[Homestead] Garlic questions

Clansgian at wmconnect.com Clansgian at wmconnect.com
Mon Jun 2 07:11:38 EDT 2008



> >I've not tried that. What's the longest you seen them stay good in the  
> ground?

That's a tricksty question.  There are small patches all over the garden 
tight with garlic 'scallions' where I failed to harvest the bulb all winter and 
each clove sent up a new stalk.  So the bulb fades into the next phase of the 
plant having never deteriorated a wit, so I'd say the longevity of garlic is 
infinite - in the root meaning of the word as 'no discernable end'.

Those profuse garlic scallions are dug up, one can't pull them since the 
tough roots are intertwined, they are chopped and dehydrated.  Some of them I dig 
up and transplant much as one would transplant an onion slip and from these 
I've gotten some of my biggest bulbs.

Yes, I'd say that too, 'like potatoes' in that where they want to be is in 
the ground.  But also like potatoes they will get a move on very early in the 
spring.  With potatoes, if you don't have some dug and stored, you will have 
sprouted potatoes by early March and so you could have a potato gap.  But with 
garlic, the green scallions are just as useful as the mature bulbs for all 
purposes except perhaps roasting, so I never mind that they have sprouted.  Of 
course, I still dig up the nicest bulbs for storage ... and roasted garlic.

About the potato gap ... I've got new potatoes the size of a quarter.  Soon 
.. oh so very soon!

James   </HTML>


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