Kitchen Garden Forum

Anybody know what the tips are that growing on top of my garlic as in the picture?

These were planted last year.

Flowers or scapes.

Thanks Geoff, off to google scapes meanwhile do I need to do anything like removing them or leave them be?

Pinch off, stop it from flowering. I seen on youtube that you can eat them.

It means your garlic has bolted, probably from a stress (too cold, too hot, too dry?). You can still eat the bulbs but they won't attain full size and won't keep.The 'scapes' are said to be tasty, but I have never tried them. Some of my shallots are in a very similar state this year, Colin. Must be the weather.

Hi Colin!

They are trying to flower, nip of the flower as soon as you see it, preferably when very low on the plant or you will get a green stem through the garlic bulb & they won't keep, but perfectly fine to eat fresh. I've got flowers on my white & brown onions & the odd shallot, my reds to date are OK.

Given the winter they had to endure I'm not surprised they were stressed - I certainly was!

It happens naturally to most garlic and doesn't spoil them at all. They don't get a green centre and will keep just the same. I break them off so that more of their energy goes into forming the bulb but it doesn't make much difference. I grow the hard neck varieties.

Onions, leeks and shallots are another matter and they do get the green stem running through their bulbs when they send up flower buds.

Thank you all for your help seems not such a major issue.

Second time growing them & first time over wintering them, I’m learning all the time thanks to all of you on this forum.