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Message
Those familiar with harvesting elephant garlic
Posted on 5/29/21 at 6:29 pm
Posted on 5/29/21 at 6:29 pm
I read that I’m supposed to dig them up when the stalks start to wilt and turn yellow. A few of mine started doing that so I dug them up to see how they looked. They were all a single large bulb with small yellow looking bulbs around it.
Are these yellow bulbs something that will grow to a full bulb if I leave them in the dirt? I was surprised to see only a single white bulb form, I thought it would be a head more similar to regular garlic. Taste is great though.
Are these yellow bulbs something that will grow to a full bulb if I leave them in the dirt? I was surprised to see only a single white bulb form, I thought it would be a head more similar to regular garlic. Taste is great though.
2
Posted on 5/29/21 at 7:15 pm to TigerTatorTots
I've grown Elephant Garlic before and it formed several "Toes" on the bulb and not single heads. I've also had garlic do as yours with the small yellow bulbs attached to the outside of the main head. I just pick them off and toss them.
It looks like you picked your garlic on a very wet day and that is really not a good idea. It is best to wait till the soil dries out and then pull them. If in the 2nd photo shows how dead the leaves were, then they could have stayed in the ground longer until most of the green turned yellow.
Elephant garlic is way milder than regular garlic.
ETA: Lay that garlic out where it can't get wet and let it dry for a couple weeks but first get as much of that wet soil off the bulbs but I wouldn't wet it to do so. Just wipe as much off as you can and after they dry and cure, you can probably just brush most of what's left off the heads.
It looks like you picked your garlic on a very wet day and that is really not a good idea. It is best to wait till the soil dries out and then pull them. If in the 2nd photo shows how dead the leaves were, then they could have stayed in the ground longer until most of the green turned yellow.
Elephant garlic is way milder than regular garlic.
ETA: Lay that garlic out where it can't get wet and let it dry for a couple weeks but first get as much of that wet soil off the bulbs but I wouldn't wet it to do so. Just wipe as much off as you can and after they dry and cure, you can probably just brush most of what's left off the heads.
This post was edited on 5/29/21 at 7:18 pm
Posted on 5/30/21 at 7:03 am to TigerTatorTots
Elephant garlic is closer to a leek than a true garlic. Very mild flavor. Sometimes you only get a swollen stem, not a multi toed head.
Posted on 5/30/21 at 8:36 am to gumbo2176
Thanks, I only pulled a couple of them and cooked them that evening. I’ll plan on leaving the rest in the ground until the leaves all get yellow.
Posted on 5/30/21 at 10:07 am to TigerTatorTots
quote:
I’ll plan on leaving the rest in the ground until the leaves all get yellow.
I assume this is your first time growing garlic and if so, did they send up their "scapes" and you already removed them?
Also, how long have they been planted? I grow it and put it in the ground in late September to early October and don't harvest it until mid to late June most years.
They will send up "scapes", or their flower stalk and I will pinch them off and they can be used in stir fry or to season other dishes where a very mild garlic flavor is used.
Once I pinch off the scapes, it is usually not long after that the leaves start to brown and die back. I will wait until about 2/3 of the leaves are dead and the ground is dry to pull the garlic.
At that point, I will cut off any hanging roots, wipe as much soil off the bulbs as I can and I have a large metal rack I put between 2 saw horses to lay the bulbs with the foliage still attached to dry out for a few weeks. Once they are dry I'll cut off the foliage, wipe off any remaining dirt and store in my shop in an open basket so they get air circulation.
This post was edited on 5/30/21 at 10:09 am
Posted on 5/30/21 at 11:02 am to gumbo2176
quote:Yes first time growing and yes they all sent up scapes and I chopped them off when they were around 10" long a month or so ago.
I assume this is your first time growing garlic and if so, did they send up their "scapes" and you already removed them?
quote:Planted in early October
Also, how long have they been planted? I grow it and put it in the ground in late September to early October and don't harvest it until mid to late June most years.
quote:I did this - sautéed in butter and they were delightful
They will send up "scapes", or their flower stalk and I will pinch them off and they can be used in stir fry or to season other dishes where a very mild garlic flavor is used.
Thanks for your insight on this.
Posted on 5/30/21 at 11:06 pm to TigerTatorTots
I’ve grown them the past three years. Mine are way bigger then those in the pic. They usually have 5-8 large cloves. The smaller yellowish cloves are typically on every plant and quite often fall and are left in the soil when you pick them. I picked all my plants last summer and didn’t replant the elephant war variety in my box and they sprouted again.
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