We are quickly approaching the shortest day of the year. In the New Zealand gardening world (or maybe this is the way it is everywhere, it’s just that I’ve never gardened so much) this day is the benchmark for when you need to get your garlic in the ground. You plant it on the shortest day and harvest on the longest.
Growing my own garlic – not something I did before moving here, and now on to my third crop. The first year I harvested tons, and then last year they were really small and not the best crop (but we use them, poor Rod groans about how small the cloves are and how hard to peel for his mushrooms on toast specialty.)
This year, I have new method and have planted the crop in what I think is the best spot in the garden. I will take the advice of the garden center and water more and have even planted Elephant garlic – more for the amazing flowers they produce than the huge cloves.
Ms. Weston supervised and I’m praying doesn’t get the idea to dig in that area. We’ve also put in spring onions (scallions,) white and red onions, cabbage, silverbeet, and lettuces. Should be a bounty of a winter crop.
And if not, there is always next year! The garlic is in and now we wait.