The Garlic is in for the Fall Planting

Yesterday the doorbell rang and there was the mailman with our delivery of garlic stock from The Garlic Store in Colorado. I ordered it last week. The folks at The Garlic Store are very helpful and the variety of garlic they have is amazing. The garlic is organically grown and they are certified as organic processors/handlers by the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture. I ordered hard neck varieties - Chesnok Red, German White, Italian Purple, Music and a new one for me Pyong Vang Korean. I also ordered two soft neck varieties Susanville and Transylvanian. While where we live in the Northeast hardneck varieties are recommended I have grown Transylvanian without a problem and the description for Susanville indicated it does well in cold climates so I figured I would give it a try.It is a thrill to open the box and see what is inside...lots of good stuff! The garlic is HUGE! WOW this is the best stock I have ever seen. Every variety is gorgeous.
I ordered three pounds of Music a variety I am particularly fond of...look at these bulbs...wonderful!
This is a bulb of Music...I placed a quarter next to it so you can see how big these bulbs are...all the garlic is firm and the cloves are bulging at the "seams".
This is German White...another tasty garlic and the bulbs are simply perfect.
All the garlic is shipped in brown paper bags and labeled with a tag that gives the variety and description of the contents.

It is a bit too warm to plant yet but I must amend the soil first. Garlic is a hearty eater and can deplete the soil where it has "lived and grown". It likes a near neutral pH (~6.5 - 7.5). It also likes well aged manure to provide nitrogen and a source of phosphorus in the form of bone meal. So I need to get my garlic garden bed up to par for these beauties to grow in.

If you have a little extra space in your garden...try growing garlic...it needs little care and the results are so fantastic!

Elizabeth