Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all,

I sourced my garlic from a good supplier and planted it out in good open ground in October.

Having looked at it the other day I decided to dig some up, and to my dismay some of it had bolted and some of it has not divided into cloves.

Can I still use the bolted ones with the centre removed?

Why has it bolted?

Why has it not divided, I thought the cold weather in the winter was supposed to help with this.

Thanks for your help.

Tracie.

It could be that it hasn't finished doing its growing yet. Some varieties do throw up a flowerhead which can be picked and eaten, I think they call it Rocambole (?) It's not like onions where a seedhead means you have a ruined onion. I would say leave them alone for another 3-4 weeks and then check the bulbs.

MW

Which variety is it? Most garlic will flower. These are known as hard-necked. Rocambole is a type of hard-necked garlic which, instead of flowers, produces a head of tiny bulbils which can be planted and grown on. I would agree that maybe it's a bit early for it to be ready yet. When the lowest three leaves have turned yellow is usually a good indicator of when to lift it. The size of cloves you plant, though, can predict their behaviour: small cloves tend to get bigger and not divide.

my garlic is very late maturing this year. I have dug a couple up, they are still growing furiously, but the bulbs are not big enough yet. must make sure they get water.

My rocambole is only half way ready. It still has to loop the loop.

they are so pretty when they do that!

Hi Tracie

Garlic needs a very cold snap to make the bulbs divide. After the winter we had, I'd have thought we had enough cold to make anything divide, but there's always one or two that are tougher than the rest. They taste just as good though, just slice them up or roast them whole