Growing Garlic Scapes

Nancy Smith

When selecting a variety of garlic to grow for cooking scapes (flowering garlic stems), it's best to stick to those proven to do well in your particular area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified only 10 major garlic cultivars based on genetic analysis of the 400 garlics in its collection, so the field is more narrow than it may seem from reading seed catalogs. The scapes of 'Chesnok' and 'Purple Italian Easy Peel' garlic are considered excellent for cooking. Check with your local agricultural Extension office to see if these varieties do well in your area.