We have just finished harvesting the garlic and can state that it looks great. All the bulbs are now in a barn loft where they will cure for a few weeks.
We planted selected garlic cloves last October and then we mulched the field with straw. In early spring we started seeing garlic leaves poking out of the straw mulch. During late May and early June we removed the scapes from the garlic plants. Scapes are delicious, but the main reason for their removal is to increase the bulb size. According to reports, scape removal results in bulbs that are up to 30 percent larger. Although it may not be entirely accurate, a way of looking at it is that energy that otherwise would have been spent on scape maturation is now dedicated to bulb formation. The garlic is ready to harvest once the leaves start to yellow and die back. In Clagett Farm this usually happens during the first half of July, and this year was no exception.
And now a few pictures of the harvest.
In the photo above we see Pat and Megan pulling out garlic.
Kenji and Joe doing the same.
The wagon after harvesting two rows of garlic (we had a total of seven and a half rows.) The garlic is grouped according to varieties.
A closer view of the bulbs, right before they were hauled up to the barn loft.
I rase garlic and was wondering how you sell your garlic? I was also wondering how much do you charge for fresh eating garlic? and How much would you charge me for a bulk order of garlic?
Posted by: Mark Peck | Sunday, April 02, 2006 at 03:37 PM
Hi Mark. Sorry, but the garlic we grow is for our CSA shareholders. We don't sell garlic separately--except sometimes if there is a surplus after the end of the season (last November we sold about 75 lbs of garlic to a couple of local co-ops.)
Posted by: Kolya | Friday, April 07, 2006 at 01:13 PM