Step by Step Garlic Planting

I now have my garlic cloves in-ground. On October 22, 2011, my husband tilled the garden for me, then I went ahead and planted my garlic. This is my first year planting garlic at the right time of year, using proper garlic seed. I tried last season, and failed on every point. I will share those experiences in a different post, in which you will see why that project was doomed from the beginning, also what I learned in the process. Doing your homework first makes a big difference in the outcome of a lot of different projects; planting garlic is no exception. This is my garden before tilling; lots of weeds and died-off plants after the harvest was completed. Or should I say, almost completed, as my husband did find another little potato while tilling! WooHoo!! I’ll take it! Here he is, my darling, tilling away; about half-way through. Adding lime. If only I had remembered to put down lime before (or during) tilling, then I could have saved myself the job of working it into the soil. Oh well, live and learn. I made a chart to figure out where I want to plant my various vegetables next year; they need to be rotated in order to help prevent diseases, and for nutrition purposes, as different plants absorb different nutrients, and the soil could become depleted. So I keep charts from previous years to help me decide where […] Read more »

Almost There!

Hello everyone, I am just starting up this brand-new blog of mine, so hang in there for those of you who may have found this blog mostly empty. First of all, I will be covering garlic planting in my garden. It will be my second attempt. My first attempt, spring of 2011 (notice I said “spring”; mistake no. 1), failed, and I will later go into the details of why I believe I failed along with information of what I’m planning on doing differently this time around, also why I think there is a chance of success with these changes implemented (planting in the fall should help considerably.) The first time, I just dove into it after a friend gave me some sprouted cloves to try. Without being sufficiently prepared for it, along with making some glaring mistakes, I was bound to fail. But it was a fun experiment never-the-less. I’m actually glad I did what I did, so that now when I have spent money on good garlic seed, I have a chance of being successful. A chance. Doesn’t mean it will work; for one thing, I will attempt to plant soft-neck garlic, which isn’t really the right kind for my zone (I’m in zone 5.) It will be fascinating to see what happens! My goal is to produce enough bulbs to make a pretty garlic braid (need soft-neck for that) to hang in my kitchen, which I can […] Read more »