Got Garlic? Yes! The Garlic Shipment Is IN

When I picked up Friday’s mail, I was excited to find a pungent little box from Hood River Garlic. Here’s the catalogue description of the seeds. The [bracketed note] refers to flavor.

Chesnok Red 
Purple Stripe hardneck variety. Originating from Shvelisi, in the Republic of Georgia, AKA Shvelisi. Chesnok Red is one of our most popular varieties. We have been growing it for over 12 years and it has always been a trustworthy producer. This beautiful purple stripe keeps its terrific flavor after cooking, a superior varietal that should be in all garlic lovers’ gardens! 10 – 12 cloves per bulb. 50 – 60 cloves per pound. Mid harvest. Stores 5 months. Small bulbs store the longest. [Hot]

Shantang Purple 
Turban hardneck variety. A sub-species of Artichoke garlic.This garlic variety originates from China, but our seed stock comes from Washington (USDA certified organic). A great garlic for varied climates, it can handle hot dry climates as well as cold northern climates. Shantang Purple packs some serious heat, especially when eaten raw. 6 – 8 cloves per bulb. 38 – 48 cloves per pound. Early harvest. Stores 6 – 7 months. [Hot]

Susanville 
Artichoke softneck variety. One of my favorite softnecks for braiding, the beautiful purple skin adds nice color to your braid. A true garlic flavor that is more flavorful then hot. This softneck can handle cold winters. 12 – 15 large cloves. 60 – 75 cloves per pound. Early to mid harvest. Stores 7 – 8 months. [Medium]

These were all part of the variety pack recommended for first crops.  They also sent a guide to garlic growing.  Some highlights:  Step 1. Choosing your garlic planting stock -Your seed stock is the most important facet of growing garlic. It all starts at the clove! Each individual clove is a garlic seed and it will grow into a bulb. Beginning with premium garlic planting seed stock will make a huge difference come harvest time. When choosing your garlic seed, plant the largest cloves of each garlic bulb, small cloves should be eaten. To separate cloves from the bulb, hold the bulb in one hand and use the other hand to break the cloves free of the bulb.

Step 2. Preparing your soil for planting garlic – Your soil is the next most important thing to growing garlic. Organic garlic loves good drainage and loamy, fertile soil. Amending the soil with organic matter such as compost, manure, leaf mulch and aged straw is highly recommended. Your soil should have a neutral ph level between 6 and 7.

Step 3. Planting Garlic – When to plant your garlic – We start planting garlic around Halloween and continue planting garlic thru November. This is a good guide line for almost all climates. Plant at the turning point of the seasons; with enough time for planting garlic before the ground is frozen. Try to allow three to four weeks for the cloves to settle into their winter beds, this will help the leaf development in the spring. Plant the organic garlic seed 5 to 6 inches apart with the tips up. Cover the top with 3/4 inch to 1 inch of amended, loose dirt and gently pat down the top layer of soil. In colder climates cover your organic garlic seed with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of dirt.

Step 4. Mulching and irrigating garlic– After you have your garlic planting stock in the ground, it is essential to cover it with a nice layer of mulch. There are many different types of mulch. Choose from aged straw, (careful no seeds) leaf mulch, grass clippings, organic compost, shredded paper. Mulch will protect your garlic seed in the cold winter months, prohibit weeds, keep the earth cool and moist during hot months and protect your topsoil from blowing away. Garlic likes to be kept evenly moist. Uneven watering may cause irregular shaped bulbs. This is where your good soil preparation and mulching becomes important. Water your garlic regularly during the leaf production stage. Apply some nitrogen rich foliage feed 2 to 3 times in spring.

There’s more on harvesting, curing and storing too.  According to their garlic calendar, the plants usually pop out of the ground in January or February and are ready to harvest by mid June/early July.

Unresolved: We have to strategize about where to plant the seeds and how to prepare the beds.  Since I may not be around to actually plant the weekend of Nov 3rd, maybe I can do some bed work the Sunday before Halloween or, during the week of Halloween, pick up mulch or run other errands that need to be done between winterizing and garlic planting.

Should be fun!  -Denise