Garlic for 2025 - nothing new, but two oldies again.

[pepperhead212]

This week I've been getting the garden ready for the garlic, and the shallots, and also got some of the garlic ready for that experiment I'm doing, chilling about half of each of the variety in the fridge, and leaving the rest in the basement. There are theories about vernalization of garlic helping to grow larger heads (and some, especially down south, need this to form heads at all, but that's not my problem), so I took heads with about half of the cloves, and put them into a box, and into the lower level shelf of the fridge.

Those shallots I have to look at closely, to see how many will be planted (some will be split, other, smaller ones, as one), and they will go into the end of the 3 rows, then I can see how many of the garlics can be planted. I only chilled 8 Bogotyr and 17 Music cloves - the rest will all go in, with the chilled labeled.

Northern While Porcelain - new this season, but grew it years ago. 18 chilled, plus 19.

Metechi - favorite in the past, but would be out of stock, by the time I ordered the last few years. Best storing hardneck, in my experience. 27 chilled, plus 29.

Estonian Red - largest variety I've ever grown, but doesn't store well, but keeps until planting - it's the first variety I use after harvest. 22 chilled, plus 23.

Georgian Fire - second largest, even stronger flavored than Estonian Red, and stores a little longer, but it's the second I usually use up, after planting the largest. 20 chilled, plus 19.

The Music and Bogotyr I have the most of, left from last season, but I told my friend that I'd give her some to plant, since she wants to start planting it this year. The Music is the second best storer, for the hardnecks I've grown - too early to tell for the Bogotyr, as this is the first season for me. It has a powerful flavor, but not as strong as the GF.

Earlier this week I 'tilled the row, where 3 rows will be going, about a foot apart, with a T-tape between the rows. I had to wet the ground some, as it was rock hard, from the lack of rain. Today, it 'tilled easier, and I'll do it again, just before planting.

 

[larry_stewart]

This week I've been getting the garden ready for the garlic, and the shallots, and also got some of the garlic ready for that experiment I'm doing, chilling about half of each of the variety in the fridge, and leaving the rest in the basement. There are theories about vernalization of garlic helping to grow larger heads (and some, especially down south, need this to form heads at all, but that's not my problem), so I took heads with about half of the cloves, and put them into a box, and into the lower level shelf of the fridge.

Those shallots I have to look at closely, to see how many will be planted (some will be split, other, smaller ones, as one), and they will go into the end of the 3 rows, then I can see how many of the garlics can be planted. I only chilled 8 Bogotyr and 17 Music cloves - the rest will all go in, with the chilled labeled.

Northern While Porcelain - new this season, but grew it years ago. 18 chilled, plus 19.

Metechi - favorite in the past, but would be out of stock, by the time I ordered the last few years. Best storing hardneck, in my experience. 27 chilled, plus 29.

Estonian Red - largest variety I've ever grown, but doesn't store well, but keeps until planting - it's the first variety I use after harvest. 22 chilled, plus 23.

Georgian Fire - second largest, even stronger flavored than Estonian Red, and stores a little longer, but it's the second I usually use up, after planting the largest. 20 chilled, plus 19.

The Music and Bogotyr I have the most of, left from last season, but I told my friend that I'd give her some to plant, since she wants to start planting it this year. The Music is the second best storer, for the hardnecks I've grown - too early to tell for the Bogotyr, as this is the first season for me. It has a powerful flavor, but not as strong as the GF.

Earlier this week I 'tilled the row, where 3 rows will be going, about a foot apart, with a T-tape between the rows. I had to wet the ground some, as it was rock hard, from the lack of rain. Today, it 'tilled easier, and I'll do it again, just before planting.

It's so funny you posted this. I literally jus came here too ask what everyone was doing to prep their garlic beds this year.

Last year I had 2 garlic beds. One did better than the other, so that will now be my only garlic bed ( Ill still plant the same amount of garlic, just use up more of the bed).

I was lazy today, but intended to put a layer of compost on top of the bed ( ill probably do it tomorrow or Wednesday.

I also just ordered a big bag of perlite to mix in just to make sure I dont have any drainage issues.

My seed garlic was delivered today.
- Metechi
- German White ( which usually is my main crop)
- Also, a friend gifted me some of her garlic after I gave her bunch of strawberry plants. She gave me three heads. She didnt label them but she grows "Russian Red , and Italian Purple. Ill probably plant a few of hers cause they look so perfect.

Looking forwards to a good season next year

 

[pepperhead212]

I'm planting in a different bed, where I've planted them a few years ago, and I had it covered with black plastic the entire season. I didn't add any compost yet - it was so rock hard I had to get it loose with these two 'tillings, and I'll maybe add some later this week. We are supposed to get some rain Wednesday, but as usual, I'm not turning my timers off! And I will probably have to set that watering again, before the final 'tilling, before planting.

 

[larry_stewart]

If you have any luck with your shallots , let me know. Maybe it's the variety, but mine never ge any bigger than a garlic clove. Not worth the effort to peel them. They do produce nice tall, thin green leaves that can be substituted for chives, so at least I made some use of them. Ive tried growing in the spring, and also tried starting then in the fall with the same results.