Dragonwood Chronicles: 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.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Garlic - Harvest Time

Last week we harvested the garlic planted last fall. The tops of the plants began to turn yellow and brown and dry out. This is a signal that the plants are done and it's time to pull the plants and let them dry out. Leaving them in the ground too long invites rotting or fungus especially in a wet year like this has been.

Once the plants are pulled we bundle them together in bunches of 8-10 bulbs and hang them in a dry place out of direct sunlight. They will hang for about two weeks roughly and then they will be brushed off and trimmed.

Washing the bulbs is not recommended. In the interest of a long shelf life they need to dry. Just brush off any dirt. You will peel them anyway before using.

This year we harvested around 50 bulbs of New York White, a hard neck variety. Most years we grow several varieties. This fall we plan to plant three to four varieties and closer to 100 seeds.