Got a few big projects done this weekend and this was one of them:
The same weekend as last year so it seemed like a good time to get the seed garlic into the raised beds. Since we have new readers, instead of linking to last year's post on it, we figured it would be nice to have new pictures and details on we how things might have changed this time around.
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| Raised bed |
I had already turned soil a few weekends back. This was before, ready to go...
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| Holes for planting garlic |
Then I took my tool and made 36 holes in the the soil. About 2 inches deep. Six rows of six.
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| Seed garlic |
Then I sorted through the seed garlic, breaking apart the heads into the individual cloves. Now this isn't like getting garlic ready to cook with, you want to leave as much of the "skin" on as possible. Of course in regular handling and pulling them apart, the skin does sometimes just fall off. You don't plant the ones that are completely "naked".
This garlic was ordered last Spring for shipment in September. When we got it, we put it in the fridge drawer to trick the bulbs into thinking it is Winter...and they will be ready to do their thing.
I sorted them into piles of twelve each just to make it easier to grab a handful and fill up a dozen holes at a time. I also tried to get the ones that were bigger and seemed the healthiest.
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| Planting garlic |
Then you just put them down in the hole...
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| Planting garlic pointed end up, root end down |
...make sure it is pointy end up and root end down!
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| Raised bed with garlic |
Since we still had a bag of soil leftover from cleaning up all the vegetable beds, I decided to fill the holes by adding a nice layer of fresh soil on top of them all.
I smoothed it all out and then...
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| Straw mulch |
...I topped it off with straw mulch (it was windy and I lost some as you can see, ha). Then I got the hose and watered it all down.
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| Garlic in raised beds |
OH! And I did it TWICE!
Yep, since we had such good luck with garlic this year (finally), we figured we'd try to double that luck and so I filled two beds. I dug 72 holes and planted 72 cloves. We should end up with a lot of garlic in about six months or so. I hope our friends and family like it...we might be giving a lot away, ha.
You've inspired me!! We will try garlic this year in our raised beds and hope that the racoons don't like it...
ReplyDeleteLEfting; to keep the raccoons out, place chicken wire over the top and secure it down and it will keep the raccoons from digging in your bed or try one of the methods as shown in the following link.
ReplyDeletehttps://homeguides.sfgate.com/spices-keep-raccoons-away-75675.html
Plants that raccoons Don't like: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plants-raccoons-not-like-83264.html
Ways to prevent raccoons from visiting: https://www.almanac.com/pest/raccoons
1st Man; you will be well blessed with garlic if you have as a good as crop or better as you had this year.
To keep the wind from blowing your straw off your beds; lay a section of chicken wire over the top; big enough to bend the wire over the edges of your bed and that will help to keep the straw in it's place.
I am so excited about your garlic planting and that you are doubling it. Since you've worked out all the "bugs," I know you'll have a wonderful harvest. You beto believe it!
ReplyDeleteI have a great recipe for garlic soup. Have I sent it to you? It's a European cure-all, like our chicken noodle soup is. I learned of it when I visited there a couple of years ago. It doesn't taste too garlic-y and is really tasty.
Last year when we planted garlic in the ground at the community garden plot, we didn’t have much of a showing. This year it’s in one of the raised beds at the house like yours. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDelete