Planting After Onions and Garlic

[vfem]

I am planning on using at least part of the 6' x 6' onion and garlic bed after I pull what is there. I need to allow everything to dry out for a week or so before I pull stuff first.

So my question is, should I turn in some more compost... which after growing since October has probably eaten up quite a bit out their? Also what plants should do well after them? I'm planning on planting a cover crop of clover over winter after the next planting.

 

[lesa]

If you have compost handy, I wouldn't think it would hurt to add some... I am planning on planting cool weather crops when I pull my garlic. That is pretty much my only choice (since I have a short growing season), I would think you would have more options. I was also thinking of starting some plants, so I could transplant into that spot... Seeds are ify for me that late in the season... Good luck!

 

[vfem]

My harvest is almost upon me! My onions and garlic will come out as soon as its been dry out for a week or more. So maybe within the next 2 weeks. My garlic is VERY yellow/brown already. They say to pull when its about 60% + yellowed. And we are... it just needs to dry already!

 

[GrowsLotsaPeppers]

Do you dry your garlic in the ground? Or hanging up?

 

[vfem]

Do you dry your garlic in the ground? Or hanging up?

I hang it... I let it begin in the ground though, less likely to damage the papery skin that way.

I also am going to hang my onions. I have an open breezeway on the back porch with a 6' over hang, it seems like a good place to hang everything. I'm going to put up some wire to tie everything to.

 

[digitS']

Harvesting onions and garlic the 1st of June, hmmmm ?

Like Lesa, I get the soil ready for cool-season greens but you may want to set out another tomato or sow some corn seed. Would putting in some fall cabbage plants make any sense?

Starting seeds in summer heat can usually work best in containers, set in sheltered situations. I can start lettuce most any time, that way. But, you may not want to start lettuce now for transplanting and growing thru June and into July, V . . ?

I have trouble transplanting beets altho' I keep reading that it is suppose to be easy. If you don't have it too hot and dry, they can be direct-seeded during the summer.

Beans are my easy succession crop but beans/onions combo gets a lot of bad press. It doesn't make any sense for me to follow onions with beans because I can't plant them that late with any expectation of success.

The difference in the climates leaves me a little baffled .

Steve

 

[vfem]

LOL, I'm so sorry Steve. I didn't mean to throw you off. But in the south for the chance of onions and garlic to take well, we have to grow them over winter. They do the majority of growth in fall and spring. We have a very long 'heat' season and have better luck with summer crops then cool season ones.

(In my front yard, the north facing bed gets shade between noon and 4, so I planted cabbage and lettuce there and they are doing fabulously. So that is my new salad bed. )

Last year I had tomatoes in that onion/garlic bed. I'm afraid to do those again, but I just might. I'm thinking as I'm lacking cukes so far, I may go pick some up at the local nursery... most nursery starts are on clearance right now believe it or not.

We're in that crazy zone 7b (I am barely 20 minutes north of zone 8), and we get crazy heat!

I am very concerned about what I'm doing with these, as my onions did ok, but the elephant garlic did AMAZINGLY... I have decided with the proding of my husband, to put in a 15' x 10' market garden space. I will plant it completely with garlic for market next year. Planting in the fall, harvesting now, drying, and I will have something you generally do not find here at all. It would definitely be worth it with the market value, and my up front costs to get started. Not to mention keeping seed will be simple since I started and finished with organic stock.

I found a local farmers market in town that will only allow sellers who are less then 40 miles from their location, ONLY sustainable growth practices allowed, hand made if its not produce. After talking with the lady I will be offering my jams, and fresh herb bunches for such. I will be buying saffron crocus this summer for a bed where I'm going herbs, and I will be offering cut flowers at the end of the season when all my cone flowers and snapdragons are blooming. I have something like 12 coneflower plants, all started from seed 2 years ago.

This is just a second income idea while hubby is getting his real business started, I have to do something. I would be up there selling on Saturday morning and Tuesday afternoon 3-6.

I really think the garlic bed will make a huge difference, generally here garlic (and elephant garlic) is up to $4 a lb for organic. Then I could plant a cover crop for the summer until October. Though with what I've been looking into, I may be able to turn this bed into a perennial garlic bed by keeping the little buds on the garlic that fall off in the ground to start a new crop the following fall. I have some time to keep reading about that though.

Anyways, the idea is out there since I'm so happy with the out come this year.

I think the trick was, RAISED BEDS AND LOAMY SOIL!!!

 

[digitS']

You can be the "Garlic & Flower Lady" at the market, V!

Marketing produce is not tricky. It just requires finding a niche. Then you set up a display that makes it look like your business is "bursting" with the product! To be a part of the celebration, the consumer has to stop and buy! Pile it High & Kiss it Goodbye!

The customer is #1 . . . but, what does that mean? To me, it means that I need to find out what the customer wants and then offer it to her. You have to ask yourself, "Self, what do they want to find down here?" Some of the most successful market farmers grow potatoes because Americans eat a lot of potatoes. Of course, that means showing up with a LOT of spuds and schlepping bags and boxes of them around!

Not into weight-lifting and farming acres? Look for high-priced products but sometimes "high-price" means "used by a limited number of consumers." Don't get too narrow of a focus on something not all that common. And, remember customer wants - most of them want meat and potatoes.

We once had a nice lady at the market who had oregano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oh, it was wonderful oregano -- her family had brought the plants from Italy and grown it for generations . . . Fortunately, she also had sweet onions!

Obviously, she was a good gardener and her sweet onions were terrific!! But, I know that she was dismayed that only a few people rushed over to buy her oregano and then only in small bunches for a pizza or something . . .

When her beautiful, sweet onions were gone - so was she. Paying for booth space and travel expenses selling only a few bunches of oregano just wasn't going to do it for her. Her customers were only 1 in 100 and if we only have 500 customers come thru the market . . .

Steve counting digits

 

[vfem]

Well, I am hoping to find a niche... a mix of herbs... right now I have plenty of basil (2 types), oregano and parsley. Then my jams which I have about 80 jars prepped. But they lady seemed excited about cut flowers. She said she's had no one up there bring them, and the farmers market is actually located in a landscaping companies parking lot. She offers some trees, but mainly mulch, rock and soil. So she has people ask for flowers. We'll see...

Going to meet with her about requirements, costs, area I'll have available and whether or not I can come and work some of the market days but not all of them. Thursday is my yoga class and I can't miss that... its my personal time.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Yeah, I think I would add compost if you have it. It kinda like taking a shower and not using soap.

congrats on the upcoming harvest. I pulled 2 green onions yesterday. My lettuce is starting to look pretty good. My onions (long day) and potatoes are growing well. Tomatoes and peppers are pulling out of transplant shock and starting to look happy, but no harvest on the horizon in Ohio. As a matter of fact I am planning to finish planting squash this week.

Sometimes I miss living in Georgia.