I'm back!
When we got home from being away I was a little bit flabbergasted (spelled that correctly RIGHT out of the gate, I'm proud to say) at the size of everything in the garden.
Over the course of a week I pretty much went from pleasant, cottage garden to the last scene in Jurassic Park where there was a distinct possibility something might come screaming out of the grass and rip your wind pipe out.
In my case that might be a gang of squash bugs.
I wandered around taking everything in, when I came to the garlic. I took one look at it and ran screaming in circles with my arms over my head, cartoon-style.
ACK!!!! ACK. ACK. ACK.
My garlic was ready to pick. Not only ready, but probably even a touch over ready. Because I planted the garlic last fall and we've had such a warm winter followed by a hot, hot summer, my garlic matured almost a month earlier than normal.
It was time to get that garlic the hell out of the dirt. Or "soil" for you snooty types.
I've been growing garlic since I was a teenager and yet ... until a couple of years ago I didn't know when to harvest it. I thought I knew when to harvest it. I was positive in fact. I was wrong. Positively wrong.
I always used to let my garlic dry out entirely before pulling it.
WRONG. That is the entirely wrong way to harvest garlic. In case you're looking for the WRONG way to harvest garlic, that's your method right there. You're welcome.
Now, if you're looking for the right way to harvest garlic, here's what you need to know.
Garlic starts to die and dry up from the bottom up. For every papery covering on the garlic head, there's a corresonding leaf on the stem. 6 leaves, 6 paper covers. You get the picture. When half of the garlic leaves are dried up the garlic is ready to be pulled.
If you wait until the garlic is completely dried out then the cloves will all dry up and pull away from the stem and fall apart. If you pull it too early the cloves will be small. Either way the garlic won't store well.
To actually pull the garlic, you need to dig it out with a shovel. You can't just pull it. Shovel, shovel, shovel ... and then pull. Like so ...
Garlic, like most vegetables, is fragile. Treat it like an egg or a banana. If it gets bruised or cut it'll rot quickly.
Once you've dug up all your bulbs, wipe the majority of dirt off of the roots then hang your garlic to dry. It needs to be in a warm area where it gets air circulating around it, but out of the direct sun.
Your garlic needs to cure like this for 2 weeks.
I've hung mine by my front door.
Because I need it to dry all around, I'll turn the bundle of garlic every few days to make sure it's properly drying on all sides. It'd be better if I hung it where it gets air circulation all around it but I like it hung by the front door. After the garlic has cured for 2 weeks, take it down and lay it out. Now you can reserve your biggest, best cloves for planting in the fall.
Put however many you want aside (1 clove will equal one head of garlic, so if you want to grow 30 heads of garlic next year, you'll need to save 30 cloves).
You can now trim the roots to ½ - 1 inch and cut off the leaves. You can take the outermost papery layer off to clean up the heads a bit. The skin underneath will be clean and white. Store in a mesh bag, or if you're feeling fancy, braid your garlic (tutorial on that coming up next week) and hang it in a room that's between 60 and 65°F for storage. Cured and stored like this, garlic will last for up to 8 months. Unless you eat it all.
Or have a real problem with Vampires.
Dani @ lifeovereasy
We are also garlic crazy in my family, or maybe just crazed. We put in 1200 plants at my cottage - yes, 1200. Have a look at the swags of garlic drying under the garage roof http://lifeovereasy.com/2012/07/garlic-been/ And I bet you've never received a bouquet of garlic! Here's what my dad brought me the other day http://lifeovereasy.com/2012/07/its-garlic-bouquet/ Garlic is serious business in an Italian family!
Karen
That's ... that's alotttaaaa garlic! I clearly have issues of my own considering one of my first thoughts after looking at your garlic bouquet was ... Hmm. I really like her dad's string. ~ karen
Melinda
What about the cloves that I set aside to plant next fall? Do I store them the same way as the ones I"m going to eat?
Karen
Melinda - Yup. They should be fine to store. Keep them in the coolest room in your house once they've cured. If they're too hot and dry they'll shrivel up on you. They only have to last until October when it's garlic planting time, so that's just a few months. ~ karen!
Gayla T
I'm so glad you're back. I missed you. Your garden or what can be seen between your legs, is looking good. Did someone care for it while you were gone? If I didn't water every day my little bit would bite the dust, literally. One Hundred seven seems to be our magic number, day after day. Everything is just burning up. Now they are saying we will have to conserve our water which means no outside watering. I'm thinking a grey water system and that's not too hard to put in but it's probably illegal. I'm imagining you caught enough fish to fill the freezer so you, little Laura, will have fish, veggies and eggs all w/o the grocery store. Are you composting your chicken poop? I sure wish I had some. I am having a hard time finding food for flowers and veggies. I suppose from so many people growing their own this year. I've checked WalMart here in Topeka and in the city where my son lives and there is none to be had. If you are meat eaters, be filling your freezer, now. We will have no corn or milo crop at all and that's from Texas to the Dakotas. Farmers are cutting it down for silage and when it's gone there is nothing to feed cattle. It's going on now and many are taking their beef to market which is why it's getting cheap but when that is gone there will be no more. There is also no hay. Your chicken feed is going to be very expensive as it's mostly corn and milo so buy what you will need until next fall when hopefully there will be a harvest. The wheat for next year goes in the ground now and they are not planting unless we get some rain and cooler temps. Spend money now on groceries to get through this and you won't be sorry. Yep, I know it sounds like gloom and doom but our family has been through these drought years before and will survive because we know what to do. Now, you also know.
Karen
Now I know! Thank you for missing me. The garden survived by my mother, a couple of helpful neighbours and the automatic sprinkler system the fella put in. Good fella. I've considered buying a side of beef but what with having no refrigerator I'd have to buy it live and let it roam. Then possibly operate on it to cut little bits off at a time. It's so hot the girls are barely laying. I haven't been composting this year. Too much going on and as you may know, I like to do everything exactly the very best way humanly possible. So I'm still in the researching stage. I also have to find somewhere to put a compost bin. I've pretty much run out of room on Green Fakers. There might be a corner in the backyard I can steal. And by backyard, I mean my neighbour's backyard. The same one I planted garlic in her front yard for a decade without her knowing about it. Wish me luck. ~ karen
Therese
Your veggie garden looks fantastic! So inspirational - I'm planning veggies on a grand scale in my new back yard - currently just brick pavers. I have a lot of work to do before Spring arrives here in Melbourne.
Karen
Therese - Spring's coming faster than you think! 6 weeks or so, right? Something like that. ~ karen!
Pat
Front yard gardens such as yours and the other beauty should be given a property tax break; they improve the neighbourhood! Stupid city by-laws. I'd gladly have them next door to me; nobody penalizes a yard when the weeds are three feet high, the lawn/shrubs are dead and dog poop is everywhere!
Nancy Blue Moon
What cute little painted toes you have my dear..as for the couple with the front yard garden..That is one of the prettiest gardens I have ever seen..I would die in a vegetarian bliss if I had this garden..Why are people in power positions always determined to screw up good things that other people do(like raising back yard chickens comes to mind)..Maybe they should get off their lazy butts and plant some veggies too..maybe if they feel a little healthier they will have a better attitude..You should just drive on up there Karen and give them a piece of my mind..oops..your mind..Yeah!!
Karen
LOL! ~ karen
Amanda
Even in "full flower"--this photo was evidently taken on July 18--their place is beautiful!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/07/18/drummondville-vegetable-garden-fight.html
So sad and frustrating!
Amanda
Uh-oh. Karen, look at how two of your fellow countrypersons might have to give up their gorgeous front yard garden:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/illegal-kitchen-garden_n_1687558.html
Karen
Amanda - I know! It's embarrassing. Soooooo stupid. And let me say that that's the nicest front yard garden I have EVER seen. It's architecturally beautiful! ~ karen
Suzie
They need lots of pots of flowers interspersed! Their city fathers need to spend more time thinking about feeding hungry children...
Mary Werner
Nice nail polish!
Tricia Rose
I'm imagining vampires coming knocking in twos, like Mormons, does this happen in Canada? You are safe now.
Gaye
Or Jehovah's Witnesses?
Dawna Jones
Hope you had a great relaxing weekend now get back to work!
http://www.dawnajonesdesign.com/
Laura Bee
ACKACKACK! I went out just now...the greens are totally dried up! I dug them up & I have two the size of marbles & three the size of a walnut. I wouldn't categorize them as a success. Maybe more watering next time? Thanks for trying to teach me though. It was fun to plant along with you.
Ray J.
Does the same apply to shallots? I planted shallots on a whim this year and have no idea what to do with them.
Kristen S
This weekend my dog decided my garlic was ready and took it upon himself to harvest it. He also thought he better test it out by sinking his teeth into it. He was just looking out for my well being really, wanted to make sure it was safe for human consumption.
Karen
Good dog. ~ karen
AmieM
Karen, I am a soil scientist, and I approve of the use of "dirt" to describe soil. Dirt is that awesome stuff you need to grow your food in. It's messy, can be muddy, dusty and best of al it sticks under your nails and tastes wonderful.
Also, your front door is safe if Eric Northman comes hither.
Anne
Love your reply ❤️ Love dirt!
Jen H
Any thoughts on those that don't have a space anywhere near 60-65F? The lowest it'll be in my house until Nov/Dec is 78F. Should I refrigerate or just cross my fingers?
Karen
Jen H - 60 - 65 is just the optimal temperature. Just find the coolest spot you can and hope for the best. If you live in a cool climate, hanging the garlic by a basement window is an option. I'm in the same sort of situation. Storing vegetables has become the hardest part of all of this. ~ karen!
Moe
Welcome back :o) Hope you and the fella had an amazing vacation.
Karen
Wow amazing garlic! You have inspired me! Beautiful garden you have there!
Karen
Thanks Karen. It's working out really well. Cept my potatoes. I have a feeling my potatoes are a bust. ~ karen
Lisa
Nope, potatoes are rarely a bust. Although mine here in Chicago were done about a month ago. I just finished digging them all up, and I'll bet that I can replant and get another crop. Did them up now if they're dying off on top.
Mary
Yep. Harvested mine about 3 weeks ago and not a day to soon. Currently looking for beet seeds to fill in the spot, but dang it, can I find any to buy? Not even the Canadian Tire!
Snowhawk
Try a site "Grow your Greens". He has tons of you-tube videos and recommends places to get seeds.
JebberA
Welcome back, Karen.
Nice garlic! It's clovenly spectacular and I'm sure it tastes amazing. Perfect for a batch of firebroth soup. Yum.