Garlic. The Stinking Rose. This is an easy crop to grow, although it doesn’t like containers. If you want big fat gorgeous heads of garlicyou have to have it in the ground in the autumn, before it freezes. We’ve gotten ours in as late as mid-November. Dig some 3-4 inch deep trenches. Put in some compost. Throw in a little wood ash if you have it (protects bulbs from rot and allium worms). Cover with soil. Do not stomp it down. Cover with mulch of some sort (straw, burlap, old towels..) to keep them from heaving out of the ground with frost. Say a li’l prayer to the Allium Goddess. Thaw out yer hands. Toreally show that Goddessthe respect she deserves, plant a diversity of kinds. At the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF), we planted about 30 varieties (some of the bags are shown below) with telling names: Northern Siberian, Mennonite, Persian (aka Shaharazhad), Cuban, Purple Glazer, Fish Lake, Sicilian, Puslinch, Russian). At the amazing"Simpler Times Farm" just down Hwy 6,south of Morriston, you can find almost 50 varieties. Farmer's Markets around the country will have a range of varieties, too. And neighbours, and Seed Banks. Why bother?
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