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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] 2 garlic questions
  • Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:27:18 -0400

Sorry -- I forgot about this one.

I have never had garlic turn green, and have no idea what's going on with that. Unless you mean that it's sprouting? Sprouting garlic is edible, sprouts and all, but may not be very salable, at least unless you grow it out into garlic greens. The cloves will soften, if it's starting to sprout.

As far as the planting stock: you can build the strain back up to its normal size. Whether it'll be all the way back up to size next year if you grow the current smaller bulbs out, I don't know, but it should be closer, and back to normal within another year or so if not immediately by next year. Rather than lose a strain that's done very well for you, I'd plant at least some of them; as well as some of the fall planted from the other strain. I find that the ones that do best in some years don't do the best in others, as they may not react just the same to the weather; though in any given location there are some that will do well most years, and others that aren't worth growing there, though they may do fine someplace else.

The separating garlic will indeed taste fine, and is easier to break apart, but may not store as long as garlic harvested on time. If your customers are buying it to use fairly soon, that's not an issue; but if some of them are stocking up for the winter, you might want to warn them about that. You can also use it for planting stock.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



On Sep 10, 2011, at 10:26 PM, Beth Spaugh wrote:

First: I was late getting my rocambole garlic out, and it is separating.  Surprisingly, customers are saying “What beautiful garlic”, etc, and buying it.  I do have some on the top layer of the bushels that are greening.  Anyone know if this affects flavor or safety?  I have plenty so don’t need to sell those that are greening.
 
Second garlic question: Last fall when I was planting garlic, I thought I was  missing my nicest porcelain bulbs.  Sure enough, I found them over winter and planted them early spring thinking they had the best genetics and I would use them as seed garlic this year.  Most only made one or two cloves per bulb, the bulbs about an inch in diameter.  Shall I use them as seed this year, or plant some of my much larger fall planted?  I guess the question is, does the current bulb size trump the genetic potential of the spring planted.  And I do have some nice fall planted ones that have good genetics.  Haven’t figured out what to do with the spring planted if I don’t plant them.  Seems like I ought to be able to put a catchy name on them and sell them for eating.  They are much more attractive than the rocamboles that are selling well.
 
Thank  you.
 
Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead, Peru NY




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