Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Greenhorn,
What variety is that? It stores so well.
And how do you store your garlic?
What variety is that? It stores so well.
And how do you store your garlic?
Garlic growers, hows this years crop?
- Thread starter Greenthorn
- Start date
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Rookie1
Addicted to ArboristSite
Here's a pic of my modest plot. I have no idea if the variety.
We are not positive what species specific it is, it is a hardneck purple stripe. We were told that it was a German red, but they also told us it was specifically mutated with a Uzbekistan breed. According to windthrown they can't be crossbred for they do not pollinate each other. From what I read, this is true.
Sorry, don't know for sure, I would like to send one somewhere to be id'd for sure.
The history was that they were imported to grow on a garlic farm in 1932, this was a huge farm, 23 acres of nothing but garlic!
I do not think they were mutated or bred, I just think they eventually hardied up for our growing environment. This farm was in business until the early 80's, so whatever they are, they are well groomed for our southern Indiana environment.
This is how we grow and store them.
We break the bulbs up, pick the largest cloves to replant, and eat and cook the rest. The smaller bulbs we store for later use and don't even break them up until use. We replant the cloves in November, we then only add a simple fertilizer 10-10-10 over the area, we water the fertilizer and then cover the entire area with 2 to 4 inches of straw, next we don't do anything except weed the weeds out 3 or 4 times. We do scrape all the straw away in early February, usually at the same time we plant peas. We don't add anything else after the initial November fertilizer, we were told if you do, the organics of fertilizer will be incorporated into the bulbs, so we've just stuck to that procedure. Not saying it's scientific or proper, it is just what works best for us.
We cut the scapes off in mid April to May, If you don't do this you will have smaller bulbs, and I also think they are more bitter if you don't cut the scapes, just our opinion.
We then dig the bulbs when 2/3 of the green tops are brown (dying) and breaking down, falling over. We will water the ground well, in fact we saturate the ground to make easier digging. This part is important because you don't want to damage the outside fragile layer of skins. We always use a potato fork to dig them. We then hang the entire plant in our barn for 3 weeks, then we take them back down, clean the plants and bulbs, spraying off all dirt, we then hang them for another 10 to 14 days in the barn. This has always been our "curing procedure" again, don't know if this is botanically or scientifically correct, but this yields our best results. So, our garlic really cures in about 6 weeks after being dug. We then cut all leaves off, and tie them into groups of 5 - 10 bulbs together and then all these bunches are thrown together in old screened baskets (baskets like you get out of old freezers). These baskets are stored in the basement within our wine cellar, no humidity or light, they are good for about 6 - 8 months like this, after that they start to dehydrate and bitter out too much. We have stored and done this procedure after many failed attempts of keeping them other ways and this is what works for us.
They look great, need to cut the scapes off,
You can, but I wouldn't. I would let them cure - dry, then break up the bulbs and plant the cloves in November or December. The breed you have is also a hardneck variety, whoever grew them watered them a lot.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Looks like German red to me. I have never been able to keep garlic more than 6 months. It usually starts sprouting in Feb and we take whatever is left and dehydrate it for garlic powder. If you have a storage place that is dry and dark, you could probably keep it longer. Temp, light and humidity changes are responsible for sprouting.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you want to try and grow some garlic this year, go down to a grocery store and buy a garlic bulb or two. Divide up the bulb into individual cloves and plant them about 8” apart, about 2” deep with the point up. If you have a late growing season, you will probably still get some this year. Cure and dry the plants that were given to you have and use them to replant the row in the late fall.
Then you have a great start for a garlic garden, they have adapted to grow well in your area. Then ones you pictured look very healthy, when they are really thick like that they've got a lot of water. We started our garlic garden with 10 bulbs. After the 3rd year we had close to 300 planted just from those initial bulbs, one year we grew close to 700 and that was way to many, we now just grow around 400 every year.
Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Greenhorn, thanks for the information.
I read many literatures on curing and most of them suggested sun dry the newly harvested bulbs for a couple of days prior to hanging them in the cellar.
Have you tried this method?
How would you describe the flavor of your garlic?
I like mine hot and strong but fast acting. I just can't stand those long lasting in the throat.
I am currently growing about 10 varieties to see which ones produce good for me.
Last year after I planted them, I had a taste test of the remaining cloves.
Some of them were so strong that they gave me blisters in my throat and the roof of my mouth.
I read many literatures on curing and most of them suggested sun dry the newly harvested bulbs for a couple of days prior to hanging them in the cellar.
Have you tried this method?
How would you describe the flavor of your garlic?
I like mine hot and strong but fast acting. I just can't stand those long lasting in the throat.
I am currently growing about 10 varieties to see which ones produce good for me.
Last year after I planted them, I had a taste test of the remaining cloves.
Some of them were so strong that they gave me blisters in my throat and the roof of my mouth.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
You’re welcome. The problem with planting grocery store garlic is you will never know what variety you are growing. Most of the stuff at the grocer is some sort of softneck. You might also encounter elephant garlic which is some sort of lily. I have never grown it.
Gorgonzola garlic bread recipe:
¼ cup butter, ½ cup gorgonzola, 2-4 garlic cloves, long loaf of Italian/french bread or long rolls
Cream butter and cheese together add crushed/pressed garlic and a pinch of salt/pepper
Slice bread multiple times vertically about 1” thick on each slice but try not to cut all the way through. Spread butter/cheese mix in between each slice, wrap loaf in foil and bake 400F for about 15 min. (You can also freeze the bread and cook it later)
Don’t like stinky blue cheese, use parmesan. Lactose intolerant. Just go commando with garlic and butter or olive oil. Don’t like garlic, try roasting the garlic first. You can also add any fresh herbage you have kicking around parsley, rosemary, oregano ect. Great with spaghetti or pizza or with a Caesar.
I would think the biggest drawback to commercially grown garlic from the grocery store, would be full of pesticides, fertilizers and shelf life preservatives, making them extremely hard to regrow, just my opinion. I would get some from a farmers market to regrow if I was going to.
We tried sun drying them a couple times, seemed to leave more of a dirtier taste to them.
What I said earlier was we just dig them and hang them in barn, we don't even clean them off, just hang em. After that cure, we get them back down then wash them all clean and hang back up. I have never tried just hanging them in basement to cure or dry, so I can't comment on that.
I know there are other people on this board that grow garlic, I've read their post before, maybe they are to busy to chime in right now.
I do not like hot or spicey garlic, just my preference....ours are very mellow. When we roast them we just slice to tops off, olive oil, roast in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. Although we do not butter them, they have a buttery....sort of vinaigrette flavor, very smooth.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Agreed but it is getting late in the season. My local Agway had garlic bulbs earlier this year but I think they are long gone. I don’t think any bulbs will be available in the farmers markets yet. The supermarket stuff will do fine. I often see it sprouting in the store bins. Even if it doesn’t grow, the row will be ready for fall planting. Give it a try.
I often get plants from my grocer. My first batch of dill came from the supermarket. Nice little plants with roots. Took right off and are going strong. They also had some nice cilantro but I don’t really like it. My watercress (currently in a feed tub) came from the grocer. Get a bunch for 99 cents, pop it in some shallow water and it will put out roots and grow like a bad weed. Great in salads. I have several avocado plants and I am even trying to grow a pineapple. It really does not matter what you are growing or how you do it. Just try to grow something. Once you have had some success, perfect your techniques then try to keep it as green as you possibly can.
Sawyer Rob
Addicted to ArboristSite
My garlic always does really good here too, here's some of it,
I grow just enough each year, for us, and to give a bit of it away... We have been saving our own seed and replanting it for more than 40 years now...
SR
I grow just enough each year, for us, and to give a bit of it away... We have been saving our own seed and replanting it for more than 40 years now...
SR
Sawyer Rob
Addicted to ArboristSite
Several days ago, i dug some more of my garlic,
I'm happy with what I got.... but i still have a bit more to dig, i'll get to it later...
SR
I'm happy with what I got.... but i still have a bit more to dig, i'll get to it later...
SR
Rookie1
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ok garlic masters is my garlic ready to be dug up.
Got this years crop ready to put up, and got my ground worked up for next year..
titanman6100
ArboristSite Lurker
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