When did you plant it? It is perfectly normal. In fact, that's the signal that the bulb is ready to dig up.

However, I would scratch around it first "just in case"

Mine are yellowing, but I'm going to give them a few more weeks. Right now most are green and a few are yellow.

If you wait until all the top growth has died back you may find that the bulb's cloves are separating. For me that is too late for the harvest of a quality bulb, say for market. I've started to dig up one or two a week when I think they are getting near maturity and that way get what I'm looking for. But no matter what you'll have good tasting garlic. I still have another month to go here. Tom

Novice garlic grower here :D

Does all garlic send up scapes before dying back? have none here yet (might be too early), but am realy looking forward to stir-frying them when and if they bloom.

When the bottom third of the garlic stalk has turned brown it's time to dig the garlic. July is usually the time but this year it looks like it will be earlier.

In my zone 7b/8a I begin to harvest in May into June. I waited too long last year on some and they did separate so this year I'm am carefully lifting those that have about 1/3 of the leaves that have turned brown.

Peggy

So, can I dig up the garlic, divide it and replant? Do I continue watering it or cut back on the amount of water?

I always thought you had to wait until the tops had died all the way back. When I waited that long I found that the bulbs had all separated. I harvest them now when the tops have died about halfway back and everything is good.

frdnicholas

Garlic is suppose to be planted in the Fall. That said I have garlic that comes up that I broke the stem off of when digging and it does fine.

What they tell you on the Allium forum is to dig when 1/3 or so of your leaves have died...let them dry in the sun (I don't--we're HOT--they go in the shade for a few days), then tie and hang where there is no chance of getting wet from rain, etc. (shed, garage, etc.). They advise you to save the largest cloves from the pods to plant in the Fall...larger cloves produce larger plants, etc. Good theory but has not always happened for me.

After planting in the Fall, the cloves will start putting down roots then will put up leaves, come Spring it grows rapidly.

Good luck with your garlic (Good stuff and good for you).

Peggy

There are many varieties of garlic and some produce flowering scapes, some produce scapes with bulblets, and some don't seem to flower at all.

My garlic is an heirloom "walking garlic", it produces a scape with small bulblets on it. I harvest the garlic when the scapes have turned fully brown, but usually some or all of the leaves are still green. I dry and hang the cloves and scatter the bulblets in the new bed for garlic. The bulblets produce a small clove the next year; and if that small clove is separated and replanted then it makes a ping-pong ball to fist-sized clove the next year (warning: my fists are small so don't think this is a huge garlic).