Fruits and veggies?

[WaterWitchin]

I also got only six cukes this summer. One day massive vines with tons of blossoms. Next day tons of squash bugs and withered vines. Same with zucchini.

Tomatoes, I've only frozen about 12 quarts so far, maybe get another 8 if lucky. Plus who knows how many I've eaten. Not a productive year at all here for tomatoes...weather related.

Greenbeans did well. Too lazy to do a second round. Same with lettuce.

Did you overwinter your garlic (plant in September, harvest next summer)?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by kvet

The garlic was very small, I think because I didn't give them enough chill.

Among the email newsletters I get is one from a company that has all sorts of fruit and vegetable plants and gardening supplies Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply They just had one on garlic, and it seems that choice of variety is important, some need more chill than others. You're in southern California, right? So maybe try another variety, one that doesn't need much cold.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Among the email newsletters I get is one from a company that has all sorts of fruit and vegetable plants and gardening supplies Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply They just had one on garlic, and it seems that choice of variety is important, some need more chill than others. You're in southern California, right? So maybe try another variety, one that doesn't need much cold.

Didn't know where kvet lives. Yes, that's super important to choose variety wisely. If southern California, you definitely need to plant a soft neck garlic; hard neck garlic won't cut it there. Still, plant in October or November, harvest in June/July depending on variety.

[kvet]

Ah, got it, thanks! Yes, I'm coastal southern California. Variety was hardneck "spanish roja" garlic, purchased in November, stuck in my fridge, planted it into self-watering buckets in February. They showed okay leaf growth, but the leaves all had brown tips and browned off quickly after forming. They never gave me scapes (I was so looking forward to trying them!). Even though they are small, th cloves are still tasty with a pretty color.

I was really hoping to grow hard-neck, but, okay, I'll plant soft-necks in October. Any recommended variety?

[Roberta]

Haven't done garlic, but I got some tulips and other bulbs as a gift once... put in 'fridge, planted in January (finally cooled off for awhile, right?) and we promptly had a a hot spell. They started to sprout, but day length was not spring even if the weather was... they were small and weak. The following year I got very few, after that none. Mother Nature can be fooled only up to a point...

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by kvet

Ah, got it, thanks! Yes, I'm coastal southern California. Variety was hardneck "spanish roja" garlic, purchased in November, stuck in my fridge, planted it into self-watering buckets in February. They showed okay leaf growth, but the leaves all had brown tips and browned off quickly after forming. They never gave me scapes (I was so looking forward to trying them!). Even though they are small, th cloves are still tasty with a pretty color.

I was really hoping to grow hard-neck, but, okay, I'll plant soft-necks in October. Any recommended variety?

There's actually a "California White" softneck garlic that does well. It's the main one my in laws grow. Most of them are full-blood Italian, live in California from So-Cal area on up to Redding. All of them from at least San Bruno down grow California White.

Leave scapes on a few to try them, but you'll get better, bigger bulbs if you cut off scapes.

[SouthPark]

Anybody use pearl garlic (aka solo garlic)?

This wasn't seen much at all (I think) in Australia before - so I was totally gob-smacked when I first learned that there is a garlic type out there that has bulbs that are not comprised of little clove sections. Instead, the pearl garlic/solo garlic is a single full-on lump!

[WaterWitchin]

Have eaten it. My understanding is it isn’t a “type” of garlic per se, but more the way it’s cultivated. Similar to starting garlic from the seed of bulbils. A two year process. Too impatient to try it with all the other stuff I wanna do. And we use a LOT of garlic.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I was told to try Egyptian walking garlic but I have not yet

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Have eaten it. My understanding is it isn’t a “type” of garlic per se, but more the way it’s cultivated. Similar to starting garlic from the seed of bulbils. A two year process. Too impatient to try it with all the other stuff I wanna do. And we use a LOT of garlic.

Amazing WW! I didn't know about that as well. I will have to look up some info!!! Very interesting indeed.