Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Reliable Garlic for central Florida Despite the Usual Day Lengths Issues?

I've long grown various garlics each winter here for their savory leaves, knowing how difficult it can be to get it to form bulbs from cloves as it does effortlessly in northern climates. Last fall, Jim Kovaleski  gave me bulbs of two types he grew up north that he had a hunch MIGHT form bulbs here. I considered breaking them up into cloves but planted each whole in a back porch Water Wise Container Garden. I've enjoyed their leaves now and then but from now on will let them just grow as yesterday I noticed that it SEEMS that the bulbs MIGHT have enlarged and begun to divide underground. I'll do like I did with garlic each summer in Denver.....wait until the foliage yellows and dies back, then lift them to see what they've done (hopefully NOT rotted in the humid heat and possible rains!). The longer I garden the more I love to experiment. Would be so cool if Jim's hunch resulted in a reliably bulb setting garlic for the area! In Denver I grew TONS of self sown hard neck garlic effortlessly...it had almost become a weed in my front yard between my roses.

2 comments:

  1. I purchased garlic from Jim in the fall, but have since eaten all of it. I wonder if it was the same kind as the ones you planted.

    If yours bulb & spread, I will have to try some next year.

    Nancy R

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  2. He brought to Andy's fall event bulbs of two kinds plus lots of aerial bulblets of a hard neck type. I did not ask the names but planted the big bulbs in a back patio Water Wise Container Gardens and labeled them as his. Fingers crossed these actually divide into new bulbs! It occurred to me yesterday....my back patio is illuminated each night by a bright security bulb, so I wonder if/his affects the day length sensitivity issue.

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