Eisley Nursery

GETTIN’ DIRTY with the Garden Goddesses

GETTIN’ DIRTY with the Garden Goddesses
By Earlene Eisley-Freeman and Cyndi Davis

Thanks to some warm days, we’re finally harvesting the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, but the zucchini and beans are beginning to looked stressed and die off in our gardens. So this is a great time to pull the ugly plants and put in garlic and onions and shallots, oh my! September thru’ early November in our area (after the Autumnal Equinox) is the ideal time for the Allium family. Fortunately we’ll have plenty of variety for you to plant. Right now we’ll focus on garlic because we have 5 softneck varieties and 7 hardneck varieties arriving this month for you to plant. And because we love garlic!

Most garlic varieties originated in Central Asia where they have long cold winters, damp cool springs and warm dry summers, similar but not exactly like our foothill seasons. Many varieties do well here; each year has different climate conditions, so some varieties will do better one year than another, but if you experiment with different types you will find ones you like, and which will grow well in your garden.

Generally, 3-4 pounds of ‘seed’ garlic will plant a 50 foot row, and yield between 12-25 pounds of garlic, depending on the variety and our weather conditions. Individual cloves should be planted about 6” apart, in rows about 12” apart in order to allow the bulbs to size up without competition. Garlic prefers slightly acid soil, feeding with a regular vegetable fertilizer during the winter, and then a fertilizer very low in nitrogen in the spring once the bulbs begin to develop. Regular water is important, because if they dry out too much, it may stimulate the developing cloves to sprout and grow leaves rather than size up into nice fat cloves. Also garlic may taste bitter if kept too dry.

Harvest generally begins in June. When the lower leaves begin to turn brown, stop watering. Then when only the top third of the foliage remains green carefully begin lifting the bulbs – don’t wait until the foliage completely dies back, or the bulb wrappers may begin to deteriorate. After harvesting, air dry the bulbs in a cool, dry, shady location for a couple weeks. Once the bulbs are dry, cut off the roots and most of the tops and store where temperatures are between 55-65°F with 40-60% humidity (or as close to that as possible for the longest storage). As the bulbs age, the flavor will generally intensify.

So give garlic a try this fall – it’s pretty easy to grow, and just think of the great addition it will be to your cooking next year!

Earlene Eisley-Freeman and Cyndi Davis can be found at Eisley Nursery in Auburn, 380 Nevada St., 530-885-5163.