Garlic trouble

Its garlic time again, time to plant garlic, daffodils and onions. Actually, I planted it in early November when it was beginning to get chilly. However, the past few weeks the weather has been nice and now my garlic has sprouted... now what?

So, I called Ms. Kaman of River Garden in the Bronx. Below is a summary of our conversation:

Ms. Kaman: I knew this winter would not get cold fast so I am waiting to plant my garlic. The ideal time to plant garlic is in September or October if you have a cold winter. The risk is if you plant your garlic early and the is warm the garlic may sprout. We plant garlic so it can store energy over-winter and create a large bulb. When the plant begins to sprout the energy goes into producing leaves.

Me: I realize that when it does get cold the bulb will rot. So what can I do?

Ms. Kaman: First harvest the garlic scapes off each plant.  "You can cut off green that sprouted, it's-great for stir fry." Next cover each plant with a mound of soil. The mound of soil will serve as an umbrella allowing water or snow to run down so the bulb won't get soaked. That's it. So, when are you coming to the garden next?