Garlic is a rewarding crop for many home gardeners, providing a flavorful ingredient that can be stored and enjoyed for months after harvest. Not all garlic plants are the same, and understanding the growth habit of the type planted is crucial for a successful harvest. Growers often seek guidance to ensure their plants channel energy into forming the largest, most robust bulbs possible underground, especially when considering mid-season tasks like removing flowering stalks.
Defining the Two Main Garlic Types
Garlic is broadly categorized into two main groups, defined by the physical structure of the stem connecting the bulb and the leaves. Softneck garlic (Allium sativum var. sativum) has a central stem that remains flexible and pliable as the plant matures. This lack of a rigid stalk allows the leaves to be easily woven into braids after harvest for long-term storage. Softneck varieties produce a larger number of cloves, often arranged in multiple layers, though these cloves are generally smaller.
Hardneck garlic (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) develops a stiff, woody central stem running directly through the middle of the bulb. This rigid structure prevents braiding but results in fewer, larger, and more uniformly sized cloves arranged in a single ring. Softneck types are prized for their superior storage life, often remaining fresh for nine to twelve months due to tighter outer wrappers. Hardneck varieties have a shorter shelf life, typically lasting only three to six months.
What is a Garlic Scape
A garlic scape is a distinct botanical feature that emerges from the central stalk of a developing garlic plant. It is the plant’s flowering stem, representing the effort to reproduce sexually. This stalk typically appears in late spring or early summer, marked by a characteristic curl before it straightens out. The tip of the scape holds a bulbous, unopened flower bud containing tiny aerial bulbils rather than true seeds.
The biological purpose of the scape is to produce bulbils, which are miniature clones of the parent plant. Gardeners often remove the scape to redirect the plant’s energy away from reproduction and toward enlarging the underground bulb. Cutting the developing flower stalk encourages the formation of larger, more substantial cloves. The tender, mild-flavored scapes are also edible and frequently used in culinary applications like pesto or stir-fries, providing a fresh, subtle garlicky flavor.
Scapes and Softneck Garlic: The Direct Answer
The answer to whether softneck garlic plants produce scapes is generally no, as this variety has been cultivated to focus energy on bulb production. Softneck garlic is categorized as non-bolting, meaning it does not develop the stiff, flowering stalk characteristic of hardneck types. The plant’s genetic priority is the vegetative reproduction of its large, multi-layered bulb, making scape formation rare under typical growing conditions. This lack of a central reproductive structure gives the softneck variety its pliable, braid-friendly stem.
Hardneck varieties are bolting types and consistently produce a true scape, which must be removed mid-season by the grower. For the softneck grower, the absence of a scape means there is no need to perform the mid-season task of cutting the stem to promote bulb size. This difference in growth habit simplifies maintenance and is a reliable way to visually distinguish between the two primary types of garlic. While softnecks may occasionally produce a weak, non-woody stem under extreme environmental stress, a true, curling scape is not a feature of this type.