Hard neck help!

[On the Moors]

i put in our first lot of hard neck garlic about October 2024. I've watched various videos and assumed that they would be ready to harvest when most of the tops had died. I don't know where i got this idea from but that's what I assumed. This man seems to suggest otherwise and that it should be harvested sooner rather than later. Can anyone confirm this please:

My crop (I know I've planted them incorrectly - too close and not deep enough)

 

[DiggersJo]

June/July. If it's hardneck it will produce scapes like this. Cut the scapes off and 1-2 weeks after the garlic should be ready. I can never tell when, so I test things out by pulling 1-2, but then again we use a lot of garlic and plant around 100 per year. Scapes are use for various recipes but we just freeze them and used them straight from the freezer throughout the year. Same with the garlic once harvested we split into cloves and put them all in the freezer and use from there. It's almost like fresh garlic all year round.

 

[On the Moors]

June/July. If it's hardneck it will produce scapes like this. Cut the scapes off and 1-2 weeks after the garlic should be ready. I can never tell when, so I test things out by pulling 1-2, but then again we use a lot of garlic and plant around 100 per year. Scapes are use for various recipes but we just freeze them and used them straight from the freezer throughout the year. Same with the garlic once harvested we split into cloves and put them all in the freezer and use from there. It's almost like fresh garlic all year round.

Thanks Diggersjo

I'd never heard of garlic scrapes before, or what to do with them. Very helpful advice.

 

[DiggersJo]

Whoops forgot the link here. They can be used for many a recipe, even pesto, which we tried once, not again! We put the in the freezer whole and when we need a lighter garlic taste or something with herbs, bring 1-2 out and chop them up to use.