This is exciting. The folks at Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (PVF) have asked Gardenerd to participate in their Garlic Planting Party this week, and you reap the benefits. One lucky Gardenerd reader will win a Garlic Party Prize Package (details below) to enhance your garlic growing experience this fall.
But first, a little about the subject at hand. Here in Southern California, we typically grow softneck varieties, though I know someone who grows hardnecks because he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to grow them here. Seems to work for him. Anywho… we plant in October, it grows through winter, and is harvested sometime in May through June.
Early California Garlic is great for storing and braiding.
Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, with relatively few pests or diseases. We have rust fungus in our soil, so we rotate garlic to a new location each year to keep it at bay. PVF has a great instructional video on how to plant garlic, so check that out to get started.
In the south, California Early White is a popular variety to grow. It is a Silverskin variety, which tends to keep longer, and produces between 12-16 cloves per bulb. Long-storage softnecks are best for garlic braiding, so California Early is a good choice if you plan to braid your harvest.
Our year supply of garlic grown in 7 square feet (using Square Foot Gardening plant spacing).
When it comes to harvesting, we wait until only 5 or 6 leaves are still green, we stop watering and wait a few days for the soil to dry out before pulling the bulbs. We cure the harvest for several weeks on newspaper out of direct sunlight and then it’s ready for braiding.
Check out our Garlic Braiding Video learn how to store your harvest in style.
Now – on to the Garlic Party.
This is a chance to learn more about growing, harvesting and cooking with garlic and shallots from bloggers all over the country. Each blogger will be giving away a different variety. Here are my cohorts and their respective giveaways:
Susy Morris at Chiot’s Run (Garlic combo)
Gen Schmidt at North Coast Gardening (Russian Red)
Jodi Torpey at Western Gardeners (Purple Italian)
Theresa Loe at Living Homegrown (German Red)
Chris McLaughlin at A Suburban Farmer (Purple Glazer)
Charlotte Germane & Cindy McNatt at Dirt Du Jour (Shallots)
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply at PVF (Bogatyr)
If you want to win that variety of garlic or shallots, leave a comment on the respective blog. You have until midnight PT, Wednesday, October 17th to post. Winners will be chosen at random and here is what you’ll win:
Garlic Planting Party Prize
- 1 pound of organic seed garlic (each blog will have a different variety)
- 1 quart of our Liquid Kelp (for soaking the cloves overnight before planting)
- 10 gallon Smart Pot (to plant some in a container)
- 1 Garlic Twist (clever kitchen gadget that minces the cloves when you twist it; easy to use and clean)
- 1 5×7 photo print of the garlic variety
More about Garlic
Before we get to the contest question, here are some great Gardenerd blog posts about garlic that can help you this season:
The Trick to Bigger Garlic
Storing Garlic: Sprout Not My Friend
Okay – now for the question: What’s your most successful garlic experience? This includes growing, cooking or eating it. Leave your comment below (be sure to include an email address) and we’ll announce the winner next week.
Happy garlic-ing!
Awesome prize package!
Like to try a new variety every year.
Nice to learn about your we site. Love garlic and hope to be a winner!
I have never grown enough to get me through the year. I think I had 3 garlic bulbs in the ground last year. My best garlic time was when my friend had about an acre of garlic and would give me huge braids of it. I use it in most meals, usually with olive oil. Love it and my husband eats it raw all the time. I eat it raw in my Caesar Salad recipe. We love it!!!
My garlic growing experiences have not been stellar, though I’ve enjoyed trying different varieties. I was happy to see the Peaceful Valley video, so I will tweak my technique to get better yields. But probably my best garlic experience was cooking a Catalan garlic soup that uses garlic by the head, not the clove! That was when I discovered that the intensity of garlic is not additive. You can add quite a bit more, and still just have good garlic flavor, not overload. Anyway, have to include the recipe, because it is truly an exceptional soup:
6 large slices of good day-old bread
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup minced garlic (about 16 large cloves) (or more!)
1/2 cup minced shallots (plant those too)
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, well packed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
8 cups good chicken stock
1/2 flavorful dry Spanish sherry, such as amontillado
Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if you like
Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Toast the bread for about 15 minutes till golden on both sides. Grind finely in a food processor.
In a large pot, heat oil and saute garlic and shallots over low heat for 10 minutes till very soft. Stir in thyme and bread, salt, pepper, and parika. Saute 2 minutes, stirring. Add stock, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir in sherry and taste for seasoning.
Serve hot garnished with thyme sprigs in each bowl if you like.
Yum! Thanks to Marimar Torres for this recipe from The Catalan Country Kitchen.