Plant Garlic This Fall and Harvest It Next July

Most of the garden is winding down right now. The tomatoes are getting leggy, the squash has powdery mildew, and you’re probably spending more time pulling spent plants than putting new ones in. This is exactly when you should be planting garlic.

Garlic runs on the opposite schedule from most of the garden. You plant it in fall, it grows roots before winter, sits quietly through the cold months, and then comes back to life early in spring. By July, you’re digging up full heads. Here’s how to do it right.

When do you actually plant garlic in the fall?

I wouldn’t get too hung up on one exact planting date. What matters more is giving the cloves time to grow roots before winter really sets in. A common target is roughly 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes hard, though your timing will depend quite a bit on where you live. The Old Farmer’s Almanac gives a useful backstop: wait until after the fall equinox in late September rather than planting while the soil is still warm.

In colder northern zones, roughly 3 to 5, that often means late September through October. In zones 6 and 7, mid-October into November is common. Gardeners in zone 8 and warmer may not plant until November or even December.

If you’re not sure when your area usually gets its first hard freeze, look it up by ZIP code before you plant. Local weather matters a lot more here than a date printed on a seed packet.

Seed garlic vs. grocery-store garlic

You technically can plant garlic from the supermarket, but I wouldn’t make it my first choice. Some grocery-store garlic has been treated to slow sprouting so it sits on a shelf longer, and more importantly, you usually don’t know what variety you’re getting or whether it suits your climate. Seed garlic is simply garlic grown and sold specifically for planting, normally labeled by variety, which makes it much easier to choose the right type for where you live.

There are two main groups. Hardneck garlic handles cold winters well and usually produces larger, strongly flavored cloves arranged around a stiff central stalk. It also sends up a curly flower stalk called a scape in early summer, which you can cut and eat.

Softneck garlic produces more cloves per bulb, stores longer, and does especially well in milder climates. It’s also the type used for garlic braids.

If you live somewhere with cold winters, hardneck is usually the easier choice. If your winters are mild, softneck may be better suited to your garden.

If you don’t have a local source for seed garlic, SeedsNow is one place to check. They carry both hardneck and softneck varieties, so just make sure you’re choosing one suited to your winters. Order sooner rather than later, since popular varieties can sell out early.

Why did my garlic grow as one round with no cloves?

If your garlic has ever come out of the ground looking like one big round onion instead of a head full of cloves, lack of cold exposure may be the reason. Most garlic varieties need some cold exposure to form a well-developed head of separate cloves, a process called vernalization. Hardneck varieties generally need more chilling than softneck types.

Without enough cold for the variety you’re growing, the plant may grow perfectly healthy leaves but end up forming one solid, undivided bulb called a round instead of dividing into a head full of cloves. This is more likely to happen in warm climates where winter temperatures don’t stay cold for long.

If you live in zone 8 or warmer and you’re growing a variety that needs more chill than your winter provides, you can give the garlic that cold period yourself before planting. Put your seed garlic in the refrigerator for around 6 to 8 weeks at roughly 35 to 40°F, keeping it dry and away from apples and other ripening fruit while it chills.

Then plant according to your normal fall or early-winter schedule. If you live somewhere with consistently cold winters, you usually don’t need to worry about this step. The garlic gets its cold treatment naturally in the ground.

How deep and how far apart do you plant the cloves?

Start with the bed. Garlic does best in loose, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, so if your soil needs help, work in a couple inches of compost before planting. The biggest thing to avoid is soggy soil, since garlic sitting wet all winter is much more likely to rot.

Wait until you’re close to planting before breaking the heads apart. Separate the bulb into individual cloves and leave the papery skin on each one.

Use the biggest cloves for planting, since your largest healthy cloves have the best chance of producing large bulbs. The tiny inner cloves are better saved for cooking.

Plant each clove with the pointed end facing up and the flatter root end facing down, about 2 inches deep for most gardens. Space the cloves around 6 inches apart, a little closer for softneck if you’re short on space, with rows about 12 to 18 inches apart.

Once everything is planted, add mulch. In cold climates I like a fairly generous layer of seedless straw or shredded leaves, around 5 to 8 inches to start, which settles down over winter. Mulch protects the cloves from repeated freezing and thawing, keeps them from being pushed toward the soil surface, and makes spring weed control much easier. If your winters are mild, you don’t need quite as much.

What goes wrong, and how do you avoid it?

Garlic is pretty forgiving, but a handful of mistakes are worth avoiding. Planting too early is the common one. Put garlic into warm soil too soon and it may send up a lot of green growth before winter. A little green showing isn’t necessarily a disaster, but you don’t want a foot of top growth going into freezing weather.

In cold climates, don’t skimp on mulch either, since repeated freeze-and-thaw cycles can push cloves upward and expose them to cold and drying. Water matters more once spring arrives. Garlic likes steady moisture while it’s actively growing and forming bulbs, and around an inch of water per week is a reasonable target if you’re not getting enough rain.

Toward the end of the season, though, back off. Once the lower leaves start turning brown and harvest is getting close, stop watering roughly three to four weeks before you plan to dig. Constantly wet soil at that stage can stain the wrappers and encourage rot.

If you’re growing hardneck garlic, don’t forget the scapes. You’ll usually see them in early summer as curly green stalks coming out of the center of the plant. Cut them off once they’ve curled so the plant keeps putting energy into the bulb, then eat them. They’re great chopped into eggs, stir-fries, pasta, or blended into pesto.

The July payoff

Fall-planted garlic is usually ready sometime in July, though colder areas may run a little later. Don’t harvest based on the calendar alone. Watch the leaves.

As garlic gets close to maturity, the bottom leaves begin turning brown while the upper leaves stay green. Once roughly the lower third to half have browned, I’d start checking the bulbs. Use a garden fork or shovel to loosen the soil beside the plant and lift gently rather than yanking the stalk.

After harvest, the garlic needs to cure before storage. Hang the plants in small bunches or spread them somewhere shady, dry, and well ventilated for about three to four weeks. Don’t wash the bulbs beforehand, just brush away loose soil once it dries.

When the stalks, roots, and outer wrappers are completely dry, trim the roots and cut the stalk an inch or two above the bulb. Properly cured hardneck garlic generally stores for several months, and softneck usually lasts longer, often well into winter under good conditions.

Before you eat all of it, set aside a few of your biggest, healthiest heads for next year’s seed garlic. Over time, saving garlic that performs well in your own garden gives you planting stock increasingly suited to your conditions.

Ready to put some in the ground?

If you’ve never grown garlic before, it’s one of my favorite crops to recommend starting with. It doesn’t take much space, it doesn’t need constant attention, and most of the work happens during a cool fall afternoon when the rest of the garden is already slowing down.

Find a good variety for your climate, check your local frost timing, and get the cloves planted before the ground freezes. If you live somewhere with mild winters, start thinking about that refrigerator chill ahead of planting time.

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If you’re not familiar with sprouts or sprouting, it is the process of germinating seeds, nuts, or grains to eat them raw or cooked. It’s generally a two-step process involving soaking the seeds and then sprouting them. Soaking washes away the enzyme inhibitors and anti-nutrients allowing them to begin the process of germinating.

Sprouts are the one of the most enzyme-rich foods on the planet! Experts estimate that there can be up to 43 times more enzymes in sprouts than in uncooked fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the vitamin content in nuts, seeds, and grains are increased dramatically within just a few days of sprouting. Vitamins A, B-Complex, C, and E are increased by as much as 20 times more than in the original non-sprouted seed, nut, or grain. Sprouts also help fight cancer by alkalizing the body and have an abundance of bio-available plant protein, anti-oxidants, fatty acids, and fiber.

For those who have trouble digesting seeds, nuts, and grains raw, you’ll likely have little to no trouble digesting sprouts. Sprouting seeds, nuts, and grains eases the impact on the digestive systems and allows for easier absorption of the nutrients.

Packaged sprouts are available at most health foods stores as well as many grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market. However, the healthiest (and tastiest) sprouts are the ones you grow yourself.

How to Sprout Your Own Seeds:

What Should You Sprout
You can sprout almost any seed, nut, or grain that you choose. Below are a few of the more popular choices. It is important to keep in mind that you will want to use only fresh, raw, organic seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes for sprouting.

• Seeds: Broccoli, alfalfa, sunflower seeds, red cabbage, fenugreek, celery, radish, oats, pumpkin and leek.
• Grains: Quinoa, black sesame, flax, rye, barely, wheat, brown rice, corn, and spelt.
• Legumes: Lentils, mung beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, soy beans, and chick peas.
• Nuts: Peanuts and Almonds

What You’ll Need

• Sprouting Vessel (if you don’t have one, a wide mouth mason jar will work fine)
• Sprouting Lid or Cheesecloth (or a breathable cloth)
• Seeds to Sprout
• Pure Water

Soaking and Sprouting Process:

Follow the process below if you are using a mason jar to sprout your seeds. If you are using a store bought sprouting vessel made for sprouting seeds, please follow the direction that came it.

• Step One – Soak The Seeds – Before soaking the seeds you will want to rinse the seeds to remove any dust or residue. Next, place one tablespoon (per quart jar) of your choice of seeds or grains into to the Mason jar. If soaking nuts or legumes, use on-third cup per quart size jar. Now pour pure water in the jar making sure all of your seeds are emerged in water. For seeds, one cup of water will do, but for legumes and nuts double the amount of water. Place the jar in a dark area at room temperature overnight.

• Step Two – Drain and Rinse – After about 6-12 hours of soak time, drain the water and thoroughly rinse the seeds. Making sure the sprouting lid or cheesecloth is secure, place the jar upside down to allow any excess water to drain out. Rinse the seeds two times throughout the day, every day, until the day you eat them, making sure to drain them well after each rinse. Seed sprouts do not need sunlight the first couple of days but during the last few days you can place them in a sunny windowsill to help them green up and grow more quickly.

• Step Three – Harvest the Sprouts Harvest time will vary depending on what you are sprouting. Generally, most sprouts are ready to eat within 5-7 days. To remove the hull place all the sprouts in a bowl with cool water and stir until the hulls are released and float to the top. Removing the hull is not necessary, but it does help prevent spoilage, making the sprouts last longer. Drain sprouts and place in refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.

So there you go! Sprouting is quick and easy! Start sprouting today and enjoy the many great benefits of sprouts. You can get fresh, organic seeds at Sprout People and a sprouting vessel on Amazon.

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Hugelkultur raised garden beds in a nutshell:

• grow a typical garden without irrigation or fertilization
• has been demonstrated to work in deserts as well as backyards
• use up rotting wood, twigs, branches and even whole trees that would otherwise go to the dump or be burned
• it is pretty much nothing more than buried wood
• can be flush with the ground, although raised garden beds are typically better
• can start small, and be added to later
• can always be small – although bigger is better
• You can save the world from global warming by doing carbon sequestration in your own back yard!
• perfect for places that have had trees blown over by storms
• can help end world hunger
• give a gift to your future self

The verbose details about hugelkultur raised garden beds

It’s a german word and some people can say it all german-ish. I’m an american doofus, so I say “hoogle culture”. I had to spend some time with google to find the right spelling. Hugal, hoogal, huegal, hugel …. And I really like saying it out loud: “hugelkultur, hoogle culture, hoogal kulture ….” – it could be a chant or something.

I learned this high-falootin word at my permaculture training. I also saw it demonstrated on the Sepp Holzer terraces and raised beds video – he didn’t call it hugelkultur, but he was doing it.

Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets – so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm your soil giving you a slightly longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water – and then refeeding that to your garden plants later. Plus, by holding SO much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system for growing garden crops in the desert with no irrigation.

I do think there are some considerations to keep in mind. For example, I don’t think I would use cedar. Cedar lasts so long because it is loaded with natural pesticides/herbicides/anti-fungal/anti-microbial (remember, good soil has lots of fungal and microbial stuff). Not a good mix for tomatoes or melons, eh? Black locust, black cherry, black walnut? These woods have issues. Black locust won’t rot – I think because it is so dense. Black walnut is very toxic to most plants, and cherry is toxic to animals, but it might be okay when it rots – but I wouldn’t use it until I had done the research. Known excellent woods are: alders, apple, cottonwood, poplar, willow (dry) and birch. I suspect maples would be really good too, but am not certain. Super rotten wood is better than slightly aged wood. The best woods are even better when they have been cut the same day (this allows you to “seed” the wood with your choice of fungus – shitake mushrooms perhaps?).

Another thing to keep in mind is that wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen to do the compost thing. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from your growies. But well rotted wood doesn’t do this so much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in sooooo much nitrogen, that it is now putting it out!

Pine and fir will have some levels of tanins in them, but I’m guessing that most of that will be gone when the wood has been dead for a few years.

……..Read the rest of the article from the source

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Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin seeds, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coarse salt, and fresh lime juice; toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until puffed and browned, about 10 minutes. (Source)

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Maple Spice Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter, then stir in the seeds. Cook, stirring constantly, until the seeds turn slightly brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain off any excess butter, and stir in the cinnamon, allspice, and maple syrup until the seeds are thoroughly coated with spices. Spread the seeds out onto the prepared baking sheet

Bake in the preheated oven until crisp and golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 to 45 total minutes of baking time. (Source)

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Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds (cleaned and patted dry)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• A pinch of kosher salt
• Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

Place pumpkin seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Toast them in the pan, constantly shifting them around so that they roast evenly and don’t stick to the pan. When they start to pop and peel, take one out and taste it (make sure it’s cool enough first). If it’s crunchy it’s done. Turn the heat down to low and spray the seeds with olive oil cooking spray and then spoon sugar into pan and stir seeds up as sugar melts and sticks to the seeds. Turn heat off and sprinkle with salt. Let cool and serve! (Source)

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Outstanding nutritional benefits help curb disease

Whether enjoyed in a pie, baked good, soup or simply straight-up, pumpkin is a delicious and nutrient rich addition to any diet. Check out the exceptional qualities of this familiar orange food:

Vitamin A – Alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants are a class of carotenoids that convert into usable vitamin A within the body. Beta-carotene is anti-inflammatory and helps to reverse skin damage caused by the sun. Alpha-carotene hinders tumor growth, slows aging and protects against cataracts. Additionally, carotenoids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and boost immunity.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C balances cholesterol levels, fights free radicals and encourages collagen production. It also fortifies the body against cancer and supports the immune system.

Magnesium – Loaded with magnesium, both pumpkin seeds and pulp supply this important mineral. Required for healthy teeth and bones along with proper immune and heart function, magnesium plays a crucial role in the body.

Vitamin E – As a key antioxidant, vitamin E contributes to healthy skin and offers protection against Alzheimer’s disease along with certain types of cancer. Pumpkin seeds supply vitamin E in a range of forms including alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, alpha-tocomonoenol and gamma-tocomonoenol.

Fiber – Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber — containing five grams per half-cup serving. Adequate fiber intake helps to protect against heart disease, assists in weight loss, supports healthy digestion and balances blood sugar levels.

Pantothenic acid – Otherwise known as vitamin B5, this nutrient helps the body to manage stress and equalize hormones.

Potassium and Zinc – Pumpkin flesh is potassium-rich and promotes heart health by calming hypertension. Zinc supports the immune and reproductive systems — pumpkin seeds are a first-rate source.

L-tryptophan – Abundant in this feel-good amino acid, pumpkin prevents depression and encourages a bright outlook.

Pumpkin is also anti-parasitic and a natural diuretic. Additionally, kidney stones can be avoided by consuming five to ten grams of pumpkin seeds a day. And lets not forget about the high protein value of the seeds — seven grams per ounce.

With all these great virtues, what’s not to like? Mix pumpkin puree into yogurt or oatmeal, add to baked goods and soup, sprinkle the seeds onto salads or use in granola, instead of pine nuts, use pumpkin seeds for a unique pesto. As you can see, it’s easy to reap the health benefits of pumpkin each day — no need to wait for Thanksgiving.

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Kombucha cultures typically contains many strains of beneficial yeasts that turn sugar into alcohol. One particular strain of bacteria, Gluconacetobacter xylinus ferments the alcohol from the yeast into acetic acid. This lowers the alcohol content in the Kombucha and increases the probiotic metabolite content. Learn more about Kombucha

Kombucha Tea Recipe – 1-Gallon

Scale up or down depending on the size of your vessel

Supplies

• 1 cup sugar
• 4-6 bags tea –  for loose leaf, 1 bag of tea = 1 tsp
• Kombucha Starter Culture – SCOBY
• 1 cup starter liquid
• purified/bottled water
• tea kettle
• brewing vessel
• cloth cover
• rubber band

Steps

1. Boil 4 cups of water.
2. Add hot water & tea bags to pot or brewing vessel.
3. Steep 5-7 minutes, then remove tea bags.
4. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.
5. Fill vessel most of the way with purified water, leaving just 1-2 inches from the top for breathing room with purified cold water.
6. Add SCOBY and starter liquid.
7. Cover with cloth cover and secure with the rubber band.
8. Say a prayer, send good vibes, commune with your culture (optional but recommended).
9. Set in a warm location out of direct sunlight (unless vessel is opaque).
10. Do not disturb for 7 days.

• After 7 days, or when you are ready to taste your KT, gently insert a straw beneath the SCOBY and take a sip. If too tart, then reduce your brewing cycle next time.  If too sweet, allow to brew for a few more days.  Continue to taste every day or so until you reach your optimum flavor preference. Your own Kombucha Tea Recipe may vary.
• Decant & flavor (optional).
• Drink as desired! Start off with 4-8oz on an empty stomach in the morning, then with meals to help with digestion or as your body tells you it would like some more! Drink plenty of water as it is a natural detoxifyer and you want to flush the newly released toxins out.

(Recipe Source)

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According to a study published in the June 2003 issue of “Conservation Biology,” there are 561 known butterfly species in the U.S. and Canada. Not only are these insects beautiful, they’re important pollinators and vital to the health of their natural habitats. You can encourage these gentle creatures to visit your yard by using easy-to-make butterfly food and feeders.

Butterfly Food and Nectar

• Think “rotten” when choosing butterfly food. Butterflies like a variety of food sources, especially over-ripe fruit and rotting vegetation. If you own an apple, plum, cherry or pear tree, allow fallen fruit to ferment on the ground to create a favorite feeding spot. Look in the quick-sale area of your grocer’s produce section, and you might even get the produce manager to donate one or two unsaleable pieces of fruit. Consider saving extra bananas in the freezer, which you can defrost and place in a feeder at any time.

  Make your own butterfly food by mixing a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar (use tablespoons or teaspoons depending on the size of your jar), boiling the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then letting it cool. Extra solution can be stored in your refrigerator for up to a week. An alternative recipe is to cut up a dozen over-ripe bananas into chunks, add two cans of cheap beer, one or two bottles of molasses, and a pound of brown sugar and let it ferment for about a week. The easiest recipe of all is to save any overripe fruit, add a squirt of honey, blend it coarsely in a blender, then divide the mixture into freezer containers.

Butterfly Feeders

• Take a ceramic or glass pie plate, plastic or terra cotta plant saucer—or any dish with a sloping rim—and suspend the plate with flower pot hangers or a macrame-style holder made from household twine. Decorate around the twine with the stems of silk or plastic flowers to make it visually appealing to butterflies, and hang the feeder from the bough of a shady tree, before adding butterfly food. Replace food if it dries out or becomes moldy. Place brightly colored yellow and orange kitchen scouring pads in the dish with the liquid butterfly food solution. You’ll attract butterflies and give them a resting place while they drink.

  Making a jar feeder. Use any small glass jar that has a tight-fitting lid. Punch a small hole in the lid of the jar using a small nail and a hammer, then cut a portion of a sponge and pull it through the small hole, making sure it fits tightly. Soak the sponge with a sugar-water solution, and fill the jar with the solution as well. Use string to tie around the jar to make a hanger, then hang the jar with the sugar water upside-down so that the butterflies can feed on the juice from the sponge.

(Source)

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