Charlie's Gourmet Garlic Farm

There is so much that is good, excellent, and even superb, regarding garlic that I would recommend the following suggestions: If anyone is not convinced after doing the above searches, then they should start eating a clove or more every day and this, will convince you. Things to Consider Regarding the Growing of Garlic Even though you have amended the soil by incorporating pelletized lime, animal and green manures, it can only help to incorporate phosphorus,   (bone meal is a good source).  A teaspoon full of bone meal placed in the hole and mixed with the soil before the clove is planted, is an excellent idea because it promotes root growth.  Plastic mulch requires holes to be punched through it and makes this more difficult but it is very helpful.  If you push your cloves into loose soil by hand, you can put a half teaspoon of bone meal on top of the clove.  Ideally, however, it should be mixed into the soil at the bottom of the hole first and then the clove is placed on top of it.  Phosphorus makes the roots big and strong which gives the garlic a good start come spring. Note: any compost or green manure should be incorporated (tilled) into the soil six to 8 weeks prior to planting your cloves.  If you plant in October, your amendments (stuff you added to promote loose, porous soil and nutrition) should be tilled under in July.  In Ohio, we can plant starting the last week of September to the middle of October.  Planting later or in November and even in December will give you a fair crop but the longer the garlic clove is in the soil the larger the bulb will be at harvest time.  A full nine months in the soil, all things being equal, will generally produce the largest bulbs. Follow-up during the fall and early winter Picking the scapes (the succulent curved or circular stem formed on hard neck garlic) Scapes usually appear the first week of June and they support the small cluster of bubils.  If left on the plant it will grow into many small roundish cloves that will fall off and make small bulbs the following year or maybe a small marble which can be planted in the fall.  The scapes should be snapped off by the first set leaves from the top when they are 12" – 15" long.  Don't wait until they straighten out or they will be tough to eat.  If you want large bulbs, snap them off.  If left on, they will reduce the bulb size 20 to 30%.  These are very tasty, and succulent.  Garlic scapes  should not be wasted.  They can be sautéed, oven roasted, stir fried or made into scape pesto.  They will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.  They can be chopped and frozen.  They are a delicacy for the Asian people. We make pesto from them, we also bake them like asparagus with olive oil brushed on and with salt and pepper. And we stir fry them. You can also pickle them or sell them. Grow garlic because you like to eat it and give some to family and friends.  Grow it because you love it.  You enjoy seeing it pop though the ground in early spring, just like the crocuses do. Grow it because you love its durability. It is a survivor, it can grow almost anywhere there is soil, sunlight and water. Grow it because a field of garlic can set your heart rate up because you know how great and good each bulb of garlic is. Grow it because you love the different kinds, the flavors, the heat or spiciness, the colors of some of it drives you crazy. Those pure white music, those stripped red Chesnoch, the mother of pearl that is a pearl color, and those that have  so much purple you want t