As you may recall, I planted my garlic last October, now here is what the plants look like as of today. The hardnecks will produce a flower stem that will loop around once or twice before straightening out which is called a scape.  While it looks really cool, you should cut the flower stem so the plant focuses its energy on the garlic bulb not the flower. You should trim the scape down to the top leave of the garlic plant. I cut it at a slant with scissors or pruning shears. If you don’t trim the scape, then your garlic bulbs will be smaller. Do not pull the garlic bulb yet! The garlic plant will let you know when it is time to harvest the bulb as the lower leaves will turn brown. When it is time to harvest, I will write a post and provide pictures.
Don’t forget that garlic comes in two basic categories – softneck and hardneck.  1) Softnecks do not produce a flower, do well in warmer climates and store well when harvested.  2)  Hardnecks produce a flower stalk, like cooler climates, but don’t store as long as the softnecks.  If you recall from my post in October, I am growing garlic from Enon Valley which I purchased at the Tomato Garlic Festival at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.   If you want to learn more about which varieties of garlic I selected and how to sow them, check out my post titled “Garlic Types and Growing Garlic” from last October.
If you cut the scape when it forms its first loop, it should be nice and tender. At this point, you can use it fresh in a salad or in pesto.  I think I might use some scapes for flavored butter.  As it grows more, it will thicken. If it thickens, you can cut it and sautee it in butter and add it to your favorite dish.  I think it would be yummy in an omelette. Once you cut the scapes, they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a while or you can keep them in a vase of water on the counter. The garlic scape has a milder taste than a garlic clove – give it a try!
I am going to try a few recipes and will let you know what I like.
