Garlic is Planted!



The Samarkand has nice large cloves.  I saved the best for planting!



I first marked the rows with a board, approximately six inches apart. 



This is the dibber tool that I repurposed to make a hole for each clove.
 I think it was once used for soldering.



Plant the clove root end down.  Duh!
6 to 8 inches apart, 2 inches deep.





 
 







I have labeled each bed with the variety of garlic.
 I misspelled 'Samarkand' when painting the stakes. 
Oops!  I don't think  I will sleep at night knowing this is amiss...

 







The Inchelium Red bed-- planted, mulched and labeled.

 

Garlic Scapes

The garlic planted last fall is looking great!  The Inchelium Red has begun to turn and they have been blown over for the most part due to strong winds out of the north.  We have had a few good thunderstorms lately.  I am going to assume that the Inchelium Red are a softneck variety that can be braided, but don't quote me on that!  The other variety that I planted are Samarkand and these are without a doubt hardneck garlic!  They are still standing and there is no way I could imagine anyone braiding them.  These developed scapes and the Inchelium Red did not.  I broke off the scapes today and thought I might try using them in stir fry.  I don't have enough to try pickling them, but maybe next year.

Garlic Planted Today

A couple of weeks ago I ordered two kinds of garlic from Seed Savers Exchange. As I was planning on using the sweet potato bed for the garlic, I have been waiting to get those harvested...and those have been waiting on parts for my pressure canner--which are still not here. I do not have the means to cure the sweet potatoes to keep them over as fresh root crops.

Since we are expecting five days of rain starting this afternoon, I had to hurry up and get the garlic in. If I did not get it done today, chances are it would not be done at all. We have been fortunate to have such lovely weather this late into the fall.