Those scapes keep well in the fridge. I used the last of them about 2 weeks ago in a stirfry.
Bed ( or should I say Fort Knox) is prepped for garlic.
Chicken wire surrounds the bed. Bird netting is on top of the pine straw (keeps squirrels from digging things up, or, planting acorns). Not visible is 8-10" of 1/2" hardware cloth burried around the bed to discourage ground rodents.
Now that reasonable protection is in place, the garlic will go in during the appropriate sign after soil temp dips to ~ 50 deg.
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Anyone have some spare/unused hardy garlic for zone 5? I only need a clove or two to get this going. I can send trade with scion woods or SASE?
Tom
Hey Tom, I grow a variety called Music…in zone 7B. I’m not sure if that it is considered ‘hardy’ for your zone. There are hardy varieties that survive soil changes due to freeze-and-thaw like this one.
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I believe music is one of the more cold hardy.
I agree, I also grow music and other varieties garlic in zone 5
JustAnne,
Sounds like Music is hardy for zone 5 per other members’ real growing knowledge. I think I’ve read somewhere that says Music is very hardy too.
Tom
Well then, since I have a little extra, I’m happy to send you some. Please PM me with address.
Thanks JustAnne. PM sent…
Tom
JustAnne,
I’m sure your aware but Michigan State University did a study where music garlic produced 13,500 pounds per acre. I’m planting two pounds this year. Do you plant garlic seed as well? It takes longer to make bulbs from seeds but when it does there will be hundreds if you have the room to grow them out. Al Music developed that hard neck porcelain type garlic in the 1980’s from garlic he acquired where he was from in Italy. He grew it in southern Ontario is my understanding so it is cold hardy.
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All good to know. Thanks, Clark.
I just plant the garlic I grew the prior year - the cloves, that is. I grow enough to cover what we eat, process and a little over for seed. I always grow too much it seems, so I have some left over. Space is limited for all that I want to grow so I have to be more mindful of that. I’m not a connoiseur of garlics but this variety works fine for me.
The time has come again. Anyone else harvesting garlic yet?
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No but soon, a couple weeks maybe?
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Nice harvest. Did you pull the garlic scapes off the stock?
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Yep. Actually I cut them off when they are about 10-12" long. They kinda sneak up on you.
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Do you eat the scales? I tried making a scape pesto, it was too garlicky. It does seem to have at garlic flavor.
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It helps to blanch the scapes first. That mellows them a bit. I learned that the hard way last year.
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I use them mostly cooked in stir fries. There is a post on this topic here.
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Good tip. Also, like garlic clove varieties, some scapes are milder than others.
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