A couple weeks ago I planted a "garlic starter kit" which includes different kinds of bulbs of garlic and shallots. I soaked the cloves and planted them in beds, and a few weeks later I have started to see some growth from them. Though with winter on the way, I will probably need to cover them in mulch or hay soon to protect them during the winter. But they will stay alive and hopefully emerge next spring when the weather warms up again.
Seems the California Late White is growing the most right now. While other beds also show signs of life, this one appears to have a 100% successful germination.
The Russian Reds seem to be doing well too, with lots of growth. They all look the same to me, glad I labeled the beds using ziplock bags. That are stapled to the beds holding post it notes with the type of garlic being grown.
Maybe more will come up between now and when they go dormant for the winter.
Being my first time growing them, its is all new to me. So I will just go along with it and see what happens.
Hopefully hay will be good enough to cover them, I see people use wood chips in cold climates. I can add that too, just happen to have some hay on hand by the garlic.
The Music garlic is coming up as well, just a couple of them.
Good to see the garlic liking the mix of native dirt, wood chips and garden soil
They look quite happy to me, hopefully next year they will get even bigger after the winter is over.
Cannot wait to eat them, gonna be a whole year before that can happen. So we must wait.
These bulbs remind me a lot of violet plants.. the leaves look just like them.
I guess many bulb plants look similar, some just flower and you enjoy them and others you eat.
Wondering which one I will like the most for cooking, I bet they will all be really good. And fresh from the garden is the best way to enjoy them.
Though in beds like the ones with the shallots, not much is going on right now.
Also the Elephant garlic has not emerged.
Hopefully we will see them sprout too.. But three out of the five are coming up so far.
Soon I will need to cover them with wood chips or hay, as freezing weather is just around the corner. Maybe in another week or two, as it is suppose to warm up again for a few days. And hopefully after that it will stay cold so I can bury them.
And if all goes well they should emerge next year when the ground and air warms up, the plants should keep growing through the summer and then in fall we harvest the bulbs. From there they need to dry and cure and finally ready to eat... Its a long process but I am in it for the long haul.
Elephant garlic will be emerged soon. Don’t worry.
Vampire defences are very important!
Hah it sure is.
Wow, that seems like it was really fast! I feel like mine took all winter before I finally started seeing something from them.
I think a warm autumn has had a lot to do with that for us.
Ah yeah, I thought winter was slowly making its way in a couple of weeks ago, then we had this sudden minor warm up. It's crazy.
Garlic is a very useful plant. Its smell is just a little strong. We plant onions, we have never planted garlic. I am thinking of planting some next year.
It sure is, I love cooking with it.. makes everything smell and taste so good.
On nice, I need to plant some onion seeds sometime.
Those woodchips look really fresh... During this early stage of decompostation, they will probably bind/lock up more N than they release.
Did you add a nitrogen source?
Ah yeah they are 1.5 years old. True, I may need to do some soil testing next year and give them fertilizer as needed.
I plan on adding hay to the top of them for the winter. Maybe some of that will break down into nitrogen for them.
I think soil testing is pointless, when adding that much organic matter.
The stuff releases on demand, from all the microbial and fungal action.
Those woodchip must contain every mineral that the garlic could ever need.
Forget the test kits and just observe which weeds pop up and other such indicators :)
I have to write that post...
I guess my rule of thumb is: If it's available in a shop, it's probably unnecessary.
What a joy it is to see how the garlic seeds you planted are germinating, I cross my fingers so that the rest of the varieties that did not germinate can do so
Congratulations @solominer
It sure is, good to have them.
thanks me too.
I sometimes eat a clove of the garlic in lunch and I like it.
Wow you just eat them raw with nothing else? that is intense.
With the bread.
I just love the way you space them. The arrangement is neat probably wont get into any trouble due to over crowding
Thanks, yeah I used a measuring stick to make sure they were well spaced out.
Yahh i know what u mean i can imagine it. The spacing is excellent
!PIZZA
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@danzocal(9/10) tipped @solominer
I think they look pretty good, they should do well, so you will have some garlics ready to eat by next year. Great job.
I am really excited for next year, should be a great harvest I hope.
You can cover the beds with mulch (straw or hay) (but you don't have to). They will survive no matter what. Even the shallots. If you have already planted them in the ground? The danger is not from the frost, but from the small animals that will try to make themselves at home in the soil.🐛🐌🐁
Ah yeah, our winters are considered "mild" so probably do not need much covering. But I have some excess hay from our fields I will use when it gets below freezing.
Yep they are already planted, I will keep an eye out for pests. I have some stuff to kill many insects that try to feed on them.. its a constant battle..lol
Never forget that the more you wrap up warm at the top, the higher the risk that the ‘beneficiaries’ below the ground will enjoy the food.
Ye I can finally see that some herbal garlic plants have now begun to appear on the surface, such as stirring in the bed where the seeding is very good, I am very happy to see them starting to emerge.
I think the tilling the beds really helped.. and indeed its good to see them emerging now.
I've only grown garlic once but they look like they've had a great start. I'd add an inch or so of compost to feed them over the winter but the hay will help too. You should get a really good harvest out of those!
I plan on adding some mulch or hay soon once the temperatures start dropping.
Thanks, I hope so.. My first time growing them.
I wonder how fast they'd grow over tropical climate. I think I should just try with one clove :D at the moment I am growing spring onion but they aren't really growing tall as I'd like it to be.
I would think they be okay.. give it a try.. yeah you literally plant the clove pointy side up.
The garlic are doing very well, you should journal all the things you did to make it grow this beautifully.
Thanks, yep I plan on doing that.
@tipu curate
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I'm having some pretty good success growing onions it seems. Hope there's a sequel!
Oh nice. I need to grow onions at some point as well.
Wow! This is really great 👍
It must bring so much joy to see your efforts pay off, the garlic is off to a good start.
Hay will be good, just use plenty.
You can eat them in July (in fact you can eat the scapes in June), so you don't have to wait a year from now : )