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Old 07-20-2020, 01:46 PM
IronNoggin IronNoggin is offline
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Thumbs up Garlic Havest Time

Well, the latest heat wave certainly improved the outlook for our wee ones - garlic plants grown from Bulbils:



Wish I had taken a picture of the main garlic bed when it was at it's height. Made it to around 5 feet this year!
Here is one when they were only about 4 feet:



The recent heat, lack of water (intentional) after removing most of the scapes managed to shrink the plants down by over two feet as they readied for harvest:



You can easily see that the lower 2/3 or more of almost every plant had browned up:



So... Harvest Time!!



I was very pleased to learn that my experiment regarding growing full sized garlic from Bulbils was a roaring success!! In fact, there was but little difference in size between most of them, and those grown from original full sized stock! Means that down the road we will be chowing down on pretty much all of the Big Boyz, and utilizing the rotating Bulbil stock as broodstock!



Cleaned them up, trimmed off the brown while leaving the green to contribute even more goodness to the bulbs as they finish:



Got a Gretzky this year - 99 harvested!
Now they hang for a week or so in a cool, shaded spot with good air circulation.
Simply had to try one. Too early I know, but already very oily and super spicy!
Going to be a great batch this year methinks!!

Gotta admit though, after having the screen of green between our lower sitting area and the yard most of the year, she now looks to be a tad barren...



Time for a second seasonal crop to take it's place until fall. Now debating with The Missuz just what that should be (as I will be away for a few weeks or so after the beginning of next month)...

So, how is your garden shaping up this year??

Wondering...
Nog
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Old 07-20-2020, 03:06 PM
340 wby 340 wby is offline
 
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Default Garlic

I have to ask what do you do with so much fresh garlic....
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Old 07-20-2020, 03:12 PM
IronNoggin IronNoggin is offline
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Originally Posted by 340 wby View Post
I have to ask what do you do with so much fresh garlic....
We eat a lot with many various recipes.
We also use a fair amount in making our game sausages.
And it keeps very well.
Last year's run ran out a month ago, but was still Good To Go...

Cheers,
Nog
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Old 07-20-2020, 03:27 PM
BEL BEL is offline
 
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Default garlic gin

Better get some gin for your polish sausage since you have the garlic. Wow, talk about different growing conditions from where you are and where I am in Central Alberta. BEL
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Old 07-20-2020, 03:37 PM
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buckbrush buckbrush is offline
 
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Wow, looks great. I hope to be harvesting mine in the next month or two...
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Old 07-20-2020, 05:28 PM
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I have to ask what do you do with so much fresh garlic....
He's not had a vampire problem in as many years as he can recall!
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Old 07-20-2020, 05:41 PM
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walking buffalo walking buffalo is offline
 
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Way to go Noggin!


For the Garlic Lovers....

The Life of Garlic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcShBujgsIQ

I'll bet you learn a new thing or two.

This young woman's videos are great for anyone that loves gardening and foraging.
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Old 07-20-2020, 08:29 PM
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EZM EZM is offline
 
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We used to braid the garlic and hang it up in the shed - brings back good memories.

Great looking crop.
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Old 07-20-2020, 09:00 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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Nice looking garlic. Next year plant more and you can brew some black garlic beer to go with your garlic ribs or chicken.
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Old 07-20-2020, 09:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
Nice looking garlic. Next year plant more and you can brew some black garlic beer to go with your garlic ribs or chicken.
Now that is something I never would have thought of. Have you had it?
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Old 07-20-2020, 09:12 PM
antmai antmai is offline
 
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Default Garlic

Love me pickled garlic. Jarred for months of deliciousness
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Old 07-20-2020, 09:41 PM
Pioneer2 Pioneer2 is offline
 
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Default I make

garlic pickled nanton carrots.
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Old 07-20-2020, 09:50 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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Originally Posted by jungleboy View Post
Now that is something I never would have thought of. Have you had it?
I myself haven't but a friend from overseas told me about it and he loves it. I think you might be able to order a case from the Garlic farm on the Isle of Wight. The black garlic vodka looks interesting too.

Black garlic is fermented so it isn't the strong pungent garlic flavor but a sort of a nutty taste. Probably keep the colds away good.

My favorite to make is garlic pickled carrots. Mmmm. Damn!!! Now I crave them.
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Old 07-20-2020, 10:24 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Nice harvest. Thanks for posting. I’m growing Fall garlic for the first time and your pictures sure are helpful. The internet says that I should dig them out when the third leaf up dies out and that looks pretty much what you did. Still 2 or 3 weeks for mine I think and I can only hope that the bulbs are as big as yours. Stalks look about the same so here’s hoping. Well done!
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Old 07-21-2020, 04:15 PM
barbless barbless is offline
 
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looking at those bulbs all I can is num num num num num num with some drool in between. Good looking harvest
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Old 07-21-2020, 07:00 PM
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Thumbs up

Luv garlic....dam that's a lot of garlic eh!.....we rarely cook without a bit here and there on something
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Old 07-21-2020, 07:12 PM
spazzy spazzy is offline
 
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What time of year do you plant them in ?
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Old 07-22-2020, 05:46 AM
lyallpeder lyallpeder is offline
 
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I have a huge problem with maggots in my garden. Anything underground is always covered in them so carrots and beets are impossible to grow. I stuck two cloves of garlic in last fall and they are growing good. Only one leaf is brown so far, but the scapes were delicious. If the bulbs don’t have maggots in them I’m planting a bunch this fall.
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Old 07-22-2020, 08:38 AM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
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Originally Posted by lyallpeder View Post
I have a huge problem with maggots in my garden. Anything underground is always covered in them so carrots and beets are impossible to grow. I stuck two cloves of garlic in last fall and they are growing good. Only one leaf is brown so far, but the scapes were delicious. If the bulbs don’t have maggots in them I’m planting a bunch this fall.
We have those too, it’s a beetle of some kind that lays eggs...
Its a damn shame to dig up perfectly good looking potatoes and find them full of the little bastards.
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Old 07-22-2020, 11:29 AM
IronNoggin IronNoggin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spazzy View Post
What time of year do you plant them in ?
Mid October is best.
Cover them with leaf mulch to act as a "blanket" over the winter.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lyallpeder View Post
I have a huge problem with maggots in my garden. Anything underground is always covered in them so carrots and beets are impossible to grow. I stuck two cloves of garlic in last fall and they are growing good. Only one leaf is brown so far, but the scapes were delicious. If the bulbs don’t have maggots in them I’m planting a bunch this fall.
I'd bet the garlic will be OK.
They have a strong natural immunity to most pests, which does include maggots.

Cheers,
Nog
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Old 07-22-2020, 12:11 PM
IronNoggin IronNoggin is offline
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Had a request to post up the method we use, so...

What we do is run a small second crop (usually lettuce and such) once the garlic is pulled.
When that dies back, we hit up the soil with four different types of manure.
Sheep & Chicken crap directly from a Buddy's farm
Cow crap from another fellow.
And fish compost from the local plant here.
That is watered down, covered, and allowed to fallow until October.

When planting we dump a full tablespoon of bone meal under each plant, separated from the seed by a little soil.
Run them around 4" deep. Then we toss around a 3 - 4" deep layer of fallen fall leaves to act as a "blanket" over the winter. Those break down completely by harvest time, adding a little more nutrients as they do so.

Water frequently through the growing season. Once the scapes are harvested, shut down the watering. Takes a couple weeks and the above ground plants will shrink as the bulbs grow below.

Once the lower 1/2 to 3/4 of the leaves turn brown, it is time to harvest.
Pull them, carefully remove any dirt, then hang them in a shady cool spot of cure. They are finished when the rest of the leaves and the stalk turn fully brown. Cut them down to about a 6 - 8 inch stalk, then hang them from that in your cool room.

Has always produced rather well for us. We pretty much always see around a 3" diameter or so...

Cheers,
Nog
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Old 07-22-2020, 05:06 PM
spazzy spazzy is offline
 
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Wow I'm going to have to do this . Where do you recommend getting the starter bulbs ? I'm not a big fan of the Christopher ranch garlic in all the grocery stores , or if you plant these do they turn out any better ?.
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Old 07-22-2020, 07:01 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Originally Posted by spazzy View Post
Wow I'm going to have to do this . Where do you recommend getting the starter bulbs ? I'm not a big fan of the Christopher ranch garlic in all the grocery stores , or if you plant these do they turn out any better ?.
First year growing it successfully. I picked my seed bulbs up off kijiji last Fall relatively cheap. Store bought bulbs won’t work. Been there tried that.
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  #24  
Old 07-25-2020, 01:14 PM
IronNoggin IronNoggin is offline
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First Garlic "Flower" is ready for harvest:



The other three ain't far behind...

Cheers
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  #25  
Old 07-25-2020, 03:54 PM
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walking buffalo walking buffalo is offline
 
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When I grew garlic, I would let a bunch flower and go to seed.
Yes, it would slightly effect the bulb size, but it was a fair trade to have the seeds.

Let the seeds mature on the plant.

Some of the seeds were dried, rolled in a cloth to remove the husk and stored in a jar.
These dried seeds made great additions to salad or pasta....
Just sprinkle them on whole.

Other seeds were competition grown in a small pot and harvested as needed for a fresh garlic "green onion". Chop and use the whole plant until they get pencil thick.
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Old 08-11-2020, 04:59 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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This will be my first year successfully growing garlic. I'll be planting a lot more this Fall for next year.

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  #27  
Old 08-11-2020, 05:06 PM
Dan84 Dan84 is offline
 
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I'm jealous of all the garlic here and need to get busy next year.
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  #28  
Old 08-12-2020, 11:25 AM
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Default Garlic Porn

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Old 08-12-2020, 08:11 PM
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What do you guys do to get your bulbs so clean? Mine came out kind dirty but wasn’t sure if i should wash them or just dry them.
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  #30  
Old 08-12-2020, 09:30 PM
fishnguy fishnguy is offline
 
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^ I clean it after it dries.

Soon for mine:

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