers and Harvest Garlic Scapes
Garlic, originally hailing from Central Asia, derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon “gar-leac” or “spear-leek,” a nod to its pungent kin, the leek. Contrary to what some might think, garlic isn’t an herb or a vegetable but rather a flowering bulb akin to tulips, reproducing via its bulbs.
Garlic falls into two main types: softneck and hardneck. Hardneck garlic, known for its robust and spicy cloves, sports fewer but larger cloves and grows a flower stalk. Softneck, on the other hand, is valued for its longer shelf life and seedless reproduction through its cloves.
Growing garlic to the flowering stage is a simple yet rare endeavor. Most of us harvest before blooms appear, though allowing garlic to flower can be quite the spectacle. However, farmers typically prevent flowering to maximize bulb size for the market.
For those planting at home, fall is the time for hardneck and spring for softneck. Removing the scapes—garlic’s flower stalks—will enhance bulb growth, unless you let them bloom, which results in smaller, milder bulbs. Culinary enthusiasts can use scapes in dishes ranging from salads to sauces for a gentle garlic flavor.
Among the best varieties for both flowers and seeds are names like Bai Pai Suan and Mexican Red. If you’re aiming for large, flavorful bulbs, avoid letting them flower. But if you’re curious about the blooms, plant a mix, keeping some for scape harvesting and others to enjoy their starry white flowers.
Harvesting scapes should happen as soon as you spot the flower if you’re after big bulbs. For sizable scapes, harvest when they begin to curl. Delaying harvest can make the scapes too woody and less beneficial.
When it comes to cutting, snapping off scapes is quicker than using pruners, and be sure not to snip the leaves—this could cut your yield significantly, as one Canadian study noted.
Finally, you can keep scapes fresh in the fridge for a month or freeze them for a burst of flavor in winter dishes. And just to brag a bit, I’ve already harvested 2.6 pounds of scapes by June, bringing my total garlic yield to nearly 100 pounds this year!
How Can We Use Garlic Flowers And Scapes?
Garlic scapes offer a delightful culinary bonus with their milder flavor compared to the traditional garlic bulb. These scapes are perfect for enhancing your dishes while they’re still young and tender, ideally before the flower bud opens.
You can chop them into your salads or use them as you would garlic bulbs in various recipes. They’re particularly tasty when sautéed in butter or whipped into a fresh pesto.
If you’re a fan of garden-to-table eating, growing your own garlic allows you to harvest these scapes, which are rarely found in supermarkets. Once cut, they’ll stay fresh in your fridge for about three weeks.
For cooking, garlic scapes are versatile: try sautéing, stir-frying, grilling, or roasting them to bring out their unique flavors. They can also be pickled or turned into a vibrant pesto that’s perfect for pastas or as a spread.
Garlic scapes not only add a burst of flavor but also pack nutritional benefits. They possess anti-microbial and antioxidant properties, supporting a healthy immune system. Fresh from the garden, scapes can be used immediately, enhancing everything from sauces to omelets with their robust flavor.
If you’re looking to add something special to your culinary repertoire or garden, consider the garlic scape. Its ease of growing and diverse uses make it a worthwhile addition, ensuring you have a fresh, flavorful, and healthy ingredient right at your fingertips.
Plus, their ornamental value shouldn’t be overlooked, as they can also beautify your home or garden space.
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Garlic Growing Tips
When growing garlic for its bulbs, it’s crucial to clip off the scapes. If left intact, these scapes divert the plant’s energy into flowering rather than enlarging the bulbs, resulting in smaller, less flavorful garlic.
If your goal is a robust second-year harvest, trim these flower stalks and add mulch in the autumn. As the green shoots die off, the garlic lies dormant until spring when it can burst forth again, potentially increasing your bulb yield. While these bulbs might be smaller if the plant flowered, they’ll pack a punch in flavor.
For optimal growth, snip the scapes when they’re about 5 to 10 inches long and begin to curl. Use sharp shears or scissors for a clean cut to keep your garlic healthy. Some gardeners prefer to pull the scapes to lower the chance of disease.
After removing the scapes, a dose of fertilizer—avoiding high nitrogen blends—can encourage robust bulb development. Once the scapes are gone and about half the leaves have yellowed, it’s time to harvest your garlic.
If you’d rather not bother with scapes at all, opt for soft-neck garlic varieties like Silverskin, Inchelium Red, or Italian Late, which don’t produce scapes. However, steer clear of hard-neck types like Rocambole or Purple Stripe, as they’re more likely to flower.
These hard-neck varieties are often regional and may not be readily available, which adds a layer of complexity if you’re starting with grocery store garlic, as identifying the variety can be challenging.
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