Garlic planting almost halfway done before Big Snow

I got almost half of my 350 lbs of garlic planted by Tuesday afternoon. Then we got 15 inches of snow! Luckily I'm used to this. There's always a blizzard or two in the middle of planting. If we get warm weather I could resume planting again as early as next week.  There have been many Thanksgiving days over the years that I have been out planting the last of my garlic, I remember 2 or 3 where it was close to 70 degrees. I don't anticipate going that long with planting this year, but I'll try to keep my schedule flexible just in case.

Last Day for Garlic Sales will be Saturday Oct. 22nd!

Yesterday was a record-breaking day for garlic sales. Mostly people wanting to buy for planting. Yes, now is the time! I have some left to sell next Saturday, and may be sold out by noon or so. I do have plenty of the "variety bags" to sell at this point. These are 6 different garlics, color-coded for identification, and the cost is $10.50.
I will have lots of planting instructions on hand to give out. It's great fun to grow your own garlic- and not that hard. I can't seem to grow enough garlic for everyone in Boulder County- so if you really love garlic it's worth growing your own.
See the Sept 22nd post for planting instructions

How much water does garlic need?

The biggest mistake people make is not watering enough- the garlic comes out really small with insufficient water. We keep the sprinkler going on the garlic bed for 8-12 hours after planting. (It's an oscillating sprinkler that goes back and forth over a large area. For a smaller area, maybe 2-4 hours would be sufficient.) This soaks the ground deeply and protects it through an average winter until February, when we water again. During an extra-dry, windy winter we do an extra watering in early January or so.
When Spring comes, treat garlic like your other garden vegetables, watering as much as lettuce or tomatoes.

New garlic for Saturday 9/24

For Fall cooking this one will get your attention!

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by European peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good roasted and in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December.    YELLOW

(note, during the last few weeks I used YELLOW as the color-code for Georgian Crystal, but Yellow will be used for Siberian for now on)

How to plant garlic

Plant garlic in mid-October (earlier for high elevations.) Select the largest cloves from the largest bulbs. Original bulb size determines the size of your garlic, as well as how much water it gets.

How To Plant- Plant in good enriched soil in FULL sun. Separate cloves, plant each clove 2 to 2 1/2” deep, and 5” to 7” apart, with the pointy end up. Use only large cloves. Don't worry if the cloves are soft or have no skins. Mulch 2” to 4” with straw or grass clippings (no herbicides or pesticides.) Water very well after planting- we water for 12 hours after planting.

Honeybee News- Dan Rather Report

Most of you know I am a hobby beekeeper besides being the "garlic queen". I have become deeply concerned for the future of the honeybee and the crops that they pollinate. The cable TV show "Dan Rather Reports" had a segment on honeybees and pesticides in Colorado on 9/20. It features my friend Tom Theobald - the Boulder County beekeeper who "broke" the story about the EPA being negligent in protecting honeybees from the newest pesticides.
Here is a link to watching the story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9BkfaVCv84  OR http://vimeo.com/29419200
I have been told that almost all commonly used GMO seeds are coated with these pesticides, besides being genetically modified. (Another reason not to support GMO's in Boulder County).

Garlic Descriptions for Saturday September 17th. Last day Oct 8th or 15th?

I will have the same garlic as last week plus these:
•  Dukanskij-  A delightful hardneck, originally from Kazahkistan. Raw, its starts smooth but finishes with a bite. Sweet and pleasant when baked or roasted. Fat cloves are easy to peel. Will keep through December. BROWN

• Shatili- Excellent in green chile & curries. Intense, spicy flavor stays strong through cooking. High in medicinal compounds. Gorgeous hardneck, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Keeps through December.  BLACK

Usually I sell out of garlic in early October.  October 8th or 15th will likely be the final market for selling garlic this year. I will keep you posted.

GMO update- new research. Monsanto Corn Plant Losing Bug Resistance

This recent news should help inform the upcoming decision in Boulder county. Pests are becoming resistant to BT, through exposure to GMO crops. This will greatly affect organic farmers, since we depend on BT for organic pest control. Even worse is that Monsanto and other companies are trying to compensate by through a technique called RNA interference, to make crops deadly for insects to eat, turning off one of its essential genes. Here is the link to the article from the Wall Street Journal:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/29-4?quicktabs_1=0

Garlic Descriptions for Saturday September 2nd

We will have 10 different garlics to choose from in the bins, plus a few more in our variety bags. There are some new color codes. Purple and Green have changed- so keep your eye out for that. Most of the garlic is plantable, and will be marked as such.

•Persian Star- Spicy, exotic, and very flavorful. Try on salads, in dips or in pesto. Great with green beans and veggies! Slice thinly and serve on crackers. Originally from Uzbekistan. Stores through December. GREEN
• Shantung Purple- Extra-flavorful chinese softneck has 6-8 beautiful rose and beige cloves. Cook for a strong earthy flavor, or eat raw for a fiery heat you won’t forget! Stores to November. PURPLE
• Georgian Crystal- Delectable sweet and spicy flavor. Best used raw or cooked less than a minute. Try in salad dressing and garlic bread. 4-7 fat cloves are very easy to peel. From Republic of Georgia. Will store to November. YELLOW
• Tzan -Tangy and flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good raw garlic for those who love adventure. Collected from Shandong province, originally. Will store through December. GREY
• Uzbek Turban- Delightful flavor - rich and smooth. Excellent choice for gazpacho, bruschetta, fresh sauce. A hardneck Turban from former USSR. Stores to Nov. LAVENDER 

• Killarney Red- The ultimate garlic for garlic bread! Mix with butter and olive oil and spread on warm french or sourdough bread. Mellow, smooth flavor when cooked. A Rocambole hardneck variety that peels easily. Won’t keep, eat by October. NO COLOR

Also Inchelium Red, German Extra Hardy, Chesnok Red, Malaysian, Colorado Black, Chicago Italian and Guatemalan. See descriptions and colors from previous weeks.

Seed garlic available this week!

I will have several varieties of garlic that is suitable for planting (large or medium sized garlic from a plot without disease problems).
I will have large heads of Chesnok Red, Tzan and Inchelium Red for $2 each. Also I will have medium sized heads of German Extra Hardy, Uzbek Turban, Malaysian, Georgian Crystal, Colorado Black, Chicago Italian and Killarney Red for $1.75.
Here are the garlic descriptions for 2 new garlics I am selling this Saturday, Aug. 27th:

 • Killarney Red-  The ultimate garlic for garlic bread! Mix with butter and olive oil and spread on warm french or sourdough bread. Mellow, smooth flavor when cooked. A Rocambole hardneck variety that peels easily. Won’t keep, eat by October.      GREEN

• Georgian Crystal- Delectable sweet & spicy flavor. Best used raw or cooked less than a minute. Try in salad dressing & garlic bread. 4-7 fat cloves are very easy to peel. From Republic of Georgia. Will store to November.        YELLOW