Where Are The Scapes?

    See the pointed enlarged growth on the end of the garlic stems, they are called scapes.  They have a mild garlic taste and can be used for cooking.   I grow my garlic over at Dave’s place every year and every year I wait for the curly stems with the scapes to straighten out so I know when the garlic is ready to dig out.

    This year I was puzzled because about 3/4th of my garlic had no scapes.  I was further puzzled when a few days ago, I got a call telling me that my garlic had fallen over, so that afternoon I went to dig it up.  

    I discovered that only the garlic without the scapes had fallen over, while the garlic with scapes still stood.  It seemed pretty strange and it left me confused as to what was going on.

    When I started digging the garlic, I got another surprise.  The scape-less, fallen-over garlic had bigger garlic cloves than those with the scapes.  I needed an explanation, so did an internet search to find the answer. 

    It seems that there are two types of garlic:   Hard Stem and Soft Stem.   The Hard Stem garlic is the type that grows the scapes.  It is a hardier garlic and can withstand colder weather.  It is what most people around here grow.  It was what I had always grown.

    The Soft Stem garlic does not produce scapes.  I then remembered that last year I had been given some garlic from Gary and Ann, who always grow and sell a lot of garlic.  It turns our that what they had given me was Soft Stem garlic, and I had used part of that when I had planted.

    I asked Gary about why he grew soft stem in our cold climate, and he said he always grew both types and sometimes the Hard Stem did better, and some seasons, it was the soft stem type that did better.  Obviously, this year it was the Soft Stem that did better.

    Below is a photo showing the two types from this year’s crop.  The Soft Stem variety is on the left.  I will be planting Soft Stem garlic from now on.

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca