Garlic Harvest

Garlic Hanging to Dry at FoodCycles

As some of you may have noticed, most of the communal garlic plot has been harvested.  Here are some tips on harvesting garlic in your own plots or for future reference.  The best time to harvest the bulbs is late summer or early fall after the leaves begin to turn brown.  The dying back of the leaves is only an approximate indicator however, and the best way to know for sure if your garlic is ready is by inspecting a few bulbs in the ground by carefully scraping away the dirt.  You will be able to feel the bumps of the garlic cloves through the paper-like wrapping.  Loosen the dirt (some people like use a fork for this) around the garlic and carefully lift it from the ground being careful not to damage the skins on the cloves as this will make it more difficult for the garlic to keep well.

Different Varieties Labelled at FoodCycles

Garlic Hanging to Dry at FoodCycles

After garlic is harvested, it needs to be hung to dry or cured.  Remove any excess dirt but do not try to wash the garlic before drying because it may damage the skin.  The dirt should fall off during the drying process.  You can leave the roots on however, as they have a moderating effect on the drying.  One way to hang the garlic is by tying or braiding together the tops in small bunches while they are still flexible.  Make sure to label each bunch with the variety and when it was harvested so you won’t forget.  Hang the bunches for two weeks to a month in a shady, dry spot (sun can change the flavour of the garlic) that has good air circulation.  The garlic from the communal bed you may have noticed, is currently drying in the shed.

There is nothing easier than saving garlic for next season.  Simply put aside a few of your top quality bulbs and store them at room temperature with fairly high humidity so they don’t dry out.

If you are interested in reading more about garlic harvesting try here , here or even this video.

Heat Wave

A reminder about watering during the heat from Sheridan Nurseries:

The most crucial task in the garden over the next few weeks is watering.  Smart watering will ensure the long term health of your lawn and garden during this heat!

Beat the Heat with these watering tips!

• Containers, window boxes and hanging baskets must be watered daily, perhaps even twice a day.
• When watering, avoid contact with foliage to reduce burning.
• In the garden bed, some plants require more water than others.  It is important to watch for wilt and water accordingly using a soaker hose.
• Newly planted tree, shrubs and perennials need extra care and must be watered more often to establish a solid root system.
• Give your lawn a thorough, deep watering (approximately 10 min./area) twice a week.  This is more beneficial than watering 3-4 times for a shorter time period.
• Watering should be done first thing in the morning before the heat of the day.
• Protect new and established plants by using Parkwood Cedar Mulch.  Not only does it look attractive, it will conserve water moisture.

Click here to see the original link.

June Garden Updates!

Well the garden is certainly blooming – I can’t believe how fast things are coming up! Unfortunately we seem to be going head to head with bunnies (and other garden critters) and as you may notice, some gardeners have been constructing removable fences around their plots – so far I have yet to come across and non-physical barriers that have been effective for rodents, gophers and rabbits.

• BEETS- If you seeded some beets in early spring, you’ll likely be thinning the beet patch and eating beet-leaf salad. TIP: Eat young beet greens fresh, in a salad. As they become larger, the leaves become tougher—at which time you can treat them like spinach and steam them.
• GARLIC – It’s time to harvest the scapes! These are the long curly things that are coming out of the top of each plant. It’s actually the seed head but when pinch off right at the bottom (where it appears to be coming out of the plant) they can be used as a tasty addition to salads and stir-frys. They are delicious. Although edible, I’d suggest you leave a couple of the garlic scapes intact so that you can later harvest your own seed from the garlic.
• TOMATOES have started blooming. I’ve started tying them to the stakes. You’ll see in the picture that there is red lettuce coming up under the tomato plants. TIP: Scatter some lettuce seed under your tomato plants now. In the heat of summer, the shade of the tomato plants will provide a cooler spot for a lettuce crop.

TRAIN AND TIE TOMATO PLANTS – If you’re staking your plants, you should have stakes in the ground and be tying the stem to the stakes now. The tomatoes are already blooming and once fruit start to form, the weight of the fruit will pull down the plants. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to tomatoes but you might want to do some research to figure out what’s best for your plants, depending on your situation.

- Some people let them vine along the ground unsupported, which is how they’re grown in the field. Left alone, the stems will fork, giving multi-branched plants. Some people grow them upwards on stakes, leaving only one main stem. Some people take a path somewhere in between. For a little more information on sorting out staking, check out this link:

http://www.garden-helper.com/articles/techniques-for-supporting-tomato-plants.asp

It’s time to get cracking in the garden!

A little inspiration from last year...

I know some of you have already started planting seeds, and it’s not long before the garden season is going to be in full swing. I’ve drawn up some tips that might be helpful for May planting – feel free to share what you’re all up to in the garden!

BROAD BEANS. If you haven’t already sown broad beans, it’s not too late. While most beans are seeded around the time of the last frost, broad beans are the exception and can be seeded early.
OTHER BEANS. Wax beans, pole beans, and dry beans are usually planted mid May, around the time of the last frost. simply reseed.
CABBAGE AND FAMILY (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) seedlings can be transplanted into the garden now.
RHUBARB and CHIVES – perennial crops that should be up and ready to eat. TIP: These plants are easy to multiply if you have space, simply split the clump in two with a spade and make additional plantings. For rhubarb, snip the flower heads off to encourage new spring growth.
LEEK AND ONION – If you’ve got seedlings, they can be transplanted into the garden right about now. But it may also be wise to wait one more week due to the recent cold spurt.
POTATOES – Now is the time if you’d like to get going early.
TOMATOES – If you’ve got transplants that you’ve been growing indoors, start moving them outdoors during the day to harden them off. They should be ready to go in the garden in a couple of weeks.

SEEDS YOU CAN SOW DIRECTLY in the garden now: beets, broad beans, carrots, lettuce, peas, parsley, radish, spinach, Swiss chard
SEEDLINGS YOU CAN TRANSPLANT into the garden now: cabbage, lettuce, kohlrabi, onions, leeks