Yes, removing garlic scapes from your hardneck varieties gives you bigger bulbs at harvest time. Research shows this simple task boosts yield by 20% to 30% in most growing conditions. Those curly green stems may look fun to leave on but they steal energy that should go into bulb growth.
The garlic scape benefits you miss out on by skipping removal are worth your attention. These flower stalks compete with your bulb for nutrients and water all through the growing season. Taking them off sends all that plant energy straight down to where you want it going into your bulb below ground.
I ran my own side by side test a few years back to see the difference for myself in my garden bed. I left the scapes on half of one row and removed them from the other half. The bulbs without scapes came out noticeably larger with fatter cloves than the ones I left alone. The difference was clear enough to convince me to remove every single scape going forward each year.
Here is the science behind why removing garlic scapes works so well for your crop each year. Your plant puts energy into those curly stalks to produce flowers and then seeds. Cutting off the scape before it flowers redirects that growth energy back into the bulb. The plant has no choice but to put its resources into storage instead of making seeds.
University of Guelph research by John Zandstra backs up what you may have heard from other home gardeners. His studies found that hand removal of scapes increased yield by 20% to 30% in most soil types. Even if you garden in sandy soil that tends to produce smaller garlic, you can still see a 15% boost from this one simple practice.
The scape removal yield increase comes from such a quick and easy task that skipping it makes no sense at all. You spend maybe five minutes walking your garlic row and snapping off all the stalks by hand. I timed myself last summer and finished forty plants in under ten minutes. That small time investment pays back with bulbs that weigh almost a third more at harvest.
Knowing when to cut garlic scapes matters just as much as knowing to remove them at all. Watch for the stalks to form one to two curls as they grow upward from the center of your plant. This timing catches them before they get tough and woody but after they have grown tall enough to grip and snap off with ease.
You can snap scapes off by hand or cut them with clean scissors or a sharp knife if you prefer that method. Grab the scape near its base where it emerges from the leaves and give a quick snap with your fingers. The stem should break cleanly without pulling on the rest of your plant. Avoid any mechanical methods that might damage the leaves around the scape.
I always save my harvested scapes and toss them into stir fries for a mild garlic flavor. My favorite use is chopping them fresh into homemade pesto. Chop them up while still tender for the best taste in your recipes. They freeze well too if you end up with more than you can use right away in the kitchen.
Mark your calendar to check for scapes about four to six weeks before your harvest date. Hardneck varieties send up scapes while softneck types skip this step. Make this quick task part of your regular garden routine and your bulbs will reward you with extra size and weight at harvest.
Read the full article: When to Harvest Garlic and How to Do It Right
