elkhound
Junior Member
Posts: 63
Joined: July 2020
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Post by elkhound on Jul 15, 2020 9:00:13 GMT -5
bed #1
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elkhound
Junior Member
Posts: 63
Joined: July 2020
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Post by elkhound on Jul 15, 2020 9:06:37 GMT -5
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elkhound
Junior Member
Posts: 63
Joined: July 2020
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Post by elkhound on Jul 15, 2020 9:09:37 GMT -5
bed #3 this bed had a lot more stalks in it. but was about same or less that other patches.reason being they were smaller bulbs.the reason was about 25% of them were transplant from last fall.i ran out of cloves to finish that bed and had volunteer in bed i just used.they are smaller but still nice size cloves.lots only have 3 large cloves.slips just dont ever recover in my experience,even if moved in early fall with months of time to recover before spring time.
total harvest of all 3 beds was approx 325 bulbs...eat,drink and stink !
largest bulb this year was 3.75inch.
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Post by spike on Jul 15, 2020 10:22:04 GMT -5
Nice looking garlic!! What kind of garlic is it and what do you do with it all?
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Post by paquebot on Jul 15, 2020 12:14:34 GMT -5
Spike, the variety name is in the thread title, it's mine! It's the one that I've been growing since 1983 and in my avatar. We got 3½" bulbs at We Grow Garlic and Elk got 3¾". I'm certain that it can go to 4" by selective propagation.
Elk, that harvest is beautiful. I see that the foliage was still quite green. Mine were mostly brown already 10 days ago. All look like 4 and 5 large cloves. I rogued out any with smaller cloves yeas ago.
I'll have it available in late-August.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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solargeek
Junior Member
Posts: 34
Joined: May 2017
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Post by solargeek on Jul 15, 2020 13:27:42 GMT -5
elkhound, Great Harvest! My question is, how does the garlic get enough water through that plastic? I hand water or use sprinklers as we don't have the time or $$ for a big system for our huge garden. I bought the plastic but didn't know who to ask about watering (for any seedling really). Thanks, SG
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elkhound
Junior Member
Posts: 63
Joined: July 2020
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Post by elkhound on Jul 15, 2020 19:54:59 GMT -5
solargeek,the black stuff is dewitt sunbelt woven weed barrier fabric/cloth. water goes right through it fine. i was worried how much water actually would go through it myself but it was not a problem.only time i seen water slow down is where grass clipping from mowing got on it or spot of dirt. brush it off with broom and its fine. the reason i tried this was because feather uses it in her garlic beds and has good success with it,so i wanted to try it. i have a 4ft wide row i am trying out with peppers and tomatoes planted close to each other. my thinking was if i am watering might as well water it all right in one area.its saved on water,time and so far plants love it.i plan on trying more of it next year to see how certain things do in it.this fall i will try greens and broccoli if possible.i think it would work nice on green beans too.
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elkhound
Junior Member
Posts: 63
Joined: July 2020
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Post by elkhound on Jul 15, 2020 20:01:30 GMT -5
paquebot,the first bed was a bit green but i was going to get heavy rains for 10 days and i was afraid to leave it. i have always tended to leave garlic a bit to long in garden so i pulled it.the one under weedbarrier was farther along but was for sure ready..at least for here.the other patch was ready t was under heavy weed pressure. i had so much rain here its unreal.its hot and dry now. but my rain totals for year are already my total for mid october. my new garden had water just standing it multiple times.it was a new experience for me from my old garden beds.never happened before. i am glad i pulled it its high quality stuff this year.some of the cloves are covered in such deep purple covering they almost look black..they are deep deep purple.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 15, 2020 21:38:43 GMT -5
elkhound,wise choice to dig when you did. I also did that when I dug mine ahead of an inch or so of rain. This past Monday, told another local gardener to get her garlic out of the ground. 2" of rain today would not have helped it in her heavier ground. With you getting a 3¾" bulb, it's going to be incentive for me to garden one more year. I've got two months to load the bed with horse manure. Health problems at the wrong time last year only resulted in about half what was needed. "Enough" would be 1" minimum tilled in now and another inch just before planting. If it ain't happy after that, not much else that I can do! Despite weeds in all other beds, only a little hand-pulling in the garlic. They were mulched heavy with shredded oak leaves first and then several inches of white pine needles. The leaves have mostly vanished but the needles remained right to harvest. That's the plan for next crop as well. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 16, 2020 7:47:02 GMT -5
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Post by paquebot on Jul 16, 2020 8:23:48 GMT -5
The clove skins do have a nice purple color. Under certain conditions the skins actually had traces of red and blue one year. There was almost a cult following when it was available at We Grow Garlic. Every bulb was spoken for before it was even dug. Burpee had it on their site in 2013 and immediately sold out. Filaree has carried it for over 10 years. Currently $23 per pound with a one pound limit.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 16, 2020 11:43:38 GMT -5
We got 3½" bulbs at We Grow Garlic and Elk got 3¾" How is this measured? It can't be the circumference because after I read this I went out and measured mine and they are are 6-7" around.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 16, 2020 12:54:02 GMT -5
Look at my avatar. There have been some who think that they are elephant garlic. They were 3½" wide Martin's Heirloom.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 16, 2020 15:14:32 GMT -5
OK paquebot, the width across the bottom. That makes more sense. Mine are 2 1/2" across.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 16, 2020 23:58:34 GMT -5
Looking at Elk's rows, I'm guessing about 9" spacing. Our best results were 8" double staggered row I've maintained 8" from day one. Present bed was planted like that for years. May give them an extra inch next time. First have to think about getting a lot of horse manure worked deep into the bed. 4" or bust!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 17, 2020 6:42:38 GMT -5
It's a challenge!
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ponyexpress
Junior Member
Posts: 86
Zone:: 6b
Favorite Vegetable:: alliums
Joined: June 2020
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Post by ponyexpress on Jul 17, 2020 7:04:54 GMT -5
Elk, that harvest is beautiful. I see that the foliage was still quite green. Mine were mostly brown already 10 days ago. So when do people pull their garlic? I wait until I have four mostly green leaves left before pulling. I also leave the greens on the plant to dry up and turn brown before cutting them off. I figure the plant is drawing the energy out of the leaves. Thoughts?
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 17, 2020 7:48:49 GMT -5
ponyexpress , I do the same as you unless rain is predicted. Then I may dig them a bit earlier. I also leave everything in place until it is totally dry and then cut it off. With onions the neck of the bulb has to dry for the longest storage and I always figured the same way for garlic so I leave the leaves in place until the neck is dry. I dug my garlic on July 4, dried it until July 17 and then trimmed it yesterday. I am keeping them at room temperature for another week or so in the pantry and then they will be stored in my cool basement which is about 55-60°. My garlic usually lasts for a year until I harvest the next crop. Garlic 2020 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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ponyexpress
Junior Member
Posts: 86
Zone:: 6b
Favorite Vegetable:: alliums
Joined: June 2020
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Post by ponyexpress on Jul 17, 2020 8:14:01 GMT -5
I am keeping them at room temperature for another week or so in the pantry and then they will be stored in my cool basement which is about 55-60°. My garlic usually lasts for a year until I harvest the next crop. What is the garlic variety that you're growing? Is it Martin's? I currently have my garlic outside under my covered porch so it's shaded. We're expecting to get some 90deg weather starting Saturday so I don't know if that is bad for the garlic even though it's out of the sun. Last year's harvest only kept until April for me. I picked a lot of mine a bit late because we were away on vacation. Many had split wrappers by the time they were dug up.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 17, 2020 8:25:10 GMT -5
ponyexpress , I believe that my garlic is descendants from German White Porcelain that I bought about 3 years ago. I select the largest cloves and plant them each year. I decided that the excess heat and humidity would not be helpful to my garlic to finish drying so that is why I brought it indoors last evening. I dry mine on a wire rack in a large outdoor equipment shed that has walls on 3 sides and is open in the front. My bulbs were dried out there for 2 weeks already so I thought that they would be better off indoors in the air conditioned house where there is less humidity.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 17, 2020 9:42:48 GMT -5
Mine is now on the floor in the shed and will be there until I begin mailing it out and then to frost and later. Just won't let it freeze solid. There have been some Martin's which have stored for an entire year. At a certain point, a clove is sacrificed to keep the others alive and that will continue until there is just one clove left.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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ponyexpress
Junior Member
Posts: 86
Zone:: 6b
Favorite Vegetable:: alliums
Joined: June 2020
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Post by ponyexpress on Jul 17, 2020 13:40:39 GMT -5
I decided that the excess heat and humidity would not be helpful to my garlic to finish drying so that is why I brought it indoors last evening. I dry mine on a wire rack in a large outdoor equipment shed that has walls on 3 sides and is open in the front. My bulbs were dried out there for 2 weeks already so I thought that they would be better off indoors in the air conditioned house where there is less humidity. I might have to bring a few inside and see if it makes a difference in terms of storage. I've always had mine outside under my covered porch.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 17, 2020 14:55:23 GMT -5
ponyexpress, after they finish curing in my pantry I will take them down to my basement with is 55-60° for long term storage. I only bring up one head/bulb at a time as I need it.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 18, 2020 21:22:55 GMT -5
Trimmed tops off today but don 't trust the humid weather to keep them OK in baskets. Spread them in a big Styrofoam container instead. Left the roots on for now for no particular reason. Found myself wanting to save some bulbs for planting stock which means that I must garden one more season.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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