Question #1: Should I cut the flower stem off?

Question #2: The cloves have been in the ground since last fall...will I have cloves this year or next? (this is the really confusing part!)

Question #3: If I only have rounds...what do I do with them? Replant immediately or store?

Any info would be helpful.

Then 1, steam the scapes (include the bloom pod) for about 3-5 mins , careful turns mushy easily. Think asparagus here. Put some butter on them and Yumm!

2, put them in the ground somewhere and they will come as 1st year or green garlic. pull as desired, chop like scallions or chives, stir fry

3, toss in compost or trash

The littlr, bitsy tinyh bulb-looking things you'll find when you harvest in June/July can be replanted and will come up in Feb-April 2010 and can be used as green garlic. they otherwise will be these single golf-ball sized cloves that can be replanted again in the fall for full-sized ones in 2011.

BTW elephant garlic makes a nice bloom like Allium Globemaster, bees love it but cut it before the seeds mature or garlic will be growing from here to breakfast on your place.

I love them stir-fried. It's like the flavor of garlic with the texture of asparagus. I've heard they're also good grilled. I like them when they still have some crunch to them.

They're so yummy that I almost don't care whether you're supposed to remove them or not to increase bulb size. Besides, even though I always eat them, my bulbs were just fine.

I think the elephant scapes are better than hardneck scapes. Elephant scapes are thicker and more tender. But they're both good.