You should take it off. It takes energy away from the bulb when you let it bloom. Most people prefer to eat the flower stalk (scape) anyway.

3 of my types of Garlic, polish hardneck, spanish roja and another that I foget, all have a real long scape (i guess that is what you call it). The leaves are just starting to turn yellow at the tops ( i planted 100 cloves last october) and the real healthy scape has been growing out the top of each one for a couple weeks. Is GarlicLady saying I should cut the scape off? or is that scape eventually going to flower and then cut it off? Thansk for any help with teh scape and what to do or not to do with it....

Hi, Yes you should break the scapes off to help increase your bulb size, but don't throw them away as they are very good to eat.
Gary

If you've never seen one flower, then I think you should leave one scape on. Just to see what it does.

Gary,

This is a 1st for me...so what part do you eat? And how would you eat it?

Peggy, the entire thing is edible. That includes the scape itself, the spathe, and the bubils inside the spathe.

However, if you let them go too long they toughen up and turn woody; and are generally inedible that way. Try and break them off no later than when they first curl. If they've straighened out, then still break them off, for the sake of bulb development. But don't bother trying to eat them.

Thanks Gardenlad,

Drat...I did wait too long, they're woody. I've never had them flower before so I wasn't sure.

i put my garlic in about 3 months ago. when will it be ready? its the first time i'v done it. please help, i need more info.