A couple weeks ago I planted a "garlic starter kit" which includes different kinds of bulbs of garlic and shallots. I soaked the cloves and planted them in beds, and a few weeks later I have started to see some growth from them. Though with winter on the way, I will probably need to cover them in mulch or hay soon to protect them during the winter. But they will stay alive and hopefully emerge next spring when the weather warms up again.
Seems the California Late White is growing the most right now. While other beds also show signs of life, this one appears to have a 100% successful germination.
The Russian Reds seem to be doing well too, with lots of growth. They all look the same to me, glad I labeled the beds using ziplock bags. That are stapled to the beds holding post it notes with the type of garlic being grown.
Maybe more will come up between now and when they go dormant for the winter.
Being my first time growing them, its is all new to me. So I will just go along with it and see what happens.
Hopefully hay will be good enough to cover them, I see people use wood chips in cold climates. I can add that too, just happen to have some hay on hand by the garlic.
The Music garlic is coming up as well, just a couple of them.
Good to see the garlic liking the mix of native dirt, wood chips and garden soil
They look quite happy to me, hopefully next year they will get even bigger after the winter is over.
Cannot wait to eat them, gonna be a whole year before that can happen. So we must wait.
These bulbs remind me a lot of violet plants.. the leaves look just like them.
I guess many bulb plants look similar, some just flower and you enjoy them and others you eat.
Wondering which one I will like the most for cooking, I bet they will all be really good. And fresh from the garden is the best way to enjoy them.
Though in beds like the ones with the shallots, not much is going on right now.
Also the Elephant garlic has not emerged.
Hopefully we will see them sprout too.. But three out of the five are coming up so far.
Soon I will need to cover them with wood chips or hay, as freezing weather is just around the corner. Maybe in another week or two, as it is suppose to warm up again for a few days. And hopefully after that it will stay cold so I can bury them.
And if all goes well they should emerge next year when the ground and air warms up, the plants should keep growing through the summer and then in fall we harvest the bulbs. From there they need to dry and cure and finally ready to eat... Its a long process but I am in it for the long haul.