Removing garlic stalks (often also called flower stalks, bulbs, or flower heads) is one of the most important steps for a bountiful and high-quality harvest. This applies exclusively to garlic bulbs (garlic varieties with a hard main stalk and flower heads). Garlic without bulbs does not produce stalks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here you will find easy-to-understand instructions from experienced gardeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why remove the stalks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main reason is simple: energy redistribution. If you leave the stalks on the garlic, the plant puts all its energy into producing flowers and pistils (seeds). This, however, exhausts it. By removing the stalks in a timely manner, you force the garlic to invest all its energy and nutrients in the growth of the underground bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Result: The garlic cloves are up to 20\u201330% larger, juicier, and have a longer shelf life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“` When is the right time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Timing is crucial. If the cloves are harvested too early, they can regrow. If they are harvested too late, the plant has already wasted energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pay attention to the stem shape: The ideal time is reached when the stem curls up and forms one or two spirals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Condition of the inflorescence: The flower sheath at the end of the stem is still closed and soft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calendar: Under our conditions, this usually occurs in June (depending on the weather and variety).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to do it correctly? Gardeners recommend two main methods for removing the stems. Always choose a dry and sunny morning so that the cut surfaces on the plants have time to heal by evening, minimizing the risk of fungal infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Breaking (by hand): Grasp the stem just above the topmost leaf and break it off with a quick, sideways motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stems are tender at this stage, so cutting is easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advantage: There is no risk of disease transmission from one plant to another through unclean tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cutting\/Cutting Method<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use sharp garden shears or a knife. Cut the stem about 1\u20132 cm above the last leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Important: It is recommended to disinfect your tools between plants (e.g., with alcohol) to prevent the transmission of viruses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 Gardening Tip: Never remove all the stems! Leave 2 to 3 test pieces in the bed. As soon as their twisted stems straighten and the clove sheath splits open, this is a sure sign that the garlic is ripe and ready to harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do with them? Don’t throw them away! The broken-off young stems are a true delicacy in the kitchen with a mild garlic flavor that is not as pungent as that of regular cloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garlic pesto: Blend the garlic stalks with olive oil, nuts (walnuts or pine nuts), and Parmesan cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Chinese dishes and pressure cookers: Cut into pieces and add to the pan with meat or vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickled like cucumbers: Place in a brine solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For freezing: Simply chop into small pieces and freeze for winter use in soups and sauces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Removing garlic stalks (often also called flower stalks, bulbs, or flower heads) is one of the most important steps for a bountiful and high-quality harvest. This applies exclusively to garlic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nteresting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20816"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20818,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20816\/revisions\/20818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tastyfood.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}