Gorgeous Garlic

Last year I tried garlic in the summer and got a few nice, but small bulbs. This year I did it correctly and planted in November and just harvested today - all the tops had yellowed so I figured it was time.

I got big bulbs and plenty of them. No worries about garlic shortages this year. I just planted individual cloves (I am looking at you Middlemamma) from grocery store garlic. I do love harvesting from Mel's Mix because the mix is so loose no tools needed.

Awesome!

That is a gorgeous harvest. How do you plan to preserve it? Or do you plan to have one big stinky feast?

That looks gorgeous! I planted three kinds of garlic last fall and it is doing amazing too. It started growing before the snow was even gone off the beds. I am so excited and can hardly wait to harvest it but will have to wait until August or September for mine.

Gwynn

jazzymaddy wrote:That is a gorgeous harvest. How do you plan to preserve it? Or do you plan to have one big stinky feast?

Good question. I was going to braid and hang and give some away but other than that I was hoping it would just last awhile LOL. I do not have any good ideas. What does one do to preserve garlic?

Let me know if you figure it out. It'll definitely last a whole lot longer than store-bought anyway.

That was my one concern as I considered planting garlic this fall. I'm sure someone will have some insight. Or there's always good old Mr. Google. He's so smart.

BEAUTIFUL GARLIC CHOPPER!

Chopper wrote:I just planted individual cloves (I am looking at you Middlemamma)

ROFL....yeah well I learned my lesson...you should see all the beautiful garlic I have coming up. 20 squares worth! Plan to pickle some of it...braid some of it, give some away....if all the plants I have, have a bulb on the end I should have about 100 bulbs! Can't wait!

In case anyone is wondering why chopper is looking at me, here is the thread where you can read how I planted the whole bulb of garlic last year...per the instructions!

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3570-sometimes-learning-is-stinky-don-t-laugh

Well, I still don't think that was entirely YOUR fault. That was a stupid photo for them to use. Lots of people just look at the pictures and don't bother to read instructions. Some people don't even do that much.

And SETS. When you hear the word 'sets' what do you think of? You think of multiples of like things, right? So if you are planting onion 'SETS' and nobody explains to you what a set is how are you supposed to know that means each INDIVIDUAL little onion bulb?

I would be willing to put money on you not being the only person to make that mistake MM.

Gwynn

Probably not but it sure was entertaining!!! And look at me this year, 2 whole 4X4's with onions and garlic! That'll show 'em eh?

Yup! Way to go girlie!!

Gwynn

Chopper, lookin' gooooood! At Hood River Garlic there is a calendar and curing recommendations for the garlic.

Chopper so lovely !!! I cant wait until I plant garlic at the right time I did it again and planted this spring, knowing it was going to take forever to get them big. I decided when I planted them I would let them go until it was the real time to harvest We will see
Plus I will be planting again this fall for the first time a fall garden Im so excited.
Ha-v-v

Uh-oh! Last Saturday I planted a "clump" of garlic that I purchased planted in a single pot, in one of my squares . Since they seemed fused together, instead of being separated like my onion sets, I thought it was just one big plant!

After reading this thread I'd better dig them up, pull them apart and replant them properly! Thanks for the heads up.

So far the mistakes I have made in the garden have bee humorous and fun to talk about.
Being new at this is fun because even though we make mistakes its all so full of wonder still that it just doesn't hurt like the rest of life's errors.

Mason a week wasn't enough time for them to be a mess..replanting them they will do just fine I would bet. Plant the pointy end of the clove up.

Chopper wrote:

jazzymaddy wrote:That is a gorgeous harvest. How do you plan to preserve it? Or do you plan to have one big stinky feast?

Good question. I was going to braid and hang and give some away but other than that I was hoping it would just last awhile LOL. I do not have any good ideas. What does one do to preserve garlic?

One your garlic harvest has been picked, don't leave it laying on the ground. Too much sun can "burn" the garlic and cause its taste to deteriorate. Instead get it inside quickly, brush off the soil (don't wash it!) and leave hanging in a dry place for a couple of weeks.

http://www.garlic-central.com/growing/harvest.html

or
Growing garlic in your garden? Drying it for long-term storage is a snap.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 3-4 weeks
Here's How:

1. Place the entire garlic plant (bulb, roots and stalk) in a cool, dry place. You can tie the garlic in bunches and hang it, or spread your harvest out on a rack. Either way, good ventilation is a must.
   
2. Allow the garlic to dry for a few weeks (elephant garlic needs at least four weeks to cure). The outer wrapper will papery and shrunken when the garlic is dry.
   
3. Once dry, trim the roots close to the bulb (leave about a half-inch remaining).
   
4. Use a soft brush to remove any dirt from the bulb. The outer layer of the wrapper can be removed, if further cleaning is desired – but try not to remove much more than that.
   
5. Leave the stalks intact, if you plan to braid your garlic. Trim them to within an inch or two of the bulb if you plan to store your garlic loose.
   
6. Your garlic is now ready for storage! Keep it in a cool, dry place and it should stay fresh for months.
   

Tips:

1. Save some of your biggest bulbs for planting next year
   
2. Only undamaged bulbs should be dried for storage. If you nick a bulb while digging it up, you'll need to use it right away
   
3. Use some of your garlic to make your own garlic powder
   

What You Need:

• Freshly dug garlic
  
• A soft brush for scrubbing
  
• Scissors
  

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/storingfoods/ht/How-To-Dry-Garlic.htm

What a great harvest.
I'm curious.....Did you cut odd the 'scapes' and eat them first before the garlic itself was ready for harvesting? That would make it a double harvest.

Thanks b-143! I put the garlic to dry on a table in the shade. I am going to wipe the rest of the dirt off tomorrow and braid the ones whose stalks are still intact and line the rest up for first use. At least we don't have to worry about vampires in the near future.

The garlic I planted in the summer last year was still good, but they were smaller. So no worries on off season planting.

beautiful Chopper. You can peel the cloves and store them in olive oil too. Put them in a pretty jar and it would be a gift I know I would be happy to recive.

quiltbea wrote:What a great harvest.
I'm curious.....Did you cut odd the 'scapes' and eat them first before the garlic itself was ready for harvesting? That would make it a double harvest.

Quiltbea, I don't understand what you mean by this. Could you explain? Anytime you can get twice the harvest for less work is right up my alley.

Maybe they were right.....hippies = lazy.

Gwynn

Garlic scapes are the green tops... here, this explains it:

"Here's the anatomy lesson: Garlic and its relatives in the allium family, (leeks, chives, onions) grows underground, where the bulb begins its journey, soft and onion-like. As the bulb gets harder (and more like the garlic we know), a shoot pokes its way through the ground. Chlorophyll- green like a scallion (maybe even greener), the shoot is long and thin and pliable enough to curl into gorgeous tendrils.

This stage of growth is the garlic scape, folks. If left unattended, the scape will harden and transform from green to the familiar opaque white/beige color of garlic peel. Keeping the shoot attached will also curtail further growth of the bulb. So, in an effort to allow the garlic to keep growing, the farmer is getting a two-fer with this edible delectable that cooks are just beginning to discover."





Evidently, they make WONDERFUL pesto!

Oh how very cool! Thanks for that. My garlic has never made those scapes. What's up with that? Is my growing season too short maybe?

Gwynn

Sorry, I didn't come back til now.
Great pictures tril.

They form the scapes nearing the end of their maturity and if you don't cut them off, the garlic will stop growing underground, but if you cut it off, the garlic continues to grow. So cut them off and get bigger garlic.

You cut them off where the leaf and stalk join, forming a sort of joint or not smooth spot on it, like a growth spurt on a rose.

These are good in soups and stews and in stir fries.

Thanks QB!

Gwynn

What do they taste like?

buttaflie143 wrote:What do they taste like?

Mellow garlic flavor