Garlic all came up!

[Father'sDaughter]

In my forth year (I think) of growing garlic, I had every single bulb I planted sprout! Every other year I would have a few gaps here and there where bulbs failed to grow. After the worst and longest winter we've had in a while, I ended up with 100% germination! I'm growing four varieties all from third and fourth generation saved seed stock -- German White, Music, Spanish Roja and German Red.

[peppero]

Nothing succeeds like success. Garlic is a wonderful crop and it appears I will have a great one this year.

jon

[Dak]

That's great! If your garlic is just coming up now, when will they be ready to harvest? Is this considered late for your area? Wondering how this hard winter is affecting you guys on the east coast.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Dak

That's great! If your garlic is just coming up now, when will they be ready to harvest? Is this considered late for your area? Wondering how this hard winter is affecting you guys on the east coast.

It'll be interesting to see what happens this year. They were just barely poking through when the mulch hay had thawed enough to start pulling it back. Now two weeks later they are about 6" high with multiple leaves and looking very happy despite the last couple of nights when the temp. dipped into the mid 20's.

My first year, with purchased seed stock for German White and Music, I think I harvested in early August, which I had been told was typical for my area. The following years, those two were ready for harvest by the first week of July.

The first year I added the Spanish Roja and German Red, they were harvested two weeks after the other two. Last year the reds lagged behind by only one week. I'm waiting to see if they catch up this year.

[Doug9345]

It's the first year that I've grown garlic, but it's been coming up in good shape, at least most of it has. I've always read and also I've been told that hard neck garlic does better in the north than soft neck. Last fall I was given a few cloves of German red and Italian white which I planted along with about a hundred cloves of soft neck I bought from the grocery store. I figured the most that I had to loose was $3 if the soft neck didn't make it. Well it looks like the soft neck is doing bettwe thatn the hard neck.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

It's the first year that I've grown garlic, but it's been coming up in good shape, at least most of it has. I've always read and also I've been told that hard neck garlic does better in the north than soft neck. Last fall I was given a few cloves of German red and Italian white which I planted along with about a hundred cloves of soft neck I bought from the grocery store. I figured the most that I had to loose was $3 if the soft neck didn't make it. Well it looks like the soft neck is doing bettwe thatn the hard neck.

But you won't get any scapes from the soft neck, and they are the reason I grow so much garlic! I've completely abandoned basil pesto, which I used to love, in favor of garlic scape pesto. It takes about 10-12 scapes to make enough pesto for a pound of pasta.

Glad to hear it's doing well!

[ohiofem]

This was my first year growing soft neck garlic, and I don't think it survived our record breaking cold temps in Southwest Ohio. At least two dozen out of three dozen cloves I planted last October sprouted in the fall, but those sprouts were gone by time the last snow melted a month ago. Oregano, chives and tarragon in the same bed came back to life, but no garlic. I grew hard neck garlic in the same bed in 2011 and 2012, and it did well. Is it possible that some critter, like a squirrel, killed it? There were a bunch of little holes in the bed when I pulled away the two inches of straw I mulched it with. There are a lot of walnut trees at the edge of my yard, and the squirrels bury them everywhere. I know walnut trees can kill some plants, but I don't think that includes alliums.

[Zeedman]

Originally Posted by ohiofem

Is it possible that some critter, like a squirrel, killed it? There were a bunch of little holes in the bed when I pulled away the two inches of straw I mulched it with.

Between the unrelenting cold & the fact that the snow cover was pretty much continuous this winter, mouse activity beneath the snow was very bad here... tunnels were evident everywhere once the snow finally melted. With heavy mulch for cover, it wouldn't surprise me if they chose to use the garlic cloves as a convenient food supply.

My patch ended up not being mulched last year, but it has started coming up & doesn't seem to have suffered much winter kill. Unfortunately, deer have taken an interest in the green shoots, to the point where they have worn a trail into the row. They don't eat it - just stomp on it. After the nearly 8" of rain we had last week, it is still too muddy for me to get in to put up a fence... I may need to wade through the mud, and throw some tomato cages over the garlic to protect it.

[Vespertino]

It's so exciting when new things sprout up the the garden. Congratz on every single garlic waking up for spring!

[guruofgardens]

Father's Daughter - could you please share your scape pesto? Our garlic is growing quite well with only about 5 that didn't show. We're growing only one kind this year - Estonian Red. If anyone wants to trade this Fall, I know I'll have lots to trade.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by guruofgardens

Father's Daughter - could you please share your scape pesto? Our garlic is growing quite well with only about 5 that didn't show. We're growing only one kind this year - Estonian Red. If anyone wants to trade this Fall, I know I'll have lots to trade.

Sure! I use the recipe here -- http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2009/0...-to-be-on.html

My only modification is that I use toasted walnuts because I often have them on hand. I pack it into 1 cup plastic containers, put it in the freezer until solid, then pop it out, double wrap it in plastic, and seal several discs in a ziplock freezer bag. I've kept it for over a year but the intensity of flavor does start to diminish a little. Each disc is enough for a pound of pasta.

[guruofgardens]

Thanks so much! I freeze most of the garden produce for soups, etc. for the winter, and this recipe will definitely be used in June. Come August or so, ripe tomatoes will be added to the pesto and pasta, and maybe chicken.

Thanks SO MUCH for an easy summer dinner. I love these kind of easier meals!

[mensplace]

Last year, due to my health, I was not able to get into the garden much, so must admit that the garlic I should have harvested stayed in the ground. This year I now have garlic coming up, after one of the coldest and longest winters I remember, that is over a foot tall already and in VERY dense rows. Will be interesting to find what I actually harvest in a few months! Garlic is obviously one hardy plant.

[Vespertino]

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy heirloom garlic? I'm quite bored with the standard grocery store garlic. I bought some wonderful garlic at the farmers market but at $6 a bulb I'm contemplating growing some myself

[Dak]

I was really happy with Filaree Garlic Farms and Hood River.