![]() Then comes the final act: timing your harvest correctly. ![]() They get tough as they get older, so if you want the best eating, cut them as soon as that bulge is obvious. When cut from the stalk young, these “scapes” are a uniquely delicious treat. Those little bulges would otherwise become useless seed heads that can only diminish the size of the underground bulb.Īnd if you let them ripen up completely, the seeds shoot all over the place and become “onion grass” - like weeds. Clip off the bulge that forms at the top of each of these stalks and enjoy these mild flavored “scapes” sautéed in a little olive oil. Then, as spring stretches into early summer, watch for a tall central stalk to appear on each plant. Then replace the mulch, which is hopefully shredded fall leaves or compost and not any kind of wood, to prevent weeds - the biggest enemy of garlic growers. I especially like the fish and seaweed blends available at most garden centers. When the above ground plant parts start growing aggressively this spring, remove any mulch and give the plants a nice feeding of compost, worm castings or a balanced organic fertilizer. Anyway, she wants to know what to do next. In fact, the taller the sprouts are above ground at Christmastime, the better the plants will do over winter.Īllison lucked out with the warm early winter we experienced, because her garlic did sprout, which is good, not bad. ![]() Garlic cloves planted in the early fall have time to develop really strong root systems before winter cold slows them down and the extra growing time they get early on means bigger bulbs at harvest time.Īnd again, garlic is very winter hardy cold weather doesn’t bother it one bit. In fact, if you plant too late in the season, your plants may not develop roots until the spring, which equals much smaller sized bulbs at harvest time. Garlic - especially the hardneck varieties that produce those intricate and intense flavors and brilliantly colored wrappers - is not harmed by cold weather. Columbus Day (early in October) used to be (back in the 1960s and 70s) considered “the lucky day” to plant cloves of garlic, but for the past decade or so I have followed the lead of commercial growers to plant in September - “right after the kids go back to school.” Our winters are indeed getting warmer, but that does not call for late planting. continues: “Is there anything I can do to protect or assist my garlic plants? And do you still recommend planting in October now that winters seem to be getting warmer?”Īnswer #1: You need do nothing your garlic is just fine. Garlic plant care? Not necessary right nowĪllison in D.C. And you should expect a very good harvest your aboveground growth means that your plants have developed good roots, which is essential to the development of big bulbs.īut, your harvest would be even better if you had planted two (maybe even three) months earlier… continues: “What can I expect in terms of maturity at harvest time if the plants survive the chill?”Īs we have been stressing, your plants will survive any chills to come. Good outlook for this year’s garlic harvestĪllison in D.C. The more time the plants have to grow in the Fall, the bigger the harvested heads will be in the Summer. If it had been bone chilling cold, your December plantings might not have been able to grow roots and could have perished! In future seasons, go back to October (or even September) plantings. Now, Allison: You are very lucky that most of our winter was so warm. The above ground growth of garlic is very winter-hardy, and that growth reveals that your garlic has also had good root growth below.
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