Elephant garlic scapes/seed

[Jang]

I’m wondering how best to use my elephant garlic scapes - eat them as scapes or leave them on to see whether they produce seed. Some of each perhaps.

Has anyone harvested elephant garlic seed and grown on from the seed? A slow business I imagine.

[Galina]

Never seen any seed myself. To get seeds would be some achievement. I saved the scapes several years running to look for a single seed. Nope. Did not happen for me. Good luck.

[Jang]

Thanks. Bred out by selection then?

From memory and from its leek connections, its ’seed’head looks very like a leek seedhead - but just empty husks from what you’ve found?

[Galina]

I am afraid so, not a hint of black seeds. I had hoped for something, because letting the scapes grow, whilst pretty in flower, does diminish the size of the cloves.

[Jang]

Yes, I was wondering about the effect on the cloves, too. Might just let one flower right through, out of curiosity, but without hope or expectation!