time to plant the garlic!
Now is about the time to plant the fall garlic–mid October to just after the first fall frost! You can get a regular head of garlic at the supermarket, or order cloves specific to your geographic location & taste from a garlic supplier…
Today, Lon the Elephant is planting some supermarket-purchased garlic…he will walk you through the simple & delicious process of growing your own garlic…
First, go outside & find a patch of ground with good, well-drained soil. Turn the soil a bit & speak with the local earthworms there…If the earthworms are happy & healthy, & have plenty of relatives living nearby, then this is likely a good patch of soil…If you see no earthworms, the soil may need a little work to make it healthier…
Next, using your trunk, simply break apart the garlic into individual cloves…try not to break it apart ahead of time, or the bottom of the cloves will dry out…
And set the cloves out in the garden, pointy tip facing upwards, about 6 inches apart.
You can then take a little break to admire your handiwork & speak with the wooden garden frame, exchanging stories of the distant forests of your youths…
Then, using your trunk or a small shovel, just dig a small hole 2 inches deep (for a Northern climate) or 1 inch deep (for a Southern climate), bury the garlic, & gently cover it with soil!
When the autumn leaves have fallen, cover the garlic patch with about 2 to 4 inches of leaves for mulch, to keep them warm throughout the winter.
That’s it! Now it is just time to wait patiently for July or so, when the garlic can be harvested!
love,
Lon the Elephant
