What are the hard seed things at the top of my garlic plants?

Question

I planted garlic last year, and pretty much blew them off. I know I could have eaten the scapes, had I paid attention, but the plants have moved past that now, and dried off with these bulby pods at the top. The pods pop open with a bunch of seed-like things in them. Can I plant them? Eat them? Any ideas?

Answer 1

That is the garlic flower that has turned into a seed head.  You can try and plant those seeds but I don't think they would taste good.

For your future garlic crop, snap those purple flower buds off before they can bloom or go to seed.  That flower sucks away the energy and the bulbs you dig up will be very small.  I would dig a few up anyways, just to see and taste!  If they are tiny, leave them in the ground and try again next year.

A little More info about harvesting: http://www.ehow.com/how_4406526_guide-ha...