Garlic Planting 2015-2016

Garlic is planted in fall and overwinters to be harvested in July - in our Zone 4 - UpState NY.

we planted 15 rows for a total of 650 garlic bulbs to be harvested next summer!  We are trying to rebuild our seed stock.  Lots of people love our garlic - it is an heirloom italian hard neck variety.  Each year we replant the largest cloves from each garlic bulb.

...we sift horse manure - composted over 180 days - mixed with peat moss.  This is used in the rows ..the soil should be light and easy for the bulbs to expand as they grow.  We use the peat moss on a limited basis - directly where the plants/seeds are placed.  It is expensive and environmentally controversial due to the impact on peat bogs.  We have "muck" soil that needs to be "lifted".  I use a mix of dried leaves, compost, grass clippings, and peat.

Garlic Harvest

garlic harvest 2015

here we use a air compressor to blow off the dirt from the field

every large garlic head is replanted - to ensure another crop each year

we hope to expand production

central new york is considered the perfect climate for garlic cultivation

...individual cloves become a garlic head - planted in October - overwintered - and harvested in July

we plant a garlic variety - rocombole - italian easy peel