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If you planted your garlic when I told you to last fall, chances are it’s now growing squiggly boos from the top of it.
These … are garlic scapes.
The scapes eventually turn into big, puffy, garlic scented flowers, which may seem like a fun thing, but if you let your scapes go to flower then it’ll drain the plant’s energy from forming proper sized heads of garlic. So, you need to trim your scapes.
In terms of when the right time to cut them off is … it’s pretty much whenever you notice them. They grow fast those scapes. One morning you have a regular stalk of garlic and the next you’ll have a patch of squiggly boos. Just use a pair of regular scissors to cut the scape off where it meets the first leaf it comes to.
You can throw the scapes into the compost pile, make a necklace out of them, braid them into a dog leash, attach them to a headband for a truly fashionable look good for driver’s license photos, school pictures or scape porn …
or … if you want to be a little more pedestrian you can cook with them. If you’re boring and have no intention of making it big in Scape porn.
My favourite thing to do with scapes is use them in flower arranging.
Favourite thing besides wearing them on my head that is.
So if you grow it, go outside and check for scapes now. Before the thought eSCAPES you.
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Cindy Marlow
Even though it’s midnight, I got excited by the thought of scape porn so I took my flashlight out to check my garlic. There are not any scapes yet but I did get hit on by an amorous firefly. Who’s the lucky girl? Me!
Karen
I *love* getting so excited about something I run outside with a flashlight until I get hit with a bug. I do it all the time! Honestly. ~ karen
Sk Farm Girl
I have to say I quite like the “scape” fascinator hat. You could sell those and make a million. Just remember who suggested they become fascintor hats!! Damn, wish I would have gotten my garlic in last fall! Oh well, there is always this fall!
Karen
O.k. I’m kind of freak out excited everyone went out and put their pictures up today. Oh. Right. Garlic. Yeah … garlic’s good.
~ karen/laura
Jen H.
Don’t get too freaked out- not everyone had a chance yesterday…..I was curious as to how many responders would have avatars today. Proves that it was truly that easy
Amanda
I am cracking up at your scape hat!!! I think that last “looking over your shoulder” pic should be your new avatar LOL
Also makes me wish that I had found your blog last fall… I could be using garlic as a SCAPEgoat to investigate my garden tonight!!!
nancy
you’re scaring me
nancyeileen
Now I know where they got the idea for the alien creature in Prometheus.
nancyeileen
From the scaaaapes.
I was horrified you might think I was suggesting your adorable ‘Cindy Who’ photo’s
Sherri
nancyeileen—Cindy Lou Who from Whoville was my first thought when I saw the photo of Karen with her “scapeband”, too! GMTA! She’s a nut job, isn’t she? (Karen, not Cindy Lou Who. Cindy Lou appears to be a perfectly normal and very sweet little girl. Karen has never been normal.)
Gayla T
You are a nut case! A good nut case but pretty nutty. As a retired floral designer I have to tell you that garlic arrangements may not ever make it big but the hat???? If you attached them to aluminum foil hats I know you could sell them to people on YouTube. They would protect from harmful rays emitted from a UFO and werewolves on the ground. I just heard a few day ago that the US govt. is putting together a new defense system called ScapeWars so you are ready. Go for it! No home safe room should be w/o them.
Krikit
Luv the pics! “…..scape porn….” LOL! ~;D
marion
Great pictures – you are hilarious!
Heather
HaHa! As always–useful and entertaining. A scape hat will be on the to do list for this weekend. Very Eco-chic. Possibly a bit Eco-geek too, but both are in fashion. Thank you for the reminder!
Mary
Let’s cut to the scape – I planted the garlic as you instructed last fall and I will now snip off the squiggly boos. Still waiting, however, to hear how your squash in a cage worked out – mine is starting to head in the direction of my neighbours side door and must be restrained.
Karen
Mary – Just as my squash started to get huge last year it got powdery mildew and croaked. The cage seemed to be working out though. This year I plan to vertiacalize the squash. ~ k!
Dava
Love the hat look. However, I usually made scape pesto with mine. Put some scape pesto under the skin of your chicken before baking…yummo!
mimiindublin
eSCAPES…..brilliant! I love your sense of humour.
Sharm's Outlet
I do not have my scopes yet…
Sharm's Outlet
I ment to say escape yet should I worry…
IrishJenn
I got garlic scapes in my CSA last summer and had no idea what they were. I had to post a picture on facebook to see if any of my friends could help. Whatever did we do before the interwebs?
BTW, when I have my first, full-on belly laugh at 6:30 am, I feel it sets the tone for the rest of my day. So, thanks for that.
marilyn
im excited too…i have to learn how to send u some pics. i do lots of stuff y never know about because i am a luddite..
Holly
Scapes and boos? You made that up, right?
Adele
I feel sorry that I “wasted” some scapes that my daughter gave me from her farmer’s box by putting them in my pasta sauce, her suggestion (she’s a fabulous cook, I’m not). Coulda put them in a vase, they are much too beautiful to eat. I need to get more…
Love your blog, and congrats on the Spec article today. I love your house!
Karen
Thanks Adele – I haven’t seen the article yet but my mother called me screaming and whooping this morning. I didn’t tell her so it would be a surprise.
~ karen
Karen
Thanks for the heads-up! Mine have been doing that for a couple of days and I didn’t know you should cut them off. I just love the way they look in the garden. So I’ll put them in a vase…
Barbie
I did plant my garlic last fall as always….however I forgot to look for scapes…don’t think I’ve seen any though….perhaps my scapes are behind like the rest of things in my life. I have never cut my scapes before and my garlic is usually always nice a big…so I am looking forward to seeing how much better and bigger my garlic will be this year when I do that.
White
Just a reminder that only hard-neck garlic varieties develop scapes, soft-neck varieties do not. Typically, garlic “braids” are fashioned from soft-neck garlic.
This is all too obvious for long-time garlic growers, but bears noting for novice growers.
Samantha Pellegrino
Karen, eat them. No word of a lie, they are amazing. I do them up in a whiz of eevo and sea salt. That’s it….in the cast iron pan even better. Let them get golden and oh. my. name. Yum.
I like them crispy but not burnt, or they are bitter. You can use them in mashed potatoes, hello! Or instead of beans. Yep, they have a garlic taste and are strong. But, sister in gardening and all things antique….try them. And maybe the girls might like them too…who knows. But eat them. Go to that compost pile, ok, maybe not, but go to that lovely arrangement and steal one out and try it. If you don’t like them, I’ll eat my scape.
Karen
Samantha – LOL. I know they’re good! I have a whole bag in my fridge right now.
~ karen
Pats
Ok, that headband is not only adorable, it will repel vampires! Double good!
Susan
I didn’t plant garlic, run outSide cause I would get eaten by bugs or make my picture appear! Wow! What a loser!
Karen
Oh Sue. Yup. You’re a loser. LOLOLOLOL! ~ karen
CBuffy
At first glance, I LOVED the flower arrangement. But then, was it just me or did those look a little like alien arms reaching out of an alien egg thing? A little creepy! But still fun! (And I love the hat!)
Michaela {au naturel design}
I love sautéing these little scapes in butter with carrots or collard greens. I also can’t wait until the real garlic is ready. Everything is better with garlic
Kristen S
Now I want mashed potatoes with garlic scapes, and my garlic hasn’t grown any yet…jealous
susan
Salads… sorry for the typo.
also, the end that gets dry and papery – I make a garlic/onion broth with those….
susan
I even pickled a jar of scapes last year. I use them in chopped salds, pesto, sauces…… now my mouth is watering! BTW: Great hat!
Krista
So jealous, scapes sell for 4.99 a pound here in Seattle because they are delicious! sauteed in a little olive oil, taste somewhat like garlic scented asparagus.
CC
I did not plant any this year I am new to your blog, but hopefully I will next. All I can say is you are hysterical and the LOL just makes my day Karen, thank you
Angie S
A Garden for the House just had this recipe for scapes pesto – sounds great!!! http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/06/garlic-scape-pesto/
Spokangela
The hubs and I just noticed our scapes the other day. Fine Cooking had some great recipes for them. I am looking forward to trying them. After I make a headband out of them…
Rita
Hi Karen,
I DID plant garlic last fall but it hasn’t appeared yet
Don’t know why. Maybe it was the -40C overnight low we got in January. I thought I should be seeing little shoots by now. I didn’t think to water it after the snow left so it sat dry for about a month. Maybe that was it. Oh well. Better luck next Spring. I’m already planning to plant tons of the stuff this Fall. Thx for the design tips with the Scapes – they look great as an arrangement and hilarious on your head
Karen
Rita – If the garlic hasn’t come up by now it isn’t going to. Did you get your garlic at the grocery store? If you did, it was probably treated with a sprout inhibitor. In the fall buy organic garlic to plant, or go to a local nursery or seed store to buy garlic specifically for planting. ~ karen!
Dawna Jones
Karen you are definitely Porn Star worthy!
PS show em your grASS crack!
Dawnajonesdesign.com
Ruth
My garlic recently kicked the bucket due to drought and water shortage, so I guess I’ll just live vicariously through all your scape experiences. :-/
Carole McGinnis
Karen, I just love you – you make me laugh so hard. I love your crazy mind.
Shauna
We never got scapes on our garlic??? What’s that all about. They were totally ready to picked too – they were the most fragrant, strong garlic EVER! YUM. But, alas, no scapes for me to make headbands with.
Karen
Shauna – You had a different type of garlic. Hardneck varieties grow scapes, softneck do not. ~ k!
Shauna
OOOHHHHH, you really do know everything! We just took a couple of cloves we bought from the farmers market and planted it and were so excited when we were rewarded with more garlic.
Laura Bee
After I wiped the tears from my eyes…I checked my garlic. I think I have the softneck variety. No scapes. Thanks for holding my hand through this adventure. (Those pics are better than any others I have ever seen from a photo booth!)
peggy
Thank you SO much. No wonder I always had these puny little garlic buds. You are wise as well as extremely witty!!!
Karen
Thanks Peggy! Next lesson … when to harvest. It might not be when you think! ~ karen
mickey
My vegetable gardening days are long gone. The only edible things I have are chives. Oh,and I planted one pea and it’s coming along quite nicely.
But I would like to comment on the photos and article about you in today’s newspaper. Totally awesome!!!!
Where did you hide the girls?
mickey
Karen
Mickey – In my belly. ~ karen
Debbie B
I officially passed coffee through my nose, scared the crap out of the dogs and might have even peed a little bit in all the confusion, but I just loved the squiggly boo head band and the porn shots!!
Diane Stairs
I live near the Red Hill Valley (King’s Forest golf course) and walk my dog through there. I find wild garlic, pick the scapes and use them in stir fries and for salads….lovely subtle garlic taste…they should never go to waste….but I do love the art you have made with them….so inventive. I would love to plant my own garlic but have yet to do so….suggestions on timing and what kind and how much space etc??? thanks
Karen
Diane – Plant in late, late fall. Search “planting garlic” in my search bar to learn all about it. ~ karen!
Lucinda
Love the head-gear. I agree, flower arranging with scapes is the best. But I am also partial to scape pesto……yummmmmmmmy!
Diane Stairs
just read your “How to Plant garlic now’s the time” blog….excellent…should have looked before I wrote. so helpful.
di
Karen
Good! ~ karen
Mindy
I bought them for the first time at our farmer’s market this weekend. I just tossed them in some olive oil, seasoned them up with salt and pepper, and grilled them with our steaks. Really, really good. I’m anxious to try them different ways.
Here’s a shot of them on the grill aka fire pit:
http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2012/06/sunny-sunday-supper-with-scapes.html#
Karen
That’s a NICE lookin’ meal! ~ karen
Lynn
I am now suffering from ‘scape’ envy – boo.
once again you made my day!
Tricia Rose
You are just SO avant-garde…
Rita
Thanks Karen, I did buy the garlic at the grocery store. I’ll get Organic or garlic from seed store from now on.