Garlic garden

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blissful

Master Chef
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Mar 25, 2008
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I'm sorry I've been MIA lately, though I check in most nights to read all your good posts. I miss you all.

This last week-end I put in a garlic garden. Prepared the soil by adding composted manure, more soil, straw, rototilling it into a nice loose base. Planted about 350 cloves of garlic with the hope of having 350 globes/bulbs of garlic by next July. Covered with 4-6 inches of straw.
I love garlic, but, this will be more than I'll need, so maybe I'll sell some of it.
Anyone else have a garlic garden?
I made sure all the cloves were planted solidly upright, w/root section down, 2 inches into the dirt, spacing rows at 1 foot, spacing cloves in rows at 8 inches. I'm really excited about it. My co-workers think it's wierd to be planting in the fall and suspect my neighbors were laughing at me when I planted on Sunday.
Bliss
 
I planted garlic about a week ago, too. I sprouted them from store-bought cloves in a pot. Winter is the only time we can grow them down here so it's not weird at all to me! They're so cheap at the store, I'm really only growing them for fun. I'm gonna try and make one of those braided garlic wreaths. :)
 
Bliss, not weird at all. I just planted garlic a couple weeks ago and it's growing fast! This is the time of year we plant in the Southwest as AJ said. I planted some sprouted cloves that I had in my refrigerator. This is the first time growing garlic for me... only I planted just a handful (and a lot of other things, vegies mostly). Maybe you could "can" some of your abundant garlic for gifts for friends and family too! My son is crazy for garlic stuffed jalapenos. LOL... He buys them at farmers markets. :wub: Cindy
 
Well that's three of us. :LOL:
I've heard you can plant them in pots too.
I like those braids too, I wonder what they sell for these days.
I don't know that garlic can be canned, I've not heard that.
Garlic stuffed jalapeno's sound interesting, I'll have to search out some recipes and see if there are some out there.
Garlic chicken, roasted garlic spread on toasted bread, garlic butter.....what is garlic not good with?
I hear that when garlic is harvested, it needs to be brushed clean of dirt and hung up to dry and they need to dry very well to last 10-12 months in cool dry storage.
 
just curious, do you guys notice a difference in taste when you grow the garlic yourself? I am thinking about doing it so I was so wondering. Thanks!
 
I'm doing a winter garden for the first time this year. I grew up in a cold winter climate, so winter gardening does seem weird. I just planted garlic, shallots and onions in one of my beds and in pots. I hope it goes well.

And, picked garlic is a good way to preserve a bumper crop. It's delicious. Just make sure you're alone or that everyone is eating it. It does a number on your breath ;)
 
Not sure about canning garlic myself..Sometimes it's just easier to buy it already prepared.You can pickle and dehydrate garlic..

Gourmet Garlic Gardens Preserving Garlic

Munky.

Great link about garlic, Munky, thanks!

I grow the Porcelain variety mentioned in the link. It is almost time to plant it here where I live, between mid October and mid November. I have had good luck selling planting stock through eBay. We tried to grow about 700 bulbes in 2008/2009 and lost a full 20% to rot, it was too wet in the garden where the garlic was planted. I have started to dry garlic; in powder, granules and chips. I love garlic!
 
I do it every year as well. Dont be alarmed if when u get a warm week in november or december, the start to emerge from the ground a few inches. Ive had that happen to me almost every year, but the plants are hardy enough to survive the winter ( at least here in NY). I havnt planted mine yet, thanks for reminding me .
 
I planted cloves from two heads of garlic two weeks ago. They are all sprouting. This will be my second year growing garlic. I LOVE garlic and am looking forward to summer when I can harvest it.

Also, garlic and onions are the only plants I've never had any problems growing. Guess the bugs don't care for them too much. :)
 
I'm glad to see so many people growing garlic.

Sourcream15--I imagine my garlic will taste much like the cloves I have left from planting--the small ones, medium warm, nice garlicy aftertaste that doesn't last too long. I'll find out when I harvest in July. Next time I taste it I'll make notes.

I really enjoy roasting a big bulb of garlic, head cut at the top, wrapped in foil, drizzled with olive oil, then baked in the oven until the cloves are cooked and soft, then take the cloves and squish out the middle to spread on toasted bread.
Yesterday we added minced fresh garlic to gnocci, and we made garlic mashed potatoes over the week-end.

Nice tip Larry, about fall spouting not harming the garlic for the next year. Happy garlicing!
 
I planted garlic as a pest control measure. A new hibiscus plant in my yard became infested with tiny ahpids and someone suggested using garlic rather that insecticide. I planted garlic cloves all around the hibiscus and the insects went away. If the garlic is responsible for that it is a great two for one. The insects are dealt with and you get lots of home grown garlic.
 
Hi all,

I started growing garlic for the first time last year. I bought three different varieties, from gourmet garlic and planted in late fall. Gourmet Garlic is a good place to order and I would urge anyone to order from them.

I feel there are a couple of advantages of growing garlic rather than buying it in a store. First off homegrown garlic taste so much better. Garlic of one of those foods that starts to lose flavor from the moment you pick it. There are many qualities that supermarket garlic just simply doesn't have, much like a potato. The other reason is garlic scape's. These things are a wonderful treat about mid-way thru the garlic growing season.

As far as I'm concerned...if you like food, cooking or simply just have a mouth with taste buds intact I would not hesitate to grow some garlic.

I've heard of people growing supermarket varieties and running into some troubles. I've only grown heirloom garlic varieties and have no experience with growing the supermarket bulbs. But...if you have problems with growing the supermarket bulbs or the taste of these bulbs, I wouldn't give up yet. I would try a different source.

enjoy the garlic!
dan
 
This reminds me of a book I once saw when I worked in a library... called "Roses love garlic" (can't remember the author) all about plants you can plant together to keep bugs and small furry ones away.

I never thought to grow my own garlic... but then again, I garden off of a small 3rd floor balcony and I don't think it would be able to support the weight of all of the garlic that I would want to grow :-D
 
Garlic Garden

I grew garlic here in Southeast Pa. and always planted in the fall September usually, and I was told by an old time Garlic King that the theory is when you plant it it will start to grow and then become dormant when the cold weather hits and in the spring it will emerge with vigor with the spring rains. I always had good luck doing it this way. I tried planting in the spring but woul get tiny bulbs.
 
My garlic has been growing pretty strongly now for the last month or so.

I also just planted a few rows of shallots. Those things are so expensive in the store! I figure it's definitely worth it to grow your own of those. And the funny thing is, the "seed" shallots I bought at the hardware store, were bigger than the ones in the grocery store and were cheaper! Shallots are supposed to be even easier to grow than onions so I got high hopes for them.
 
Thanks Schllac for the info on garlic. Many times the gardening rules are a little different down here in south Florida. Sometimes the rules are totally backwards from other areas. I did plant my first garlic last fall and they look good so far and I can hardly wait to have my own home grown garlic.
 
I have garlic in most of my flower beds. The garlic is great but the added bonus is it flowers beautifully. I love the flowers on the Elephant Garlic. (FYI, Elephant Garlic is technically a leek but tastes more like garlic than a leek)
 
When the garlic starts sending up the garlic scapes you can let them grow a little bit. Then cut them, enjoy them in dishes too...they're wonderful. Cutting the scape will prevent the flower from growing, because there is no flower more of the plants food/energy will go toward bulb production. Not nearly as pretty...but tastes better :)

enjoy the garlic!
dan
 
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