Garlic Planting

I decided today to brave the veracious mosquito's near dawn and head out to plant my garlic. I have stuck a couple clovers around the yard a few times before and it performed well. Now that I have actual vegetable beds I decided to plant a double row.

This is how I planted it:

I broke up the heads making sure the clove separated cleanly
from the bottom plate(root) of the garlic head.

I then planted the cloves pointy end up, 3" down and
3" from side of the bed as well as from the next clove.
I put the rows 4" apart which I think is about as close
as you would want them to get.

After the cloves were spaced, I watered them in. After the
water drained I then reset any that moved out of place.

Finally I carefully back filled and light tamped
the soil so water will not collect in the area.

Now they just need to root and break ground in the spring. Garlic is best planted later in the fall because if it breaks the ground before snow fall the shouts can be damaged. I have read that if the garlic does happen to break ground to early it can be mulched with 3-4 inches of mulch to protect them from freezing & thawing. It is also best to only use large cloves, the small ones will not amount to much in terms of head size. The small ones can be planted and used as fresh garlic in the spring and summer months though.

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Well I was out I also picked any peppers that had turned colour. There are still about 6 peppers that are green, it will be nice if they turn but with the frost we have been getting I am surprised they are even alive still.

On another note, I am thinking about building a cold frame. I have been going back and forth about putting up a hoop cover but with our climate I don't think it would perform well or last long enough to be worth while. I will have to be on the look out for a couple old windows.