A Couple of Garlic Questions

[pdxwindjammer]

I had the terrible misfortune of losing my mom to cancer in November so I didn't get all my garlic planted.

Will my garlic that I purchased in October keep until next winter or should I put it in the ground now and just expect smaller heads?

I did plant some of my garlic and the leaves are 6-8" long. Can I cut the leaves to use as chives or do they need to continue to grow to feed the bulbs? I have done a bit of clipping from a leaf or two to throw into scrambled eggs but won't make it a habit if it will reduce my yield.

I live in Portland, OR.

Thank you!

[ireilly]

So sorry about your mom. Cancer took my dad a few years back as well. They have come a ways with treatment but are just not there for many kinds yet. It gets to the point that the folks just get tired of fighting and you wish them peace of whatever kind they can get. Very hard to watch them suffer.

I'm not a garlic expert but I did get a bunch planted in December here. I got my from Bloosquallfarms.com. Travis is a great guy who incidentally is also fighting tumors in his head and no one knows a lot lately about his treatments. He told me in an email I could put it in the fridge for awhile to simulate winter. The only thing I don't understand about that is this. I read that the reason you want garlic to go through a cold spell is to stop growing above ground and instead begin bulbing below. Many recommend that you plant in fall to allow for bigger bulb and root structure development.

Yet I know that some people manage to start in spring and still produce bulbs, albeit smaller. Or so I understand.

So, I have no definite answer because I am just going through this myself for the first time. I have lots of plants too but wonder what will come up in the spring when it dies back. I have also read that each year is variable like other crops, and so there's just no way to know unless you try it.

I would say that the garlic will not last a full year. Softnecks tend to last longer in storage, but eventually all will either mildew and spoil, or dry out, or starting growing again (cold from the fridge will make them do that too I think). if I were you I would go ahead and plant it as soon as possible (this is from someone who doesn't have to get an excavator to remove the snow from the garden).

People from your zone and area may be a better source, and may have more experience.

I know Suze here in TX grows garlic and I know Tom (I think in VT or CT) also grows it. Other here do as well but I am drawing a blank now. Maybe they will chime in.

HTH, Walter.

[kath]

My condolences on the loss of your mother-I lost my father last year at about this time to CHF.
I don't believe your garlic will last a year; I think if you can get it in the ground now, you should do it. Planting later will only get you smaller bulbs. Could you cover the planted garlic with plastic to give it a bit of a warmer environment for a while to simulate your fall season and give the roots a bit of time to get established?

Don't know about trimming the tops. Hopefully, someone has had experience with that. Think I remember reading that the goal for my area was to get some root growth, but no top growth before the winter cold set in. Once the tops are growing here, it's spring and you want to encourage growth. I know your area is much milder- my daughter lived in Astoria, OR before she moved to Blue Lake, CA- but I'm not sure how different it is to grow garlic in your climate.

Good luck with your garlic and the rest of your garden,
kath

[fortyonenorth]

I would definitely plant it as soon as you can. In your climate, you should get good root growth through January and February. In early spring apply blood meal at a rate of about 2 lbs for every 100 sq. ft. Here, in the midwest, I'd apply the BM in March - but definitely not later than early May. You'll have to adjust those dates for your climate.

[pdxwindjammer]

Thanks everyone. I feel like I am being smothered under a blanket of grief but thinking about bringing plants to life is very therapeutic. I think my mom's cancer is what motated me to grow way too many tomato and pepper plants last year. Hundreds of seedlings that I immersed myself in.

We are having very mild climate right now and I have a raised bed that I will plant the garlic in tomorrow. I will report back on the size difference of the bulbs I planted in November compared to the ones I will plant tomorrow. Often times testing is the best way to learn the best for your climate and environment!

[kath]

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

I feel like I am being smothered under a blanket of grief but thinking about bringing plants to life is very therapeutic. I think my mom's cancer is what motated me to grow way too many tomato and pepper plants last year. Hundreds of seedlings that I immersed myself in.

I understand completely; Tomatoville really helped get me through a really rough time last winter, as did the planning, planting, tending, etc. which followed. Time heals...
Best,
kath

[pdxwindjammer]

A whole heck of a lot of time, Kath! And good friend and family.

I decided to try the soaking method for garlic. I didn't have any seaweed so I tried to soaking in cider vinegar method. Tomorrow I will throw them all in some rubbing alcohol for a few minutes and into the ground they will go!

Has anyone done some trials on the soaking method? If so, please post your results.

[RinTinTin]

I have never used the alcohol dip on garlic, but have on some seeds.
I cringe when I think 'rubbing alcohol'. I use (cheap) vodka instead.
It effectively kills many pathogens that may be on the surface.
With all of the bad things Mother Nature can throw at us, every preventative measure we can use, the greater our chance of success.

[pdxwindjammer]

I first thought of using vodka but I only have grey goose and I prefer that shaken, not stirred.

[pdxwindjammer]

Garlic is now in the ground but I am still curious if I can trim the leaves of what is already sprouted from my November planting? I did cut a couple of leaves one morning to use in scrambled eggs and would like to continue to use them but not to the detriment of my crop.

[fortyonenorth]

As long as you don't go too wild with the trimming, I don't see the harm. Here in the colder climes, we generally get some top growth in the fall which is eventually destroyed by winter weather. The garlic just begins anew in the Spring. Can't see that trimming is much different than that.

[neoguy]

I'm so very sorry for your loss, I also lost a co-worker two days ago, not the same as a family member, but still difficult and emotional.

I'm no expert, but from reading, each garlic leaf represents a layer or "sheet of paper", or layer of skin. The more leaves, and the height of them, should also be indicative of the size of the bulb. My understandings is, more leaves represents longer storage for the garlic. My harvest easily lasts until late February, early March.

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

Garlic is now in the ground but I am still curious if I can trim the leaves of what is already sprouted from my November planting? I did cut a couple of leaves one morning to use in scrambled eggs and would like to continue to use them but not to the detriment of my crop.

[tjg911]

sorry for your loss, it is very hard to lose a loved one.

i think trimming the leaves is ok once but if the plant is trying to grow then i would not. ie here you could do that if greens grew before winter set in cuz they are going to die back from the cold any way. again here you can trim the greens once in the spring but in spring it is really in a grow mode so trimming the greens just hurts the growth. i am not familiar with your area, maybe now is like my march or april, if so i would leave it alone but no more than 1 trimming if you must.