Hurriken, Evening. If you are growing hardnecks, I cut the flower stalk off at the top leaf when the stalk starts to straighten and becomes "woody". That is a sign the garlic is "hardening off" to produce seed in the flower head. Cutting it off tricks it into thinking the seeds are gone and puts extra energy in the head to form larger cloves. Then when there are 4 green top leafs and the others are browning, dieing off, I dig it and peel the outer wrappers to leave 3 good leaves and wrappers on the garlic head. Hang to dry in the shade with a fan.I'm growing a different variety of garlic (first attempt) when will I know it's ready for harvest?
Thanks Todd. It sure is a nice place. I love it.Dang!
What a spread!
Todd
Be my guest. You are welcome to use it. I get 20% of the royalties......HAHAHAHAHAThanks Roller. BTW, love the picture with the coffee cup. It would make for good desktop wallpaper!
Dave, mornin'. Good for you. Gardening is gratifying. Let her know, garlic can take 3-5 years to acclimate, to the type of soil it is planted in, to get really large, beautiful heads and cloves. This is the 5th year I have planted these same heads. Save the largest heads and plant only the largest cloves from the heads for the next seasons crop and she should get some beauties in the upcoming years.Beautiful looking garlic. My daughter, here in the Denver suburbs wants to start garlic and I'm showing her your pictures for an incentive. I got her to plant some ball squash (an idea from one of our members in England) and they're doing gangbusters (after I weeded them). Some of the balls are bigger than softballs and growing. Guess I better leave some green thumb here before heading back.
~Dave
It's great in the summer........16 hours of darkness in the winter provides lots of time for......................plowing snow....shopping at 24 hr wmart......Amazing how the different parts of the country have different gardening seasons. Down here it's to darn hot outside for everything except summer peas, okra and melons. You get a late start but those 16 hour days make up for it.
Good going
Al
Hurriken, Evening. Do you know what variety of garlic you are growing ??? Early and late California do not have stalks. The varieties with stalks are usually heirloom varieties from northern climes and are planted in October and harvested in july.My "leaves" are starting to die off but I don't have any stalks of flowers at all. Some of the cloves are showing so I covered them with dirt. Should I keep waiting?
Barney, mornin'... You are welcome..... Tell me about this plum pie.... Was that a pie tin that had graham cracker crumble already in the bottom ?? Sounds good...Dave, you have a beautiful place. Keeps you busy I'm sure. Here in Central Texas (live a few miles south of Austin, Texas) its been very dry & we have had 90 days of 100F or hotter. So this years gardens didn't produce too much (couldn't keep them watered). We did get some plumbs.....I peeled, sliced, roled in brown sugar & cinnamin, put in a bought crumbled pie pan, poured some butter on it & baked it.....my 1st try was pretty good. pray we get better weather next year.
Now that I know about this area of the forum & your garden & others....I'll be back.
Thanks for the info on the garlic....and the other gardens...
Rob, morning... sorry about the dried sticks... Our summer was cold... never hit 100 deg.. nights below 50 all summer which put a hold on the garden trying to grow... But finally the tomatoes are coming on a month or more late...dave....great lookin' space! still using the garlic ya sent, great stuff! ya know down here we can grow stuff too..............dried sticks seem to do well in our summer heat!