What Are Garlic Scapes (and When to Cut Them for Bigger Bulbs)
, by Earthwise Garlic, 2 min reading time
What are garlic scapes and when should you cut them? Learn how scapes affect bulb size and how to use them in the kitchen.
If you're growing hardneck garlic, you'll notice a curling green shoot forming in late spring or early summer. That shoot is called a garlic scape. It's a sign your garlic is maturing — but what you do with it affects how large your bulbs will be at harvest.
What Are Garlic Scapes?
Garlic scapes are the flowering stalks produced by hardneck garlic plants. They grow from the center of the plant and curl into a loop or spiral before eventually straightening out and forming a flower head. Only hardneck varieties produce scapes. Softneck garlic does not. This is actually one of the easiest ways to tell the two types apart in the garden.
Should You Cut Garlic Scapes?
Yes, if your goal is larger bulbs. When a garlic plant puts energy into forming a scape and flowering, that energy isn't going into the bulb. Removing the scape redirects it back underground. The difference in bulb size between plants where scapes were removed and plants where they were left on is real and noticeable.
When to Cut Them
Cut scapes when they complete their first full curl. At this stage the plant has formed the scape but hasn't yet spent much energy on flowering. This is when you get the most benefit from removing it.
To cut, follow the scape down to where it emerges from the top set of leaves and cut a few inches above that point with clean, sharp garden shears. Avoid pulling or tearing. A clean cut is less stressful on the plant.
What Happens If You Don't Cut Them?
The plant continues toward flowering, bulb size is usually smaller, and you miss out on the scapes as food. The garlic will still grow — it just won't reach its full potential. If you only have a few plants and don't mind slightly smaller bulbs, it's not the end of the world. But on any scale of production, scape removal is worth doing.
Can You Eat Garlic Scapes?
Yes, and they're one of the better perks of growing hardneck garlic. Scapes have a mild, fresh garlic flavor and a texture similar to green beans or thin asparagus. They're a genuine seasonal bonus.
In the kitchen: saute them in butter as a side dish, chop into scrambled eggs, blend into scape pesto, pickle them for later, or toss into stir-fries. They're at their best used within a few days of cutting while still crisp. Refrigerate them like herbs until you're ready to cook.
Cutting scapes isn't a chore. It's an early harvest with a good payoff in both the garden and the kitchen.
Curious which hardneck varieties we grow? See our full variety lineup or browse seed garlic for fall planting.