Covering up the garlic for the winter
I am unsure if I even need to do this in our region, but just in case I figured it would be a good idea to put a layer of hay over the garlic and shallots growing in raised beds. In colder climates they suggest you add mulch so hopefully hay in a less harsh winter environment will work fine. We can do the same on a larger scale when it comes to next years project. But for now these little beds only needed a few bales of hay to cover them all up.
The hay was put down around a week ago, and it started getting warm again. I guess this made the garlic and shallots grow through the hay. Hopefully that is fine. It is hard to figure out when the cold is going to stay, so planning sometimes things change and the warm weather returns.. most of November was quite warm.
Really need to redo my labels. At least this time I did not lose them to the wind, but moisture got into the bags and the ink I wrote with is wearing off. Will probably laser print some labels and put those in bags. Thanks for every ones suggestions, some really interesting ones like using old window blind shutters and writing on them. But I think the baggie method is working fine for now.
Seems they emerged and then got cold and started curling. Probably responding to the cold, not sure if they are going to die back and just look sad through the winter. First time growing these for me, so its a all new experience.
If it stays cold I expect them to stop growing.
Another bed with a label that is hard to read, I think printing it out on laser is the best bet for an easy solution.
Luckily I can still read most of the others, so I think I will be able to figure out which is which. I can always look back at my previous posts, that helps too to figure out when the labels wear off like that.
So I think this is enough hay for now, if I put down too much it will just blow away when we get good storms.
Really looking forward to next year when they start growing again. I expect them to take off once the ground warms up.. probably around April.
I think all I need to do is keep the beds free of weeds and cut off the scapes as they form. It will be a good test for how things will go on a larger scale I would think.
Things are looking pretty bare at this time of year, but that is fine. It is the time to rebuild and be ready for next years plants. So lots to do, mostly working on the beds. And next year should be a good growing year I think.
So lots of new things to experience next year.
I've never grown garlic so best of luck... I'll be around in spring to see how it turned out
Thanks, gonna be my first time so I hope it goes well.
Eventually they should really start to curl on you into scapes. Then you can cut the tops off so that the plant can focus on growing the bulb underground. Mine didn't work out quite that way, but I have been told that's how it's supposed to work!
Ah yeah, maybe that was happening in late autumn.. Or maybe just curling from the cold.. not sure.
I think next spring/summer I will need to cut off the scapes.
They are tasty roasted with a bit of butter and pepper. That was about the only thing productive I got out of my attempt at garlic.
It would never have occurred to me to cover the plants with hay to prevent the cold from burning the plants. In the city where I live the climate is mostly warm and nothing needs to be done about the cold. I think this idea is great, dear friend @solominer
I wish you much success
Ah yeah your climate is more temperate than mine.
thanks
I guess it would also need some exposure to sun rays in winters removing the cover.
Not sure they need that in the winter, many bulbs will go dormant during that time and come back next year using stored energy in the root system and bulb.
Hm
It's nice to eat your own garlic. Although mine is small, it is tasty. And today in the underground passage I saw a man who was selling large garlic for 2 dollars per piece and people bought (and in our country 2 dollars is 7 kilograms of potatoes).
Ah I hope mine comes out full sized.
Oh cool.. yeah I hear garlic is really in demand.
You could also add in something of a small bucket of water and the humidity will increase and it will be a lot warmer in there too.
Not sure my garlic needs this though.
Me either. But maybe your cannabis plants do if your doing any outside again.
I think I would rather grow indoors in the winter. Adds heat to my living space.
You are taking care of your garden professionally and you will be rewarded for it efficiently.
I have been producing onions for years. They do not like very hot weather. I have observed that they like temperatures between 15-25 degrees.
Ah thanks.. Oh okay, I have yet to start onions but may give that a try. Though our summers are quite hot so they may not like that.
This is amazing preparation. I wish you luck
Much appreciated.
If you use the window blinds for tags, be sure to stick the writing underground, this way it does not fade away and all you need to do is pull it up to see what you planted.
This is our growing season in Florida.
I was wondering about that.. but I thought if you put the writing underground the moisture would also fade it off as well..
I would think burning it in is the best. Thats why I was thinking of user laser printed labels for my bags.
Use a black Sharpie pen, I have had the writing underground for over a year and could pull it up and still read it.
Nicely done! You’ll reap the rewards next year!!! BTW - fresh garlic is always “accepted” lol!!!
AH thanks, I do hope it all works out next year.
Good that you didn't miss the timing!! In here we have some inches of snow!! I planted some tulip bulbs... Covered with some dead leaves that I raked, but my dog just dug a bit... =((( I lost one bulb at least lol but now we have snow and lets see how it goes next spring!
Oh wow it has yet to snow here yet this year.
Oh damn well hopefully the rest of your tulip bulbs do good.
I live in zone six in western, New York. We plant the garlic bulbs in late October and don’t bother mulching them with any protection. Our average low temperatures are around 18 degrees Fahrenheit. They always begin to grow Burt winter stops that. Then in the spring they really take off. I hope you have great success with your plants.
Ah okay, thanks for letting me know how its done up there. So sounds like next year I will not worry about covering them.
Thank you, hope it all works out next year with them.
Your welcome, hope you get a good crop.
So you produce garlic. It is a precious crop over here because of it high medicinal value. I like the way you are managing it. Even though I have never thought of plants suffering from cold😃
Yeah it should be an interesting crop that is for sure.
Ya va avanzando pa siembra @solominer 😊🤩👏!! Felicidades bro, gran trabajo el que estás desarrollando crack 😉👌
Sure is coming along..
thanks
Today or tomorrow the post that I dedicate to several friends and hive communities will be published, I hope you can see it. And I hope you will like what I create for you as well as the others. Greetings bro 😉😎👌
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@solominer You have grown garlic in many beautiful ways. You will surely get a good yield of garlic
I do hope so
Good luck
ah thank you
Your garlic and shallots are all healthy. You are so resourceful @solominer 😊
Ah thanks.. I do my best.
It is always a good idea to cover the soil with hay (grass cuttings) before the winter. It usually has something to do with the night frost when the green of the garlic curls up. But it doesn't bother the tasty bulb that grows under the soil.
I'm just a little bit surprised that you've left the garlic all on its own in the bed. Garlic typically likes its neighbours. Especially strawberries. We have decided on strawberries, which bear fruit from the spring to the end of the summer.
Ah okay, yeah I figured the frost was doing that.
We plan on starting strawberries next year, but they will probably go in taller beds.
Was thinking about starting them in the autumn but instead I am going to start them next spring.
If the planting date is in the spring, there is a risk that there will be no crop that year. On the other hand, if you plant them in August, the basket of fruit can be picked in the spring. It doesn't really matter whether the beds are high or low. The most important thing is that they have the right kind of neighbours.
It is also the best time to propagate strawberries between the months of August and September.
Make sure to do the result after the winter, very curious! I wasnt planning on covered my garlic because I read somewhere they also need the cold for some reason?
Gardening is so confusing sometimes (especially in multi month projects like these)
Yeah should be interesting to see what happens..
The same here, I see many suggestions online when using google but many contradict themselves.. So we shall see which works in the end.
By the way you add straw on top of garlic and shallots in winter, of course this is very useful for onion plants, because straw can make the plant not too hot even though some people suggest to use mulch in this way I think it's a very good idea, hopefully this project will be more successful later, I can't wait for them to thrive my friend 😊
Thanks much I do hope the best for them. Yeah I hear onions do not like a lot of heat.. will need to be aware of that if I try growing them.
It’s always a mix of excitement and uncertainty when starting something new, like growing garlic and shallots for the first time.
Yep it is going to be a whole new experience.
Wonderful work
thanks a lot
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The hay is actually good to lock in moisture hence the garlic plants are growing so well.
What are you going to do with so much garlic? :) Sell it?
Your garlic plant is doing well despite the weather, I'm sure the hay is helping too.
Covering the soil with hay is a great idea to seal in moisture.
Does too much cold and ice affect the development of the plant?
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