The Elephant Garlic season 2020.

we brought 5kg at $26.00kg.

we sourced the elephant garlic seed this season from pirate pickles from wanaka. we planted in may2019 and harvest in february2020. we had three beds totally around 500 plants. the beds were formed and feed over approximately 6months prior to planting. they received a generous application of BD compost post planting, seaweed tea and rock minerals high in calcium and magnesium while the seedlings were young. the garlic received one horsetail and nettle tea spray once mature. we were blessed with a warm and dry season especially during bulb formation.

the vast majority of our garlic heads off to the shed to cure. a small potion is enjoyed green. usually roasted whole.

we harvest in good weather once we observed a change in the plants shoot growth. we are looking for a flow energy back into the cloves. this is observed via the ratio of green to brown expressed in the shoots.

late in the season we trim off low shoots to encourage airflow with the aim of creating conditions we are less likely to support the spread of Rust.

as we move through the seasons we are observing soil moisture on a weekly basis. we aim to avoid irrigation but when required it is applied via a dripline.

as the density of garlic shoots increase we spray Equisetum BD508. high in silica this spray encourages healthy growth through supporting the plant strength.

the BD compost is going to provide a great hit of energy. encourage as much shoot growth as possible. ultimately this shoot growth determines the size of each garlic clove.

before the garlic shoots grow so long they touch each other, we spread our BD compost and Dolomite.

while the garlic is establishing in early spring we work hard to create a weed free friable bed.

https://www.koanga.org.nz/growing-great-garlic/

https://www.koanga.org.nz/knowledgebase/gardening/gardening-with-perennials/growing-past-garlic-rust/

we wait for the garlic seedlings to produce three or four leaves before we start hand weeding with our long handle stirup hoe.

all of this work when preparing a new garden bed is so important. it will benefit all aspects of our gardening approach for at least three seasons.

we created a fine tilth which was around 20cm deep to ensure we could form the beds easily. as we formed these beds we introduced wood chips to the paths to reduce the mess and help create a more user friendly work area.

preparing these gardens beds began 12 months before planting. green manure crops where grown twice and incorporate into the soils with our rotary tiller.

 Garlic seasons 2019 / 2018.