Sunday, July 10, 2022

Growing and Preserving Garlic

Cabin life changed during Covid. Getting home for spring planting was difficult. Either we couldn't get here, or our timing was too early. In September, I cleaned my float garden, covered parts to prevent unwanted weeds, and planted flower bulbs and garlic.

At first I grew garlic in containers.

I've grown garlic for years. In the beginning, it was in small containers. I got plenty, but the bulbs were on the small side.

Now I grow it in my float garden. Garlic takes little attention. Plant cloves with the point up, mulch, water, feed periodically, dig, dry, and enjoy.

I purchase garlic bulbs good for my climate at the nursery. I also save my best bulbs for future planting.  A few bulbs go a long way. You separate the cloves and plant them seven inches apart. I plant in fall, mulch through winter and harvest in early summer.

Flower and garlic bulbs (in the front) sprouting in early March.

When the tops wilt, brown, and fall over, it's time to pull the bulbs. 

Tulips have died back and garlic approaching maturity.

If the weather is sunny and warm, I leave them on the cabin deck to dry.

Garlic drying on the deck on a sunny summer day.

After the surface of the bulbs has dried, I brush off any dirt and tie the tops of several together for hanging. Nothing goes to waste. I saved the trimmings for garden mulch.

Processing garlic for storage: Trimming and tying in bundles.

I hang them in a protected spot outdoors to continue drying. This starts the preserving process.

Garlic hanging to dry in the floating woodshed.

I leave them outdoors until the skin on the bulbs is dry and flaky. I then hang the bundles in the cabin's storage room. By this time there's no odour, and they're handy to grab for cooking.

Dried garlic hangs in our storage room ready for use.

If you live in an apartment with a balcony, or a home with limited garden space, you can grow garlic in a container and have plenty left over to share with friends and family. -- Margy

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Shared with Your the Star at Stone Cottage Adventures. And Tuesdays with a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventures.

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13 comments:

  1. Garlic is easy to grow, and I admire your floating garden. Do you grow enough to last for the year?

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  2. Margy - that's some really good-looking garlic! I have made no attempt to grow anything edible in our garden - it's all flowers! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

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  3. I enjoyed the way you have taken us through the whole process of growing garlic.

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  4. We buy garlic like that here on the market. It has a very sharp taste and I love it.

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  5. Dear Margy,
    you have really good planting success with your garlic! I'm good with onions, they thrive here every year, but garlic doesn't want me... ;-) (I like to plant onions and garlic between the strawberries because I've heard it's good for the respective plants, but only the onion and the strawberries thrive...)
    I keep my fingers crossed that the red currants will offer nice berries next year!
    All the best from Austria and have a good time
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/07/mallorca-reisebericht-teil-1-tag-1-bis.html

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  6. Excellent tips!
    (ツ) from Jenn Jilks , ON, Canada!

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  7. Nice crop of garlic. Covid changed so many things.

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  8. I know it must taste amazing! We love garlic and use it in a lot of dishes. Thanks for sharing your growing tips!

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  9. Handsome looking garlic! This is the second year I planted garlic, first time in the ground. I planted them in spring so they came out quite small. But, were they ever tasty. I’ve made myself a note to plant them this Fall.

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  10. Dear Margy,
    oh, didn't my garlic-comment from the other day show up here? I think you still have to approve it - for some reason this sometimes happens with comments at the moment.
    Thanks for your interesting comment regarding Moors. I think Vikings got around further than Moors. Also, it seems plausible to me that a beautiful Moorish lady was kidnapped by Vikings (or bought as a slave?) and taken north, where she stayed and gave birth to your Norwegian grandmother's ancestors. I hadn't heard that Moors would have raged through Norway pillaging and raping ;-))
    Have a nice weekend!
    All the best
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/07/mallorca-reisebericht-teil-2-tag-4-bis.html

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  11. Dear Margy,
    I hope You are fine! Thank you for your comment on Mallorca and Junipero Serra. Like you and your husband, we prefer to go to places that are not overcrowded with tourists. Luckily, that was possible given the missionary's birthplace. You're right, we learned a lot from a colonial perspective - I'm glad there are now critical voices that take into account the experiences of Native Americans (or Natives worldwide)...
    Best wishes,
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/07/blackout-teil-1-wie-gro-ist-die-gefahr.html

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  12. Mmm lucky you. Love garlic! We cook with it almost every day.

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  13. I'd love to try my hand at growing garlic, we use it a lot as well.
    Amalia
    xo

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy