You've got a while ... I'd guess that they are going to grow just like you had fall planted them so the harvest will be around July, depending on variety. If you've planted hardnecks, the plants will put up a flower stalk (scape) that should be removed and then watch for the leaves to start turning yellow and dying from the bottom of the plant up. Harvest when there are around 4 green leaves left since each leaf is a wrapper around the galric bulb and you don't want it to just fall apart.

If you planted in May of 2005 that is why you got "pathetic" garlic the first year. Makalu is correct that in our zone July is when they are usually ready to harvest so yours only had 2 months to become 'pathetic' LOL.

In the future I recomend fall planting in our zone. My garlic planted last October is already 6-8" tall. April 15th is typically when I would plant spring crops, but in doing this I have to plant into cold and WET soil and it rains frequently in the spring and nothing dries out until summer so I don't care to plant rootless bulbs that will likely just rot in the ground. Fall planting gets good root systems before the snow flies and sometimes you even see some green growth before winter.

As long as the garlic has roots it can withstand nearly anything and if placed into rich, fertile soil will form good sized cloves for the variety.

Wow! I was just about to post the same question.
I planted garlic in May 2005 as well. By Autumn I saw little to no growth and figured they died. Poking around in the garden last week I saw strong, thick healthy leaves shooting up around my rose bush where I had planted last year. It actually took me a while to remember what the heck I had growing there!
I will be following your instructions as well and hope to pull up some garlic in the fall. Sweet!

I was wondering the same thing. I had planted garlic and forgot about it. It is in the middle of the herb garden. I just dug it up because it is way too close

Stacie

Please don't just "remove" those garlic scapes. Saute them with a couple of chicken breasts or most any other meat, even hamburger. Yum!