Last fall I planted 700 cloves of four varieties of garlic. And then plans changed. I’m not at farmers market as planned this year because the market was dismal. This morning looked as good as it’s going to get for garlic harvesting. It hasn’t rained for a few days but it’s going to later today or maybe tomorrow. I got busy and pulled 700 heads of garlic. Garlic is like magic. Drop 20ish pounds into fertile soil, cover it, water it, mulch it, wait ten months and there you go – 175 pound of garlic in a very dry year. Had we gotten enough rain it would have been closer to 225 pounds. It pays to put work into healthy soil even when Mother Nature hasn’t cooperated.
I’ll be roasting a few heads to keep in the fridge for garlic bread and garlic butter. The small cloves will be cut in half and dehydrated for garlic granuals, salt and powder. We’ll eat a lot fresh. I’ll use more for stewed tomatoes later this week. The best heads from German Extra Hardy will be set aside to replant in late fall.
Did you plant garlic? How did it do this year?
Maggie Boineau
No werewolves will bother you this year!! Happy cooking!
Robin
haha I bet you’re right! It’s going to go well with the bear I plan to put on the table in two weeks.
Jennifer Fisk
I planted 50 or so cloves of Russian Red last fall. I plant deep in amended rich soil and mulch with a bale of straw. As always, I couldn’t wait to see the first green sprout break through the straw. In time, I had beautiful scapes to make into pesto and then came harvest day. I have a number of heads the size of baseballs. I washed them and then bunched and hung them in the green house to cure. I used a sunscreen and fan to help. Not sure why but our hottest humidist weather of the summer always coincides with garlic harvest. I think it is ready to cut off the stems and roots and put in a dark place.
Robin
Wow! Jennifer, that’s awesome! I have a few that are baseball size but most are small. There’s a sense of accomplishment in having garlic up to cure.
Lenny Crowe
I too planted 56 cloves of German extra hardy and 63 cloves of Russian Red first week of Oct and mulched with straw. I harvested all on July 17 bunched it up in 10 heads each. Had a very good crop and will trim the stems and roots this week.
Also got 52 1 oz containers of garlic pesto.
one happy gardener here.
Robin
It’s hard to beat garlic pesto. Or garlic in general. Great harvest! What did you use for containers?
Lenny Crowe
I went to the party store in Bangor and found the 1 oz plastic containers. There were 100 per bag the lids were in a separate bag of 200.
I think most people use them for making jello shots.
They are ideal for pesto. I will also use them for Basil.
Len
Robin
Thank you! I’ll be making a stop there on my next trip. I can put these to good use!
Lady Locust
Yum! 175 lbs is a lot of garlic! I did it the easy way this year – I let Mom grow it and dry it and grind it. She has a big jar for me 😊 I know, I’m a brat.
Melissa
Garlic and Olive Oil: Nectar of the Gods. Mmmm…