My garlic Odyssey

So after you left coasters trashed my discussion about the good garlic I bought by complaining about how I did not grow my own, and then failed to give instructions on how to accomplish that task, I took it upon myself to use that omniscient tool - Google - to learn the basics. I Patiently dug up my tiny garden and stuck 20 or so cloves in two rows. I ignored them for six weeks but yesterday I took a peek and, as predicted, there are two rows of thin green reeds growing out of the ground. Google says this is normal before the winter freeze, so I will just leave them until next summer. Considering how pathetic most of my garden efforts turn out, this is a positive development and it was soooooo easy.

Look at it this way: worse comes to worse, you’ve kept the vampires out of your garden during the winter.

Bruce

Did you experiment with different types of garlic?

You’re going to like this, Jay. Here, it’s best to put 4-5 inches of hay on top over the winter. I don’t know if that’s necessary where you are. Do you have a place to hang the garlic to cure it once you pick in July?

I hope you used those heirloom varieties you bought at the farmer’s market and not that cheap Chinese shit.

Too bad the next Bfest is too early for some White Plains Appellation garlic.

I used the Gilroy Garlic I bought that had the roots on the bottom. I was going to plant a row of the Chinese garlic as a test, but I never got around to it. I did not plant multiple varieties because I had such low expectations that it would work.

Does anyone know what will happen if I wait until the ground thaws in the spring and I plant some more then? How about if I plant some now, which is probably only a few weeks before the ground freezes?

It looks like fall is the best, but you could get away with a spring planting.

I just bought a bag of garlic from Spain. I do not know the variety, but I will plant two rows next to my Gilroy US garlic. I have no Chinese garlic at home so I can’t plant any of that.

Jay - You can still plant as the weather has been warm warm warm. If you have planted the hardneck variety the scapes that form next year will provide you with a tasty treat for a pesto, sauteed, chopped into scrambled eggs.

Spring update - I now have multiple rows of green scallion-looking leaves growing tall out of the ground with presumably nice little garlic babies growing just under the surface. I think I’ll go buy some basil to grow alongside it so I can make some fresh pesto.

Try some now as well