Garlic update
Remember these?
Garlic scapes are tall this year. Amazingly, some of ours grew over 6' high-- and the florets and bulbils are quickly developing. See these? They grew from a variety of garlic that offers larger bulbs than normal. Yours may be different in appearance; in our seed catalogs earlier this spring there were over **20 varieties of garlic offered . |
| Immature Garlic florets with bulbils |
It won't be long before we get to plant the 'little bulbs' or bulbils. It is no longer necessary to buy garlic 'seed'.
Note the bulbils must be allowed to fully ripen for the best growth performance when planted .
After the skin on the florets begins to dry, splits, and the bulbils begin to ripen, it is time to collect them. Cut the scapes long, let them air-dry them carefully for a few days or a week. When dry, you can cut off the florets, separate the bulbils and plant them.
These bulbils in this photo will be the 'seed' or starters for a whole new generation and crop of top-quality, organically grown garlic.
The largest of the bulbils --like the beauties below-will be dried , separated and planted a couple or three weeks before the ground freezes hard.
These bulbils are almost a half inch in diameter.
Planting them this fall will result in some rounded garlic bulbs, (displaying no clove sections) next fall which can be planted again, -- or garlic bulbs with clove sections --which can be divided. Naturally, only the largest cloves will be replanted.
Two or three weeks after fall planting, if you happen to dig one of these bulbils up you'll see that a substantial root system has already developed, --which give the garlic plant a great head start for growth in the spring. The root system goes dormant when the ground freezes hard.
Ideally, for your area, remember to plant garlic with just enough time to allow development of roots without surface growth before the ground freezes solid. Why?
Top growth would simply die back when the ground freezes--setting the plants back and using up valuable energy from the bulb.
Smaller floret bulbils can be planted too, -- or simply peeled and frozen for cooking like any garlic clove.
While planting garlic bulbils, don't forget that it's also the right time to ripen and divide mature garlic bulbs you have harvested. Always be selective and plant the largest cloves for a wonderful crop again next fall !
**Don't be surprised if there's another update on Garlic. Why? We learn new stuff every day. So it goes with garlic, too!
At the Nolalu Market, a small, dedicated collection of growers and vendors sells fresh organic produce, baking and crafts every Friday evening. Recently I was fortunate enough to meet a new vendor that grows many varieties of garlic. He has a list of 40 or more !!
I only have TWO types under cultivation --- so far, that is!
Am I missing out on the potential genuine gusto of garlic or what? We'll certainly be remedying that situation! The challenge is on! How many varieties do we need? As many as possible!
More to come on that one for sure...more information, more varieties, and more gusto!
Is that Incoming I hear ?
Note to self: Get some garlic planted before winter.
ReplyDeleteHi Glory, ...absolutely, get garlic planted before winter--for fabulous growth in the spring. Great stuff! You'll love it! Thanks for commenting! ":) R
DeleteWhat is the difference in the flavor of the two you have now?
ReplyDeleteRed.
Red, the smaller variety is spicier, the larger variety seems to be hotter and stronger. I understand that MANY of the varieties offer their own unique flavour. We'll see. Grow some, you'll like it! ":) ~R
ReplyDeleteI actually love it. I grew up on shallots, so I know the different breeds have different flavors. I am less interested in their names, but I could always smell the difference when we pulled them or cut them. I have been known to add the greens in place of onion at times for added punch to dishes.
DeleteRed.
Red, that's wonderful because not many people recognize the subtle differences between the varieties. According to the garlic grower I met, some are even used for different purposes. Btw, the 'scapes' when young and tender, including the floret- make a great addition to green salads, any stir fry, soup or stew. We even use the leaves at times. Thanks for commenting! ":)
DeleteDo you mulch them for overwintering with straw or anything? I had considered trying to grow garlic at one time, but never did.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike, we mulch everything, but garlic doesn't seem to be damaged by freezing. If you don't mulch, plant your garlic cloves about 2" deep or so this fall.
DeleteWhat we did last fall was a hybrid mulch process in some ways because we have heavy soil. WE set the garlic cloves just into the loosened (lightly tilled) soil, (maybe an inch deep )and cover them with soil mixed with peat moss. We also added an inch of peat moss to help remedy the heavy soil when it is tilled next year... and it also insulates a bit reducing frost penetration and retains moisture.
We did also add a couple of inches of fine hay mulch on top --of which a lot decays down fast over the winter. Leaves or lawn clippings will do the same thing. As an alternative you could put 6" of mulch on top and rake it off in the spring after the snow melts.
The mulch we used did not prevent or slow down the emergence of the garlic this spring and the scapes grew up to 6' high, so it must have worked...":) Try growing some, it will grow fine in your location. I say 'go for it'! Thanks for commenting! ~R
You know Raymond, I never did get around to planting Garlic this year.. But its not too late. :-) thanks for the reminder and just loved those photo's too.. Sue
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, it's not too late to plant garlic. Try and get it in the ground a couple of weeks before the ground freezes--it depends where you are geographically. If the ground does NOT freeze, plant it after the first or second killing frost. The idea is to develop roots but not top growth prior to spring. You can do it! ":)) ~R
DeleteThanks for that advice Raymond.. I will... and yes I can.. :-)
DeleteGo for it, Sue, yes, you CAN! Blessings to you, my friend! ~R ":)
Deletehow deep do you plant garlic bulbils in Zone 2?
ReplyDeleteEveryone growing garlic in NW Ontario should be aware that dry conditions suffered during this past summer require a bit more attention.
ReplyDeleteThis season most garlic scapes did not develop normally, growth was poorer with hot weather and the overall size of the bulbs produced were a bit smaller. And in our location, that was with additional watering.
Planting now in the fall requires the same process, before the ground freezes hard, (in zone 2-3) trench about 8' deep with a V-tool, add about 2" of peat moss in the bottom, and plant the best cloves possible about 4" apart--and ensure there is a root plate on every clove. Snuggle them down firmly into the peat moss.
*Cover the bulbs with an inch or two peat moss and fill the rest of the trench with soil. Peat moss prevents weeds rooting adjacent to the cloves.
Finally, and most importantly, add 4-6" or more of clean mulch.
Old hay, straw, or those bags of lawn clippings can all be used.
Bulbs will freeze , turn kind of 'transparent' and WILL fail to grow if frozen. Mulch insulates the garlic bed and helps retain moisture.
We have successfully use old hay specifically harvested for that purpose --basically chopped hay mulch that has been piled on the ground, allowed to get rained upon, compacted and heated (as organic piles always do).
This process destroys the majority of weed seeds in the mulch.
The unseen benefit of mulching is the feeding of earthworms, which eventually eat part of the mulch at the soil interface and enrich the soil with castings.
Straw or other materials can be used for mulch. Shredded paper (ink-free) leaves, composted sawdust, etc. can be used.
The objective is to plant the best cloves possible, as late as possible to avoid ANY new top growth. The cloves develop amazing root systems in preparation for spring growth.
Happy planting! Good luck!