In deference to my young cousins who are students at Texas A&M - I will NOT tell the "Green Side Up" joke ...
But yeah - green side up!
Garlic?
- Thread starter spryte
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
In deference to my young cousins who are students at Texas A&M - I will NOT tell the "Green Side Up" joke ...
But yeah - green side up!
JillBurgh
Sous Chef
This is a very helpful post. Thanks for starting it, Spryte. I planted my onions and (second-year) asparagus this week, so I might as well pop in some garlic with it. They'll probably all be ready at the same time! And we'll have roasted asparagus and onions with garlic mmmm.
One question- Do I peel the cloves before planting, or leave the skin on? Does it even matter?
One question- Do I peel the cloves before planting, or leave the skin on? Does it even matter?
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spryte
Senior Cook
YUM!
I'm not sure if someone posted it here... or if it was in one of the links... leave the paper/skin on... but it's not that big a deal if it comes off. =)
I'm not sure if someone posted it here... or if it was in one of the links... leave the paper/skin on... but it's not that big a deal if it comes off. =)
bethzaring
Master Chef
I'm not following your logic on planting your asparagus and garlic and the same time and having them ready at the same time. When do you expect them to be ready?
Yes, you leave the skin on each clove of garlic.
JillBurgh
Sous Chef
Well, the asparagus plants were a gift from a friend. She said that they are two years old and that we should expect to get stalks this year. I expected that I could harvest the asparagus late this summer? Am I wrong?
bethzaring
Master Chef
I think so, from my understanding. If you have just recently planted 2 year old crowns, you can take a light harvest next spring and full harvests after that. Asparagus is a spring harvested vegetable. You harvest them when they first start popping up each spring. Here in southern Ohio, my asparagus just started coming up last week. And I am working with a new bed that has one, two and three year old crowns. I am not touching the two year old crowns, even though they look enormous. It will weaken the plants to harvest from the two year old crowns. They need this time to grow and establish themselves in order to produce for the next 20+ years. By late summer, they should be tall ferns, nothing you would be tempted to harvest to eat.
I am only relating what I have read and I am following the recommendations on my new (and old) asparagus bed. I have not tried to harvest two year old plants on either my new or old bed. My old bed lasted 22 years so the recommendations do seem prudent. Good luck, you are lucky to have these asparagus plants!
bethzaring
Master Chef
I even cultivate "wild" garlic.
If I see some anywhere, I dig it up and take it home. I plant it and ever year I have more. I only dig what I can use and make sure I take a little here and here in the bed evenly. The rest I just let grow.
Wild garlic has a stronger, and I think better flavor than cultivated garlic. My family and friends like it better than store garlic.
If I see some anywhere, I dig it up and take it home. I plant it and ever year I have more. I only dig what I can use and make sure I take a little here and here in the bed evenly. The rest I just let grow.
Wild garlic has a stronger, and I think better flavor than cultivated garlic. My family and friends like it better than store garlic.
bethzaring
Master Chef
This post reminded me that there are a whole lot more varities of garlic than "store bought" garlic.. If store bought is all you have ever had, you are in for a treat!
Garlic isn't just garlic, there are many different kinds of garlic and they're almost all different in size, color, shape, taste, number of cloves per bulb, pungency and storability. Most Americans aren't aware of the many kinds since they seldom see more than one kind in the local supermarket. There are said to be over 600 cultivated sub-varieties of garlic in the world, although most of them may be selections of only a handful of basic types that have been grown widely and developed their own characteristics over the centuries as local growing conditions changed.
Botanists classify all true garlics under the species Allium Sativum. There are two subspecies; Ophioscorodon , or hard-necked garlics (Ophios for short) and Sativum , or soft-necked garlics. The hard-necked garlics were the original garlics and the soft-necked ones were developed or cultivated over the centuries by growers from the original hard-necks through a process of selection.
the link...
An Overview of the five varieties and 17 sub-varieties of Garlic
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spryte
Senior Cook
Very interesting site!!
bethzaring
Master Chef
well, I think garlic is quite facinating, and I did learn a few things from this link. But it makes me wonder, how many folks here think "store bought" garlic is all there is?
Not me by any means!
If you have only eaten store garlic, you have a whole new taste experience ahead.
LOL!
I actually had a couple of people look at me funny, and look at the food I was cooking as if to say, "I wonder if that is safe to eat."
But then the heavenly aroma got to them and they pigged out and loved it.
If you have only eaten store garlic, you have a whole new taste experience ahead.
LOL!
I actually had a couple of people look at me funny, and look at the food I was cooking as if to say, "I wonder if that is safe to eat."
But then the heavenly aroma got to them and they pigged out and loved it.
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spryte
Senior Cook
well, I think garlic is quite facinating, and I did learn a few things from this link. But it makes me wonder, how many folks here think "store bought" garlic is all there is?
You know... I never really even thought about it.... but now I'd love to try other kinds.
JillBurgh
Sous Chef
Ah shucks. Thanks for setting me straight. I'll go do some studying!
Bilby
Executive Chef
You get a new spear appear over night. If you leave it too long, it becomes part of the crown. My asparagus is two years old in the ground and nearly a year old when it was planted. Am planning on taking the spears this year.
VeraBlue
Executive Chef
Okay, just want to make sure I'm clear on this....if I plant a single clove, I'll get a whole bulb??
Best time to do this is October? When is best for harvest, then?
Best time to do this is October? When is best for harvest, then?
bethzaring
Master Chef
yes VB, one whole clove will yield one whole bulb.
Best time to plant is Oct/nov, depending on your location/zone. You harvest when the lower 1/3 rd of the plants leaves start to yellow, the top 2/3rds will still be green. Harvest promptly because the clove will continue to grow, then split, then rot. Harvesting is critical, you have to pay attention, or you lose the crop.
Best time to plant is Oct/nov, depending on your location/zone. You harvest when the lower 1/3 rd of the plants leaves start to yellow, the top 2/3rds will still be green. Harvest promptly because the clove will continue to grow, then split, then rot. Harvesting is critical, you have to pay attention, or you lose the crop.
bethzaring
Master Chef
oh, and do shop around for different varities, I listed a few links that sell many different varities. They will be available around August for fall planting. But I see where some places are taking orders already.
VeraBlue
Executive Chef
last question...does the original clove become part of the new bulb?
bethzaring
Master Chef
no it does not. Just like a potato or onion set, the garlic clove is food/sustanence for the new plant until the roots get established to obtain its nutrients through the roots. The clove/potato/onion set turns to a rotten mush.
