Growing Garlic. I haven't purchased garlic since 1996. That's because I grow enough to eat a bulb of garlic every day, year-round. While most of my garden adventures are hobby-level attempts at self-sufficiency, my garlic crop is for real. Garlic is an overwintering crop, planted in fall and harvested mid-summer. So if you want to have a crop next year, it's time to think about planting. A year's supply of garlic hanging in your garage hints at many great meals to come, but by the time you reach that milestone the rewards have already been flowing for months.
Your first return arrives in early spring, when your garlic races out of the ground. As spring continues, your plants will continue to skyrocket, and in late May—assuming you planted a flowering variety—you'll be treated to a funky display of garlic blossoms curling from the plant tops. The flowering varieties of garlic are collectively called hardnecks, so named because of their woody flowering stalks. Now for the easy part: planting the garlic. Australia » Wicking Beds Also Known as Sub-irrigated Raised Beds. These planters in Australia not only look good they are highly productive and most importantly they conserve precious water. In cities, they provide vital protection against toxic metal soil contamination. We call them sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). The Aussies call them wicking beds. Fair enough. Note that they do not call them self-watering beds.
Following is an instructable that shows you how to make these beds as sub-irrigated planters (read the comments too). Why are there not wicking beds/sub-irrigated raised beds all over New York City, all over America? Via www.instructables.com "The wicking worm bed is a highly productive growing system which not only produces more food from limited water, but also recycles waste organic material to provide plant nutrient and capture carbon. We have extreme water restrictions here in Melbourne. The Benefits of Moon Gardening - I’d like to share a secret I use in my garden to get great results … strong, healthy happy plants … and something that saves me time and money. It’s gardening by the moon! OK, that may sound a little strange if you’ve never heard of it before, but if you are already familiar with your climate zone and are planting in the right season, then you may want to maximise your gardening success by working with nature’s lunar cycles … and by that, I don’t mean getting outdoors with a shovel in the middle of the night!
“Gardening by the moon has been practiced for many thousands of years and is not about planting at night but about being in harmony with natural growth patterns.” – Sheree Scott How Does Moon Gardening Work? The moon has four ‘phases’ or ‘quarters’ – each last about 7 days. You can see the current moon phase (set for the southern hemisphere) on the left hand side of this website. So why am I sharing this with you? What’s the significance of this for you?
My Experiences A few last tips … 5 Step Guide to Growing Gorgeous Garlic. Do you know where your garlic comes from? One of the most important reasons to grow your own is to avoid toxic chemicals and irradiation (that inhibit sprouting and extend shelf life).* Garlic … how safe to eat is yours? A few years back I didn’t even think about the garlic I ate … but then I became interested in the story behind the food I was eating. The majority of the world’s garlic is grown in China and is sprayed with chemicals and bleached white with chlorine during importation quarantine processes, not to mention the thousands of food miles clocked up. But if you really want to gag on your garlic, according to the CEO of the Australian Garlic Industry Association, “some garlic growers over there (China) use raw human sewage to fertilise their crops, and I don’t believe the Australian quarantine regulations are strict enough in terms of bacteria testing on imported produce” … so you might want to think again before you reach for that perfect white bulb in your supermarket!
Storage. Planting A Pineapple. Did y’all know that you can take this and turn it into… This? And that this will eventually produce… This? Yes, I’m talking about turning your average, ordinary grocery store pineapple into a tropical showpiece within your home. Planting a Pineapple 1. 2. 3. In 24 months (sounds better than two years) it will look like this. You will have an actual, large, utterly delicious pineapple in 24-36 months. The thought of growing my own pineapple always makes me smile and giggle just a little bit. Now what am I supposed to do with all of this leftover pineapple? I see something sweet coming soon. While you’re waiting for me to make something yummy with the leftovers, go ahead and plant a pineapple.
Be adventurous plant a pineapple. Hugs, Tickled Red *Please bear in mind that I am not a hortoculturist. Tagged as: Gardening, Pineapple, Tropical Fruit.