who's got their garlic beds prepped? planting in October?

[HiDelight]

well I am almost ready ...first of all I choose the bed (s) to use ....I limed them last month and will put some compost and things in it..then let it rest a few weeks with out touching it at all before I plant the third week of October... I do spread straw around on top to keep the weeds down and the soil pretty evenly wet ..after I plant that is it until it is ready!

I have mostly collected the garlic I want to plant and sadly do not know the names this year ...I missed the garlic festival and have contacted the grower so maybe I can buy some nice varieties yet but mostly I have picked up some very nice looking heads of garlic at the farmers market

one was labled "very strong" it is a hardneck and for sure it tastes like a Providence RI style garlic I will use it in everything tomato for sure ..and all things garlic bread.. .. Caesar salad

..oh yes this is also the best kind to stick in your shoe so it permeates your entire being and gives you the best dragon breath! (have you ever done that as a kid or adult?) Avoid swine flu eat lots of raw garlic especially if it is labeled "very strong" because then people who are not also loaded with garlic will stay far away!

the second garlic is more of an artichoke variety of softneck it will be a great roasting garlic ...it is very soft smooth and sweet tasting with not so much of a bite

the third garlic is a deep purple very Asian garlic with a nice bite to it

hopefully the garlic guy who usually shows up the end of September at the farmers market ...will be there soon... I am going to keep checking he always hooks me up with some good bulbs

you prepped and ready to go for next month? what kinds of garlic do you like to plant? any good secrets for prepping the soil?

I know I posted in another thread on garlic growing that I did not get a single scape this year...very sad and strange!

 

[tinychicken]

I will be planting mine around the same time. I usually get a yard or two of soil and make raised beds. After the garlic is pulled in the summer, the soil gets turned into the garden. We have very wet winters and the raised beds work well to keep the garlic from rotting. I don't mulch but our winters aren't very severe.

I plant:

1. Xian, which is an Asiatic variety of artichoke. It is purple and very early maturing. Does not store as long as the others. This variety produces scapes.

2. Lorz, an artichoke. Stores about a year.

3. Sicilain Silver, a silverskin. Stores about a year.

4. Some unknown variety of silverskin that I got at a local nursery. This grew some large bulbs, but they did not store well at all. I think I may have harvested too late. Last July I harvested earlier so I'll have to see if it keeps better. If not, it's history.

I usually grow about 300 plants. Of course there are some losses, but generally I'm using the last of my Sicilian Silver or Lorz when the Xian is ready to harvest.

So many varities to try, so little time........

 

[nekomi]

I am just getting started on building my raised beds for garlic planting. I already have a year's worth of good compost that I've been building up all year from grass clippings, fall leaves, and chicken coop cleanings.

I plan to put them in the ground the 2nd or 3rd week in October. I have Lorz, Georgian Crystal, Georgian Fire, and an unnamed garlic - my "staple" variety from my local organic grocer.

I do have a question, though. My new bed is going to be a square foot garden. Should I be overly concerned about soil depth using this method? I know that Mel Bartholemew used to recommend 12" of depth but now only recommends 6"... can garlic really grow in just 6" of soil and a mulch layer on top?

 

[lesa]

I am ready! I just ordered organic garlic (hardneck) from High Mowing in Vermont. I planted it last year and was very pleased. I thought for sure I had lost it all- the chickens dug it up repeatedly! But, I ended up with a great harvest. I will plant some of my garlic from this summer, as well. Finding that garlic sprouting in the spring- is magical, as far as I am concerned! Enjoy!
I would think 6 inches of soil, would be fine...

 

[vfem]

I have to wait for my tomatoes to finish and then prep, but it will be all onions in their I do believe, a 6' x 6' bed. I didn't manage to get garlic this year... I'm still having issues getting onions!!!

I bet you guys will have the most awesome garlic harvest ever.

 

[chills]

HiDelight have you seen this website?

http://www.groworganic.com/default.html

i thought of you when i pulled it up .. again i find myself learning from you, i never never knew there were so many varieties of garlic (much less tomatoes!) ..
their farm is so close to us, we are going to visit them today, i actually was looking for cover crop info and saw the garlic and thought of you ...

 

[simple life]

I ordered the German Extra Hardy, Duganski and Music.
I went by what would do well in my area and then narrowed it down by taste and storage qualities.
I would love to have some nice braided garlic, but softneck does not do as well as the hardneck type garlics here in my part of the world.
I have the beds ready to go.

 

[vfem]

Thanks chills, I am going to order my onions sets from them! I am also going to try the white early california garlic.

Package of 100 onion sets for $3.99!!! That is an awesome deal.

 

[rockytopsis]

Got mine ready, saved bulbs from last year, will be planting October 11.

 

[HiDelight]

HiDelight have you seen this website?

http://www.groworganic.com/default.html

i thought of you when i pulled it up .. again i find myself learning from you, i never never knew there were so many varieties of garlic (much less tomatoes!) ..
their farm is so close to us, we are going to visit them today, i actually was looking for cover crop info and saw the garlic and thought of you ...

wow thanks so much

I hope you found some good stuff any reports back?

I am happy to see all the garlic growning we are all going to be so healthy form everything good in garlic!!!

did you know garlic gets rid of warts? you just take a tiny sliver and tape it over the wart..since warts are viral and garlic is an antiviral it seemed logical so I tried it... (this is NOT medical advice I am just saying it works better than any other remedy I have tried...it does take a while because warts are so embedded in the skin that even if you kill the virus you still have that layer of affected skin to work on ..my kids had plantars warts so I used this remedy and voila took care of it!)