Jenmenke

Road Warrior

borage

Mid July Garden Update: Garlic & Shallot Harvest

Hello itty bitty teeny weeny beanie
Hello itty bitty teeny weeny beanie

Not much to complain about in the garden. No storms have ruined anything (yet).* We’ve had lots of rain; plenty of sun.

Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Because: you know it will.

As you might remember, I declared that I would finally harvest the garlic on time this year. And I did. But I also learned something interesting: I’m not so sure that my problems with the garlic in past years was due entirely to my timing. I had assumed, based on the appearance of the bulbs (sort of rotten looking and very wet, despite dry soil) that I simply waited too long. This year, I knew I hadn’t waited too long and the first bulbs I dug looked yellowed and rotten. On about the fourth bulb, I also saw a small brownish-orange worm on the bulb.

This is what an unhealthy bulb looks like. At first you can't really see anything specific, but it's yellowed and sort of rotten looking
This is what an unhealthy bulb looks like. At first you can’t really see anything specific, but it’s yellowed and sort of rotten looking

Hello internet.

Diagnosis: wire worms. They burrow into the bulb and create little holes that create rot. The good news is that there were only a handful of affected bulbs. The rest were all bright white and firm.

No wireworms here!
No wireworms here!

I do think that I also waited too long to harvest in prior years. This year, I dug them when only a couple of the lower leaves were yellowed. Each leaf on the stem creates a layer of paper wrapper around the head and cloves. Having enough is what helps the garlic to keep longer.

Only the bottom two leaves are yellow, but this is what I looked like when I harvested and I do believe it was the right time.
Only the bottom two leaves are yellow, but this is what I looked like when I harvested and I do believe it was the right time.

I then put them on my wire rack [an old “ground-level” bird feeder — which only ever fed the squirrels and the dogs] and put them in the shade to begin the curing process. I am moving them to the garage when rain is in the forecast, but man are they STRONG! yowza. This will go on for about a week and then they’ll go to the lower garage — hopefully less pungent by then.

 

Garlic curing in its shady spot under the birch tree
Garlic curing in its shady spot under the birch tree

 

The shallots are way more forgiving.

usually I wait for the shallots to yellow and die back a bit before harvesting, but I wanted to clear the whole bed (these grew with the garlic) and the shallots were already too big, so I dug them all up
Usually I wait for the shallots to yellow and die back a bit before harvesting, but I wanted to clear the whole bed (these grew with the garlic) and the shallots were already too big, so I dug them all up

 

Shallots as they came out of the ground
Shallots as they came out of the ground

I dug them up at the same time because… well because they are fricken’ enormous. Where have you ever seen shallots this big? How does that work in a recipe when they say “4 shallots”? Can you imagine what my food would taste like if I used “4” of these shallots?

They will stay here for a day or two (unless it rains) and then move to the lower garage
They will stay here for a day or two (unless it rains) and then move to the lower garage

Shallots you can just pull and leave in the sun for a few days. Then move to the cooler lower garage. Then give away. Because I can’t stand peeling shallots.

Here’s the rest of the garden with captions to explain anything of interest:

Pea harvest has been insane. Round cages seem to be working well
Pea harvest has been insane. Round cages seem to be working well

 

I've had very little blow down this year. To be fair, we haven't had a huge storm yet.
I’ve had very little blow down this year. To be fair, we haven’t had a huge storm yet.

 

This is the last of the original leaf lettuce being washed in my galvanized tub. It'll get dried on big towels before going in the fridge.
This is the last of the original leaf lettuce being washed in my galvanized tub. It’ll get dried on big towels before going in the fridge.

 

My mantra this time of the year is “tough love.” I actually say it out loud to myself when I am tempted to leave borage in the ground (or dill. or renegade cilantro) because it’s pretty. “Tough love,” I say, then I yank it out. It’s pretty, but it’s HUGE and flops over edges and other plants.

 

See those gravel paths? I spend way more than half my time in the garden weeding the paths. If that sounds insane, it's because it is. I no longer use Round-Up due to the glyco-concerns. Flame weeder works for about a month in the gravel and then I have to go after it with a hoe.
See those gravel paths? I spend way more than half my time in the garden weeding the paths. If that sounds insane, it’s because it is. I no longer use Round-Up due to the glyco-concerns. Flame weeder works for about a month in the gravel and then I have to go after it with a hoe.

 

Strange variety of tomato appears to have wilt but it doesn't. Next to it is "Lettuce Leaf" Basil. Very large, ruffly and tasty.
Strange variety of tomato appears to have wilt but it doesn’t. Next to it is “Lettuce Leaf” Basil. Very large, ruffly and tasty.

 

Reseeded with beets, arugua and cilantro. Despite my attempt to stay stocked with lush cilantro and arugula, it's all gone to seed. Wire is in place to deter cat-box-seeking-cats. it is 90% effective.
Reseeded this spot with beets, arugua and cilantro. Despite my attempt to stay stocked all growing season with lush cilantro and arugula, it’s all gone to seed. Wire is in place to deter cat-box-seeking-cats. it is 90% effective.

 

Ended up staking the tomatoes inside the cages. Which basically renders the cages nothing more than a big pain in the ass...
View of caged tomatoes: ended up staking the tomatoes inside the cages. Which basically renders the cages nothing more than a big pain in the ass…

 

I've been pruning these tomatoes to 2 stems for each plant. Each gets a stake. It looks neater, the plants seem healthier and I've heard the tomatoes ripen faster. It is way easier to weed. I might be done with the cages
View of staked tomato plants: I’ve been pruning these tomatoes to 2 stems for each plant. Each gets a stake. It looks neater, the plants seem healthier and I’ve heard the tomatoes ripen faster. It is way easier to weed. I might be done with the cages

 

Chartruese colored 'Green Envy' zinnia is my favorite!
Chartruese colored ‘Green Envy’ zinnia is my favorite!

 

Brussels sprouts plants are looking good. Trying to stay on top of cabbage worms with BT.
Brussels sprouts plants are looking good. Trying to stay on top of cabbage worms with BT.

 

*So yeah. I might have spoke a little too soon…

Last night (July 12) we got an inch and a half of rain and some wicked wind:

Looking south at the snap pea blow down.
Looking south at the snap pea blow down.

 

Looking west. The good news is the peas are nearly done and the cucumber cages stayed upright. The pea plants create wind resistance that just can't stand up to the elements. Oh well.
Looking west. The good news is the peas are nearly done and the cucumber cages stayed upright. The pea plants create wind resistance that just can’t stand up to the elements. Oh well.

Your Daily Lesson: Mint is Invasive

…Lest there is anyone else as gullible as I.

We are surrounded by things that should illegal: Motorcycles without mufflers, Barbie commercials that make them look like they can walk by themselves, food labeling that want you to believe a fruit snack is as good for you as the real thing, and

…plant descriptions that say, New! Clumping, non-invasive spearmint.

Wow, thought I. Non-invasive mint! Buy, buy, buy, buy. (That means I bought four of them). So excited! Plant, plant, plant, plant. And now…

Dig, dig, dig, dig.

Every. Single. Year.

I will never be rid of that mint.

You gotta admire the tenacity. It’s in the same league as my admiration for raccoons. I can’t deny they should be complimented on their tenacity. I’ve got an idea for a new breed of raccoon: hybridize them to eat mint and not chickens.

Anyway. Please, if you learn anything today, learn this:

  1. What you order at McDonalds will not look like it does on TV, and
  2. All mint is invasive, no matter what the label says.

In other gardening news:

Itty bitty apples have formed. While I can’t see the whole tree, it appears that I will have at least some apples, despite the frost. Yee ha. That means more apple jelly this fall!

Volunteer borage and sunflowers have been relocated to their rightful homes

For those of you with keen eyes, yes, this is the bed I just dug the mint out of, pictured above. Gardening for me is often this way. I go out to do something specific and find I have to complete three other tasks before I do the one thing I intended. In the case of the borage, I went out to plant the corn. But found I couldn’t plant the corn because in the bed I planned to plant it, were several borage and sunflower seedling volunteers from last year that needed to be moved.

You see, rather than start seeds or buy new plants, I just move around the ones that self sow and come up on their own. And this year, instead of putting the borage in with the herbs like I usually do:

(which always gets to be too crowed and chaotic, but you can see a borage volunteer right up against the chives, which I should have pulled but didn’t have the heart to. Oh dear…), I decided to put them in the center area where I usually have zinnias. I do love zinnias. I’m going to miss them this year. But:

  1. I didn’t start zinnia seeds yet
  2. I’m sick of buying them and don’t plan to go back to the garden store, and
  3. They always look crappy by the end of the summer. I don’t know why. Maybe I don’t deadhead them enough?

They will be replaced with the borage which

  1. Looks FABULOUS in a vase with sunflowers
  2. The bees LOVE
  3. Are nice enough to start themselves from seed for FREE

You can also eat borage and though I mean to look into this each year, I have never gotten around to it.

So anyway, I needed to move the borage OUT of the corn bed and IN to the spot planned for them. BUT I couldn’t do that because…

The MINT needed to be dug out first.

You getting all of this?

You starting to understand why I can’t get Jeanette’s brochure done for her?

Anyone want to call Jeanette for me and let her know all of this? If so, I would really appreciate it. Because I’m too embarrassed to call her.

So that’s it. I plan to go pick up my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants up today. I’m getting them from a FABIE local heirloom, organic grower. Total granola guy. He’s gonna change the world. Which is great, but all I really care about at this point are his plants. Which, if they are like last year’s, are stocky little healthy workhorses. Already hardened off. Amazing. It’s called Knightshade Gardens. If you live near me in Minnesota, you can reach them at 952-564-1714. They sell out in the western suburbs around Maple Plain.

Then, all I’ll have to do is plunk the tomatoes into the ground in their intended spot tomorrow:

GAK!