Garlic Harvest Update
When I came back from the road trip a two weeks ago, one of the first things I did was pull the garlic. Since then the garlic has been drying on the compost screener in the dark and comparatively cooler garage.
Today I decided to cut off the stalks and put the bulbs in storage. I did get a little over 2lbs but there were a several things I made note of.
1) Even after two weeks the larger bulbs were not completely dry as the lower stalks still held moisture. I braided these and intend to hang them in the cool dark basement.
2) The largest bulb was “weeping” a sticky spot. Seems one clove got bruised? I hate to, but will need to use that one up soon.
3) Apparently, sometimes when life gives you garlic you get some single clove bulbs. At first I wondered if I inadvertently pulled 3 onions?
So I sliced one open. HUH!?
A perfectly round single clove garlic bulb. It was mild smelling.
I’ve never grown garlic before so wasn’t sure what to think. A quick check of the internet suggested a few things – all of which I reject:
1) It is due to immature seed cloves – they were all from the same batch
2) It never got cold enough – they were in the ground since late October – and they all had the same conditions
3) It was a separate type – see #1 above.
So why did this happen? I have no idea, but I will say in using the one I cut in half – I wish all garlic grew like this. You can actually dice it!
I have two left so I am happy about that. In the meantime the others are drying in the basement or are in storage for future use. I go through a lot of garlic so while two pounds seems like a lot – really it isn’t. I’ll be through that before autumn.
I guess that means I’ll need to expand and grow two crops, one planted in the fall and the other planted first thing in the spring.
What is your experience?
Until next time, Keep Digging and Eat Well!
June 30, 2012
I have always grown the spicier Spanish garlic that has a purplish hue to its skin. I can’t get them to grow as large as the ones in the grocery store but they have more heat than the store bought ones.
I thought you might want to replant one of those strange ones and let it go to seed to see if you can reproduce it. It is pretty neat.
Rick
July 1, 2012
That Spanish garlic sure sounds good! I don’t think I came upon a new strain of single clove garlic but that would be cool!
June 30, 2012
I’m growing garlic (Spring-planted) for the first time, so I can’t contribute any experience yet. I’m not expecting anything special first time round! We use lots of garlic in our cooking, so I understand when you say that two pounds is not really a lot.
June 30, 2012
Well 2 pounds is more than I got and they look pretty good. Not sure why you got some with that turned out all one bulb. I have grown garlic for a couple years but this is only the first year I have gotten good garlic. If it works and is good, I guess I wouldn’t complain.
I am not sure why your garlic didn’t dry but I don’t remember how long it took mine to dry. I do know it is important to dry them in the shade and not in the sun, but you probably know that.
July 1, 2012
They were in the shade, in fact, with the garage door shut they were in the dark most of the time.
July 1, 2012
Question: do the garlic bulbs grow above or below the surface of the soil? I have been inspecting mine carefully, and I don’t see any bulbs. I was expecting to see them develop above ground, like an onion, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there are huge bulbs hiding down below. (Maybe not…)
July 1, 2012
Below ground Mark, just gently move some soil away with your hand you should be able to see if they are bulbing up a few inches down. It won’t harm them. When the foliage starts to wither and look ratty they can be gently dug up. If the soil is very loose – and I suspect yours is, you could pull them, though most everything I read said dig.
July 1, 2012
A one-clove head of garlic! You may be onto something here, David. They would be so much easier to prep for use in the kitchen, wouldn’t they? I’ve never grown garlic so I can be of little help here other than to hope your one-clove garlic “catches on.” 🙂
July 1, 2012
I made a green bean stir fry with this garlic and it was cool to be able to cut a few rounds, cut into match sticks, then very finely dice. It was perfect!
July 1, 2012
That does sound perfect!