http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OACWD 3 October 2008 Planting Garlic The largest cloves were planted in October 2008 to overwinter in the ground.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MFPIT 29 March 2009 Garlic growing. There are about 100 plants and all survived the Winter.
Hard neck garlic is technically known as the ophioscorodon variety of allium sativum. Hard neck garlic have a "scape" - stalk - which coils from the top. These "scapes" are in much demand, and essentially gives the commercial growers two products from as field of garlic. There are three main types of hard neck garlic: rocambole, porcelain, and purple stripe. My type is probably rocambole garlic.
Hardneck Garlic Allium sativum, ophioscorodon is called: Serpent Garlic, Stiffneck garlic, Rocombole Garlic, 10 clove garlic, Top Setting Garlic, Bavarian Garlic, Porcelain Garlic, Purple stripe garlic.
Hardneck garlics have a stiff, sometimes thick, neck, usually with fewer, even sized cloves arranged around the central 'neck'. Cloves number from four to twelve or so, depending on the variety. The most distinctive of the three main hardneck types is 'Rocambole' Garlic. This garlic is similar to common garlic, but has two important differences. First, unlike common garlic, it throws up a flowering stem, called a 'scape'. Second, the bulb has relatively little outer parchment. The tall scape, it's 'flowering head contains tiny little bulbils. Thus it's alternative name, 'serpent garlic'. Clipping the flower stalk off early on significantly improves bulb size.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?InfoM More information about garlic.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GGrowth 18 April 2009 Hard Neck Snake Garlic (Allium sativum) Growth
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicGr 2 May 2009 Garlic Growth
Garlic growth is excellent so far.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicM 4 May 2009 Mulching Garlic
Wood chips obtained free of charge from the city last Fall were used to mulch the garlic bed. This will maintain moisture and tends to inhibit weed growth.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ScapesR 15 June 2009 Garlic Scapes
The garlic Scapes were removed from the Hard Neck Snake Garlic (Allium sativum). the scapes were cut close to the source with a pair of garden cutters. Scapes are cut into small pieces and used in a stir fry or simply cooked in a bit of oil or butter and consumed.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZDEZV 12 August 2009 Harvesting Hard Neck Snake Garlic.
Due to being away the harvest is about a month late. Late harvest means the bulb splits the clovers away from the normal protective sheath. Only a few bulbs indicate this condition. These will be used first, and the others dried for about ten days for Winter storage. The weight was 31 pounds for 92 bulbs. Average weight, dug, is about 0.33 pounds per bulb.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KAJVY 18 August 2009 Hard Neck Snake Garlic (Allium sativum) Curing
The dried weight is about 26 pounds from first dug of 31 pounds. Ten pound are in excellent condition and will probably store well for about a year. Twelve pounds had split bulbs, due to late harvesting, and will store poorly, so will be used first. About four pound or 14 of the largest bulbs were selected for seeding in October 2009. The bulbs will be further dried in their storage containers, which is usually a paper bag. Two to three bulbs for about a pound. Garlic growing completed for the 2009 year.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicS Garlic Summary 2009
