Dragonwood Chronicles: Growing Garlic

Wecome to Dragonwood Chronicles

Tucked away deep in the woods at the southern edge of the Tug Hill region of New York. Dragonwood is our off-grid sanctuary. Six acres of pond and gardens bordered by forest on three sides.

The project began in 1995, when after a long search, Debe and I purchased the property from a local logger. To date we have built a cabin, a bridge, out house, two sheds in addition to expansive gardens and stone work. We have a generator, propane lights, refrigerator and grill, a wood stove and modest solar system. A dug well and small stream suitable for watering gardens and other needs and a nearby spring for drinking water.

The Dragonwood Chronicles will serve to document the project with photographs and notes. Future projects will include additions to the cabin, a root cellar and a studio building.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Growing Garlic - Continued

Last fall we posted an article about growing garlic. We planted in the fall a couple of weeks before any danger of the ground freezing.

I stated at that time, that the garlic would come up in the spring and then we fertilize with fish emulsion fertilizer a couple of times. As the plants grow they send out "scapes" toward the end of June or early July. These will flower if not cut off, and thus reduce the size of the bulbs at harvest time. The "scapes" will loop back onto themselves before flowering. This is when you cut them off.

Here is a photograph to illustrate.

By the end of July or early August it will be time to harvest. I'll post on that when the time comes.

Happy Gardening!