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Old May 29, 2018   #13
PureHarvest
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b
Posts: 1,369
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Been awhile since an update.
Pulled scapes a week ago. My 5 year old, 12 year old and I got the whole field done in an hour and 15 minutes. They were a great help.

Plants are stating to look crappy, that is the top growth has stopped and leaf tips and lower leaves are starting to yellow.

I've spent about 4 hours over the last 10 days or so pulling weed seedlings that are coming up around the plants where the hole in the fabric exposes a little soil.
I have 5 of 8 beds done. Trying to find time between everything else and the rain to get it done. Although, I'm thinking that it might not matter at this point as top growth has stopped, and the roots of the garlic are much farther below ground than the weed seedlings. I'm just worried the weeds will double in size every week till harvest and that could affect bulb sizing when their roots eventually get down to where the garlic roots are.

I pulled a plant yesterday and cloves have started to separate.

Looking at pics from last year, leaves were more yellow/brown this time last year even though they looked bigger/better than this year's crop.

I probably harvested a week or two too early last year. I'm thinking end of June this year I will be harvesting.

My dad is going to help me build racks, which is where I will be drying/curing the bulbs.
I am putting them in a 52' long trailer (that a tractor trailer pulls) that I used to use for chicken processing. It has side doors on both sides up towards the front. I will install an old 36" cone greenhouse fan at the tail end and pull air from one end and out the other.
Basically making a wind tunnel.
I am going to cut the tops off the plants before digging with the sickle bar mower attachment on my BCS. I hope to then use the cultivator bar on the Farmall A that my dad bought at auction last fall for $700. It might not get under and lift the bulbs, but I am hoping it at least loosens the soil between the rows without hitting the bulbs. The shanks are 2.5" wide and I have 9" between the rows, so I think I'll be safe.
I'll get pics of the plants soon.

Last edited by PureHarvest; May 29, 2018 at 11:21 AM.
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