A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Herbs - An Overview

Jupiter~

I like to have herb gardens outside along with the different pots, and basically as soon as the danger of frost is over, it is safe to plant. But..... of course we never know with this crazy weather. What I do is to cover them. If you do not want to drag heavy pots in and out, use a heavy bedsheet or a light tarp, or whatever similar item you have. Cover and make sure the cover you use is weighted down well, so it won't blow off. This works for the "in the ground" plants as well.

Now you know why I have small herb pots in the kitchen.

I leave the big pots outside. Then that way, when the season is over, and I am finished harvesting herbs from outside, and put away the big pots, I still have herbs growing inside year round.

HTH

TK!

Garlic~

Garlic does not have to be as difficult to grow as some make it out to be, so don't pay any attention to other stuff you may find out there on the web...

Maybe that is why I have had success with herbs, I just experiment with everything and try not to pay attention to so-called experts, LOL.

I used to have two black thumbs, too, or so I thought. But then I started approaching gardening in a different way. Kind of like the way I taught myself to make bread, years ago. When I stopped reading all the books by the experts and went by my instinct and really, just using the science and logic of it, that is when my bread began to be culinary masterpieces, LOL. It only makes sense, if you knead and knead and knead, you are going to KILL the yeast! So I don't knead the way all the experts say, I limit the kneading time...

OK, back to the garlic.

You can do this - EASY~

You want to use a large pot, with really rich soil, add compost/organic materials/mulch to it, especially if your dirt has a lot of sand. The soil should be fairly loose.

Keep in mind that whatever garlic you plant that is what you will get, so if you like the bigger bulbs of garlic, use that type. The bigger ones will grow better.

You split the cloves and plant about 1 inch below the suface, root side down/pointy side up. If you plant more than one in a pot, space them 2 inches or so apart. Once they begin growing, you can add a little organic fertilizer. When the plant reaches about 8 inches, you will cut off the stalks. If you like, you can let it grow and go to flower, but then the bulb (in the ground) will not grow bigger.

Harvesting - When the leaves turn brown and there are only a few green ones left, start checking the bulb in the dirt. When it looks a good size, you can gently bring it out. Dust it off, but do not wash it or anything. Hang by the dry stalks for a few weeks before using.

Also, I wanted to mention, that once you are sure the garlic is growing, you can, if you want and if you have a really large pot, grow other herbs around the garlic. Make a theme garden if you want. Grow basil and oregano for an italian theme.

HTH




P.S. BTW, and you may have seen this if you watch HGTV, this is a great use for garlic. I don't like chemicals for pesticides...
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gardening/article/0,1785,HGTV_3546_1375890,00.html

sn
are these the cloves that you buy at the grocery store or at a garden store specifically for planting?

I just use the organic bulbs that you would get at the whole foods market. Trader Joe's should have some, too.

You can use the grocery garlic as long as it hasn't been sprayed with something to retard growth. :p

But you can also buy specialty bulbs, really cool!

http://thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/grow.html

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/...;search_keywords=garlic&x=16&y=6

thanx dahling
i'm gonna grow me some garlic

I bought garlic bulbs at walmart. One bulbs will make 5 or 6 plants. The garlic tops look a lot like onions except the greens are flat and not round.

Hey i am really interested in this Garlic thing!!!! ok, so I know how to get my hands on the bulb and i read how I should plant it, Now my question is:

I take one part of a Garlic clove and plant it, do what you said to do and when it is done I will have a Big Bulb of Garlic again??? The clove in the ground Multiplies and gives me an entire new bulb???

yep

This is a wonderful article. Thanks so much. I don't cook a lot but I planted some basil, lime, and I have a rosemary plant. I didn't realize that dill is invasive. Guess I shouldn't have planted it in my regular garden.

i have a question about the growing garlic in a pot.... when exactly does the clove split? and is a freezing spell absolutely necesary? why?

Hi,
I've been growing parsley,flat and curly for about 7 months and they're giant. But today one of the flat parsley was yellow and laying down when i looked closer at the bottom it was white and pulled out easy. Do I have mold rot or insects. What can i do to protect the other plants i need them for my cats i raise butterflies. Thanks Fritter

@Wizard...freezing/cold is very important to garlic. Like all root crops such as beets, turnips, etc. the cold weather is what triggers the plant to store its energy in the root and thus it grows larger. While freezing may not be critical, consistent cold is or else you will wind up with small colves and a lot of greens.