table of contents
- Garlic flower
- Quality and Edibility
- To cut or not to cut
- Cut off flowers
- frequently asked Questions
Growing garlic yourself is easy. However, the question arises whether the toes can still be eaten after flowering. We clarify.
In a nutshell
- Garlic flowers do not need to be cut off
- blooming garlic is edible
- Bloom is said to decrease intensity of the toes
- Brood bulbs next to the flower are used for propagation
Garlic flower
During the growing season, garlic forms bot. Allium sativum, Blossoms out. The inflorescence stem is erect and 50 to 100 centimeters long. This has a spherical umbel with a few flowers. The color of the flowers is greenish, white, pink or reddish. Since they are sterile, these flowers are not used for the plant to multiply. In addition to the flowers, the garlic develops around ten to twenty bulbs, which are placed in a pointed, paper-like leaf cone, the so-called. Spatha, grow up.
Note: The winter garlic flowers in June.
Quality and Edibility
In contrast to other crops, the flowers of garlic are harmless in every way. Because these do not make the toes poisonous or inedible.
Whether the flowers or the formation of the bulbils has a negative effect on the quality, i.e. the aroma and size of the toes, is controversial. Some “garlic experts” claim that the cloves of garlic plants that have not flowered have a more delicate aroma. Commercial garlic gardeners believe that the flowers reduce the yield because the cloves of flowering garlic plants are smaller. In any case, the garlic cloves are edible.
To cut or not to cut
Whether or not you want to keep Allium sativum from blooming is up to you. Even so, there are considerations to help you make the decision.
The formation of flowers or Bulbs cost the plant energy. This energy expenditure is at the expense of the garlic bulb underground. Therefore, at the end of the day, the harvest is less and the garlic cloves do not taste as intense. However, this consideration has not been scientifically proven. Therefore, only a blind tasting with the harvested garlic cloves helps here.
The bulbils speak in favor of preserving the flowers, as they are used for reproduction if this is desired. By harvesting the bulbs you can multiply your garlic and make yourself independent of garlic suppliers.
Cut off flowers
Regardless of whether you plan to leave a few garlic blossoms or not, you should trim the blossoms properly. The ideal time to remove the flowers is when the first bulges appear at the top of the stem. This is to be expected in May or June, depending on the weather. When editing, do the following:
- place the cutting tool a few centimeters below the curve
- make an oblique cut so that water and moisture can drain off better
frequently asked Questions
No. You can also harvest and eat the tuber after it has bloomed.
Yes. It is mainly used in Asia in the kitchen.
The ideal time to cut is before the garlic blooms, when the first bulges appear at the top of the stem.