This has been a great year for growing garlic. I planted two beds last fall, and the plants are now all robust, over three feet tall. I'll probably be harvesting in a month. The garlic cloves I planted came from Seed Saver's Exchange; Music and German Extra Hardy white. This year I hope to save a few heads of each, and not have to buy it to plant.
You may be asking yourself, "What is that tall, leafy weed growing among the garlic? And is Deb too lazy to pull it?"
That is parsnip. Several plants actually, volunteers that came up from the tops I cut off the few parsnips I harvested last year. I discarded the tops in the garden, and I think I may have found a new strategy for growing parsnips, or maybe at least getting seed from them!
This evening I cut off the first scapes, which are the curled flower stalks of garlic. I've heard if they are cut off, the plant will put more energy into making bigger bulbs. And the scapes are pretty tasty, if used in moderation. I had some tonight in a lettuce salad, and sauteed with kale and spinach from the garden.
7 comments:
Those curly scapes look so cool and your salad sounds wonderful!
(mouth watering)
On my walk to work we (my wife and I) pass a front-yard garden full of lovely flowers. But among them was a weed that looked something like a thistle. My wife was tempted many times to yank that ugly thing out of the ground for the home owner, but we didn't think it was our business to correct the problems of someone's private garden. Sot the weed remained.
The weed turned out to be a very vigorous poppy plant.
I grow garlic chives and use them in everything from omelets to tuna salad to soup! The flavor is fabulous.
You know what-I love Garlic but I can't stand seeing my wife make faces at me every time I eat it.
I try to sneak Garlic in her food so we are on equal ground.
Tough to grow that here. The bulbs don't have enough cool weather to get big.
Lynne- if our farmer's market started before the middle of July, I could probably sell those for a good price!
pablo- weeds are in the eye of the beholder. Right now I have a bunch of tomatillo "weeds" coming up in one of my bean beds.
momadness- I think one of my chive plants is garlic chives, and I agree, they add a great flavor to everything.
Larry- The social after-effects of garlic are well worth the health/taste benefits. Your wife just needs to eat more garlic!
FC- I guess that's one advantage of MNarctica gardening. Plus we have these incredibly long days this time of year.
Yum! I would love to have a garlic garden. Your scapes are going to inspire a farmer's market run soon to see if some are available around here.
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