Garlic

[Ice_Fishin07]

hey guys!

where do I get the seed for german red?

[Grainbelt]

I just got my bulbs from Territorial Seed which used to advertise at the bottom of the page. I got them in the ground before the rain today. German red, Chesnock red, and Polish white Softneck.

Big Al, where are you storing your garlic to have them last so long?

[Big-Al]

Grainbelt-

We am pretty sure the main reason we have had excellent luck in my garlic keeping is the curing as much as to where we store it. The first thing is to dig it, not pull it. That way the roots remain attached. We don't wash it, but hopefully dig it when it is dry so that way the dirt does not cling as much. We tie it in bunches with tops attached and hang it in the garage for about a month. Then trim the tops and roots and we store it in a northwest cabinet in a wicker basket in a poorly insulated area of the kitchen. I am sure it stays below 50 for most of the winter. We just threw out the last of what was harvested 15 months ago.

We planted next year's crop two day ago. We would normally have it in earlier than this but have been away from home because of work for the past month. I think that this was a blessing in disguise because of the long stretch of warm weather. I would guess if was in the ground three weeks ago it may have sprouted above ground by now and that is not what you want to happen. I think the ground is plenty warm for it to start to grow and form roots even if it cools rapidly from here on out. We doubled our crop size this year to well over 600 plants so we should have some to market next year.

[Big-Al]

Hey Ice_Fishin07 shoot me I PM. I mazy be able to help you if you are still looking.

[SkunkedAgain]

Well I didn't plant any garlic in the fall. However, I still had my last couple bulbs of garlic left from the harvest last season so I threw some in the ground. I know that garlic needs the cold treatment to really thrive, so we'll see how they turn out this year.

[Tator2k]

I planted two types last fall, 10 bulbs of Romanian Red and Georgia Fire.

My plants started spouting about a month ago and are now 6-10 inches in length.

[SkunkedAgain]

Nice. You'll have scapes in no time!

[Tator2k]

scapes haven't curled yet but they're getting long. Should I wait until they flower or should I clip them now?

[Big-Al]

I wait for full curl but don't let them flower.

[Tator2k]

First leaves are turning brown and scapes are 6-9" long starting to curl.

[half-dutch]

Well I didn't plant any garlic in the fall. However, I still had my last couple bulbs of garlic left from the harvest last season so I threw some in the ground. I know that garlic needs the cold treatment to really thrive, so we'll see how they turn out this year.

I never had any luck spring planting garlic; so for the first time last fall, I put in a set to winter over. I never had garlic before like I do this year. The variety I planted was Music and that has proved to be real impressive, big plants with heavy vigorous stems, all with flower stems now pretty well curled. We will see what the bulbs look like when it is time to dig.

[SkunkedAgain]

Yup, and this year I don't even have flowers yet. They need the cold. I doubt that I'll get good garlic but as I weeded over the weekend, I could tell that the scapes were smelling great. I'll have those at the very least. Good luck with your crop

[Tator2k]

My lower leaves are really turning and the scapes have took off after the rain. These seem to be really early for the season, but I think because of the early spring these should be really to pluck the scapes shortly.

[Tator2k]

I have another question. I've had the scapes harvested about a month ago now. Should I be seeing all the leaves turning brown? Is this when the bulbs begin to grow? When should I start to look to harvest them from drying? Thank you.

[Big-Al]

The leaves on mine are browning prematurely also. The bulbs are not very large compared to the last couple of years. I don't thing it has liked the summer very well. Plenty wet spring and then really wet from 7 inches of rain and then day after day of heat. I am not expecting a very good harvest. I will probably look at harvesting in the next week or two which would be a week or two earlier than normal. I usually harvest when the bottom half leaves turn brown. Many of my plants are completely brown.

Remember when you do harvest to dig and not pull. Is your garlic in Lakeville or Deer River?

[Tator2k]

My plants are majority brown right now. I've even tried to keep watering them and it's not helping.

These guys are in Lakeville.

I built a new bigger raised bed for garlic for next year. So hopefully I can retain some sort of harvest. I dug up one of the smaller plants and the bulbs are about the size of table onions.

Ironically the rest of the fruits and veggies are going crazy.

[SkunkedAgain]

Do any of you rotate your garlic location year-to-year?

My garlic plants are mostly brown too and will be harvested soon.

[Tator2k]

I just haphazardly planted mine in the ground where ever I found room last year. I have a new area solely for garlic filled with the black dirt from behind my folks old barn... Apparently the punkins, in that area currently, like it alot. Biggest plants I've ever seen.

[Big-Al]

I harvested (remember to dig not pull to keep as many roots intact as possible) about half of mine on July 27 and the rest August 1. I lost around one third of it to rot due to the very wet conditions (I am guessing) for a good part of the growing year. It is now bunched and hanging so I am hoping what I have will cure well and store well. The bulbs averaged somewhat smaller than they have the last few years. I am thinking that the wet weather and then a couple of weeks of very hot weather did not do it any good.

[Tator2k]

Mine are small as well. My soil was fairly dry so I don't see any rot. I have a bunch of each type hanging in the garage. We'll see what they look and taste like in a bit.

[SkunkedAgain]

I pulled mine a week or two ago. They were all terribly small but again, I planted this spring in the same spot as last year. Now that we've got an official vegetable garden I will do some crop rotation. My pumpkin plant stretches out about 20-25 feet in four directions so that might be my garlic spot!

[Grainbelt]

I dug mine out on the 1st of July. They all showed the signs of being ready, brown leaves over half way up the plant and some all brown. The polish softnecks were good sized and the German red and Chesnock red were a bit small. I let them hang and cure a month and have them all sacked up in an onion bag in the coolest part of my basement now.

This was my first year growing garlic. I spent a lot of time weeding and mulching. I thought I had a real nice patch of garlic by the size of the plants. For $45 worth of cloves that I planted last fall and all the work involved, it definitely wasn't worth it for one small sack of garlic.

[SkunkedAgain]

$45...hmmm

Is that the online price? When I did the process correctly two years ago, I just went to a farmers market and bought three bulbs for probably $5. I ate a bunch of the cloves and probably planted ten of them. That felt like a good deal. $45 for a small sack in return does sound bad.

[Grainbelt]

I should have gone that route. I bought 3-8 oz packs from territorial seed advertised on this site. I guess one positive spin to this is I have good genetics for planting stock now and won't have to purchase again for this fall. Hopefully I'll get a larger harvest.

[Big-Al]

I don't think $45 is all that much to get good genetics established in a variety that you want to grow. In a couple years you should have plenty to use as seed and all you can eat. I have just one variety at present but I think I will branch into something else soon. If there is anyone out there that would like to trade some German red for another variety I would be game.