Garlic's Planted

   Late September and October (thus far) have been mild, including the overnight temps.  Only a few heavy morning frosts to speak of.  That has made it tricky to time garlic planting this year.  I used to always plant the garlic patch around September 25th, but the last few years have given us warmer autumns.  That has pushed the planting into October.

   In any case, I gave into the urge and planted the patch this weekend, despite most overnight temps in the forecast still being above zero.  The bulbils and rounds (in pots) went in on October 7th and the cloves were planted October 8th.  The patch doesn't look like much right now, and it still needs to be covered with chopped leaves.  Doing the garlic patch is one of my favourite gardening tasks, and it is a nice to have it finished and "put to bed" for the season.

 

 

   The patch is wider than usual this year, divided by a weeding path in the middle.  Varieties are separated by rows of rocks.

The varieties planted this year are:

Bulbils: Central Siberian and Northern Quebec

Rounds: Red Rezen, Red Russian, Russian Giant, Northern Quebec, Pyong Vang Korean, Mother-of-Pearl, Brown Tempest, and Persian Star.

Cloves: Kiev, Baba Franchuk's, Central Siberian, Brown Tempest, Northern Quebec, and Red Russian.

 

Descriptions

Russian Giant  – Hardneck – Marbled Purple Stripe – Very hot when eaten raw.  Best grown in cool/northern climates.  Large bulbs, often 3 inches across.  4-6 cloves per bulbs.  Long storing (~8 months).  Skin is brownish-purple.

Pyong Vang Korean – Asiatic Hardneck – Glazed Purple Stripe.  Rare, hot, early to harvest.  Easy to peel, moderate storage (~6 months).  REMOVE SCAPES when they emerge. This variety should be harvested when 1-2 leaves have turned brown (unlike most varieties).

Red Rezan – Hardneck – Glazed Purple Stripe – Small plants and large bulbs.  Medium heat.  Pretty cloves; skins have almost an iridescent/gold tinge.  Averages 6-10 cloves per bulb. This is a heritage variety.

Persian Star – Hardneck – Purple Stripe – Cold-hardy variety and a Canadian heritage variety.  Late harvest.  5-6 months storage.  Spicey but not too hot.

Mother of Pearl – SOFTNECK – Silverskin – long storage, dense heads, no scape develops, rare variety.  Of the Silverskins, this is the earliest variety to mature.

Red Russian – Hardneck - Marbled Purple Stripe (a kind I plant annually).  Very dependable.  Excellent storage.  Large bulbs, averaging 5-7 cloves per bulb.  Can tolerate wet and very cold winters. Hot flavour with a bit of sweetness.

Northern Quebec – Hardneck – Porcelain (a kind I plant annually).  Good storage.  Averages 4 cloves per bulb. Does well in most climates and tolerates very cold winters.  Mid-season harvest.  Hot (and some say slightly smokey) flavour.