The Garlic Lesson
Here in Western North Central Texas, it is garlic-growing-time. I began growing four kinds of garlic suggested by a professional grower in the region. A couple of varieties really did well. Over the years I have narrowed down to a variety called China Rose. It loves my soil and grows well. I will probably try some other varieties in years to come.I had a disaster with my last crop and learned a hard lesson. I had planted very robust-looking cloves from my previous crop in two raised beds. As usual, the weeds came up with the garlic…especially the various forms of winter grasses.
Trouble is…I let myself get too busy to do much weeding. But, I thought, garlic is a pretty strong little plant that I’ll bet can compete with that grass and do OK. WRONG! It turns out that garlic is strong, but odor isn’t everything! When it came time to harvest (and, I harvested too late and had trouble finding some of the plants) the garlic stunk! OK, garlic stinks anyway…but I mean it was pitifully small.
We still used the garlic…teeny cloves and all (in fact we are still using it) and saved out the larger cloves for planting this winter. It has all pretty well sprouted but you can bet I am keeping it weed-free. Yesterday, I carefully pulled out all non-garlic interlopers and mulched the bed. I hope those little fellers still have the same genes…I’m looking for a much healthier harvest in about May.
If you grow garlic, keep it weeded!
We are garlic lovers! We generally use some every day. We especially like it in a stir-fry of chard and pine nuts. Our favorite way of eating seafood is prepared in butter and garlic or covered in a sauce of the same.
Not only does garlic taste good, but ingested daily, it seems to make your blood unappealing to mosquitoes. For a glowing complexion, crush garlic and rub the juice all over your skin. Just kidding.
Until next blog…eat your veggies! Nonnie and Pop said so!
October 16, 2007 at 1:40 pm
No one seems to read this blog so I will comment on my own blog. The Garlicmeister says that eating garlic has no effect in repelling mosquitos. Maybe they seem repelled by me for the same reason that beautiful women (except for my beautiful wife)are. Who knows?
November 21, 2007 at 2:51 am
You have at least one reader. Look like we will start cooling down a bit, just in time for the start of the holiday season. Have a great Thanksgiving!
December 9, 2007 at 3:05 am
I am not sure about mosquitoes but it does keep the vampires away.
March 1, 2008 at 6:05 pm
[...] I mentioned in a previous post, I nearly caused a crop failure last season by not removing competing vegetation. The result of [...]
April 27, 2008 at 5:10 pm
My mother used to eat a raw clove a day to help repel the black flies she’s terribly allergic to, and she swore by it.
That is, until my father kissed her on her bare shoulder and tasted garlic. And asked her to stop.
May 2, 2008 at 3:22 am
[...] some unknown reason, my article, “The Garlic Lesson,” posted back in October has been the most popular of all my garden posts with some 868 on-site [...]