Growing with the Seasons

Think you may be done with planting for this growing season??

Hold on there. You can start planting garlic in the ground from now thru the beginning of November. (If you plant in spring, you will have smaller bulbs). It's so easy to grow.

Break your stiffneck garlic bulbs apart into individual cloves, placing them in the ground, root end down, (thickest part). Place them 1 1/2" to 2" deep, 4" to 6" apart, in a area of the garden that no longer has anything in it and has been raked and the soiled leveled before planting. Roots will start to grow before winter sets in, with little to no top growth showing.

Garlic is very winter hardy, but should be mulched to prevent heaving in the spring. Pick the largest cloves you have, as these will produce the largest bulbs. Smaller cloves around the inside of the bulbs can be stored in the refrigerator and used as needed for fresh garlic. If planted, These smaller bulbs will only produce small cloves and, if sow can be harvested for garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the "flower stalks" of stiffneck garlic plants, although they do not produce flowers. Most farmers usually cut these off the plant. If left on, they eventually form small bulbils that can be planted to grow more garlic, but the cloves will be very small. Garlic scapes are both edible and delicious, as are the bulbils. (also called spring garlic, this is a garlic that doesn't form a bulb).

Other information on seasonal gardening, houseplants and harvest storage can be found on my facebook page. Like us and follow along.

https://www.facebook.com/Kathys2ndChancePlants