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Post by solargeek on Jul 12, 2016 14:22:09 GMT
Darn lucky you guys paquebot, feather, and the rest warned me to take out the garlic before our torrential rains. Last 7 days according to NOAA and including the crazy rains last night, we have received 1.5". More is coming. I will say, it was over 90F and humidity at 90% also the entire 3 hours I worked pulling the garlic. My contractor working here had brought me a present yesterday morning (before I knew I would be working in that harsh heat/humidity) called Endura Cool, instant cooling towel. You wet it, snap it (to get it drenched) and then can use around neck, over head or hat, as a bandanna, etc. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WORK IN DIRECT SUN/HEAT WITHOUT that thoughtful gift. He said they were cheap. I will be getting a few more. Although Consumer Reports says it does not work in high humidity - It sure did for me. And he had his on yesterday too.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 12, 2016 14:38:55 GMT
As I stated before, Martin's is one which will hold longer in the ground before the skins disintegrate. There were some unknown purple-stripe volunteers which were just about ready to become loose cloves.
The 90ºF which the garlic endured yesterday was 10 less than 7 July 2012. Garlic was being dug, washed, and sorted at WeGrowGarlic when it hit 100ºF. Someone thought that the blacktop driveway was hot enough to fry eggs and bacon. It worked!
Martin
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Post by feather on Jul 12, 2016 17:47:49 GMT
The German Red looks better (amazingly) than the Russian Red. Russian Red is usually the biggest and best, not so this year. We took the German Red out this morning, finished hanging and labeling the Russian Red.
We still have Kuty and softneck Oregon Blue to take out. I feel like we are all on 'Team Garlic' here!
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Post by feather on Jul 13, 2016 17:01:54 GMT
Finished digging the Kuty and the Oregon Blue, Blue was better. It's humid, again, 'it's a wet heat'. You don't need pores in Wisconsin to sweat.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 13, 2016 18:25:07 GMT
Tallpines ,you a failure because you got 2½" bulbs from an unknown variety of garlic? That's better than a lot of successful gardeners would hope for. There is no way to determine a variety if it's not known to start with. For example, I planted just over 300 Martin's cloves or bulbils. I have a basket with 134 which may or may not contain Martin's. At least half are certain to not be as the bulbils and scapes are wrong. This is the result of a lot of volunteers which were allowed to live in the past. Even the definite Martin's can not be determined by looking at them. Some bulbs may have only 5 cloves and some may have 9. Few signs of garlic here today but one can smell it. All of the bulbs are in clothes baskets in the garage. Each bulb has about 8" of stalk left on for now. The scapes that I wanted to keep were all cut about 18" long and are in a 5-gallon pail of water. (The bulbils will continue to develop.) That still leaves the remaining portion of the stalk and also the stems and scapes off the volunteers. That's where the aroma comes from. I ran them through the bagging mower and the results are fermenting in a couple of 5-gallon pails. Hopefully I can kill the many thousands of bulbils before I compost them. Martin
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Post by elkhound on Jul 16, 2016 1:30:46 GMT
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Post by paquebot on Jul 16, 2016 2:08:30 GMT
elkhound,that's a lot of fine-looking garlic. I note a few red bulbs and haven't yet figured out why they show up. It's in the genes as rounds from small bulbils are usually red. I think that a few forget that they are supposed to change when they grow up! For those who like garlic but haven't grown Martin's yet, doesn't get much better than what you see there. We had some similar at WeGrowGarlic but no other rocambole type matched it for size. Whenever anyone grows it, they swear that they are going to grow it forever. Never ever has been one negative word about Martin's and probably never will be. Martin
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Post by feather on Jul 16, 2016 5:07:09 GMT
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Post by paquebot on Jul 25, 2016 18:56:53 GMT
Near disaster. Had everything drying but only protected from above. Bulbs were stored in shopping baskets outside in the shade for curing. A week ago, storm with a lot of wind drove rain in from the sides. Went to get some for a friend yesterday and there was a slight moldy smell. Skins on bulbs nearest the center were still damp from both rain and humidity. Divided each basket in half and all dry and no smell today. Cloves were not affected but made some of the bulbs look a little ragged.
Martin
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Post by solargeek on Jul 25, 2016 22:48:58 GMT
paquebot, I have 245 bulbs, mostly Martin's garlic. If you need some let me know. Mine is not done curing but I have a range from HUGE to normal size to a few (15-20) smallish as I determined too late the location was not optimal. How do you store yours after curing?
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Post by paquebot on Jul 25, 2016 23:20:35 GMT
For storing after curing, they go into supermarket shopping baskets and hung from the rafters in the garden shed. That way there is air all around. I had them sitting on plywood and that did not allow the very bottom and center to dry after getting wet. Now have them divided among twice as many baskets and only about 4" deep. Just need a couple days with low humidity to bring them back to perfect. Had to really sort around to find a bulb that still had a slight musty smell an hour or so ago so all is well again.
Martin
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Post by solargeek on Jul 26, 2016 19:11:35 GMT
paquebot, Martin, please, did you mean you store them outside in the garden shed all winter? Or where? It gets so very cold in our pole barn, they would freeze solid here. I do not have room in the fridge. My options for you to choose between: 1. Cold unheated storage room - humidity about 55-60% year round, temperature about 52-60F year round. I have shelving racks to store them in only double layers and some air circulation. 2. Regular unheated basement with insulate walls and floors -- 50% humidity year round or less. Temperature cooler in summer (as no heat on in the ouse so the ducts are cold) about 60-65F. Winter same humidity but warmer. Could be 65F to 70F. But this year with using our wood stove almost exclusively it should be still 60-65. Shelving the same. 3. Garage - insulated poured concrete garage - never below 32F (mostly 40-45F in winter) shelving the same. Humidity ranges by season - now high, winter almost NONE. It is hot right now so basement storage is needed till fall.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 27, 2016 1:53:02 GMT
solargeek,no, not out in the shed all winter. The garden shed is just for between harvest and hard frost. Then they end up in an unheated entryway/foyer. Used to store them in the pantry where the heat is blocked off but not cold. Would be same as an unheated storage room. Things often smelled of garlic when they weren't supposed to. Used to store everything in the basement where it is cool. I have forgotten some in the shed and found them still alive in the spring. However, they were usually in a bag and under something else. They can handle freezing in the ground but not out of the ground for some reason. Anyway, I'd love to have your third option with cool temps and low humidity. Rather have the cloves slowly drying than molding in high. Martin
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Post by paquebot on Jul 31, 2016 5:53:30 GMT
Martin's surprised me today. Friend asked for help digging her garlic. I knew that she had a hodge-podge mix but also had gotten 3 or 4 bulbs from me. She was wise enough to plant the Martin's separate from the others so they would not be part of the mixed lot. Expected the worse but what came out was as good as mine were 3 weeks ago. Deep and loose rich soil, somewhat mounded, and mulched heavy with straw which was still intact. Using a fork to dig them was just an insurance to not have one break since they could have been pulled by hand. I recall that they were planted very late in October so that may have been a factor in still being OK the end of July. For size, same as mine with mostly 3".
Martin
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Post by farmchix on Jul 31, 2016 10:40:37 GMT
elkhound ,that's a lot of fine-looking garlic. I note a few red bulbs and haven't yet figured out why they show up. It's in the genes as rounds from small bulbils are usually red. I think that a few forget that they are supposed to change when they grow up! For those who like garlic but haven't grown Martin's yet, doesn't get much better than what you see there. We had some similar at WeGrowGarlic but no other rocambole type matched it for size. Whenever anyone grows it, they swear that they are going to grow it forever. Never ever has been one negative word about Martin's and probably never will be. Martin Martin: I want to get some garlic from you this fall. My question is what should I do to prepare the beds now so that I am successful? TIA
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Post by paquebot on Jul 31, 2016 13:11:54 GMT
farmchix, plan for at least 30 cloves in double rows at 8" to 10" spacing. Then 100 bulbils which may be blocked at 8". Since this could become a permanent garlic bed, may as well do it right. Work the bed deep. Garlic does not like wet feet and you'll find the bulb up to 6" deeper than planted and the roots all below that. If real heavy soil, an inch of sand will help. For nutrients, lots of manure can be added since garlic is a nitrogen hog. Whatever you have is fine and doesn't matter if it's a year old or still in the animal yesterday. I use horse manure because it is so readily available but that which was dug yesterday had cow manure in various stages of aging. With the bulbs forming much deeper than planted, the manure should be worked in at least 8" deep. If you work it now, there's a good chance that a lot of weeds will germinate. Then they can be eliminated at planting time. Martin
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bill
New Member
Posts: 1
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Post by bill on Oct 13, 2021 3:33:54 GMT
paquebot, Howdy Martin been years" your garlic was my favorite along with my granddaughters.She is 23 now but was 5 when ( think)I named the garlic Martins old heirloom,still have the paquetbot u sent me but lost all my Martins along with the golden shallots u sent me way back then.Had a bad fire n they all passed on.Per your request back then I did send out many to those that requested them.I was on the website known as gardenweb screen name mindsmile back then good to see your posts GOD BLESS Bill paquebot,
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