Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
Your photo shows the variety that produces tiny little bulbils. So, if you want to propagate, AND harvest some heads of garlic, this is what I'd do: Cut the scape stems off close to the base of the plant. Hang them to finish maturing. In your pic, you can see some of the tiny little bulbils peeking out. After they've dried a bit, you can rub them off the head, and let them fall where you can dedicate some area to a bed for them to grow on for a few years. Or, you can plant them at the base of your fruit trees. Then, you can pull the heads for kitchen use. save a few cloves from the largest heads to plant this fall. Give them fertile soil, and they will produce some fantastic heads for you at the end of NEXT June. Enjoy! If you want to increase your garlic varieties (who doesn't? They are so very easy to grow, and add so much to your meals!) you can buy them from reputable companies. They are IMO overpriced. Fedco sells bulbs for planting for more than $5.00 EACH! Or... you can find a local farmer's market or health food store, and buy some bulbs now. Store them till early - mid fall, and then plant the individual cloves. Generally, you should harvest your heads when the bottom 2 - 3 leaves have dried. I tend to leave my garlic in the ground way too long: until all the leaves are dry. They can still be harvested then, BUT, the bulbs will have split. Still useable, but not as pretty. Garlic is very forgiving. If you forget to harvest for the kitchen, you can still dig the shattered heads, and re-plant for a fantastic crop next year. If you don't even do that, the heads will come back right where they are, and each of the cloves in the "left behind" head will go on to produce a new bulb/head. Garlic is a heavy feeder. Feed it well, and you'll be greatly rewarded!
