Just a late nite update.....

Sun was out by noonish, temp.s rose to the 40's, and a couple hours of sunshine had the garlics standing tall again.

And now we get to do it all over again tonite. At least the wind has died down, which will help alot. I think half the reason they were all laying down so bad this morning was that they had just plain froze in that position, the wind was really whippin' last nite.

What was a forsynthia decked out in her pretty yellow spring dress, is now just a nekid bush again. It might ( I'm hoping so anyway ) bloom again, as I think it was far from done.

I'll let ya'll know how the garlics faired overnite in the morning over coffee.

Pearl, I consider garlic to be a heavy feeder. And isn't pulling weeds good for the soul...? hahaha !!! ( p.s. - when you get done with your's, wouldn't wanna vacation back in God's Country, would you......? )

Just remember folks, you need to QUIT feeding your garlic when it isn't making more leaves. After that it's into the "bulb swelling" stage, and the application of nitrogen will push the garlic towards making more green growth as opposed to what you want, making bigger bulbs. If your not happy with the size and viger of your garlics in the past, you might select next years planting location now and spend the summer building up the quality of the soil, in both tilth and nutrient value. Alot of the success in growing blue ribbon garlic is in the planning ahead.

Thanks again, MHG!

We had whipping winds & temp. drop of about 20 degrees yesterday!

Got about an inch of snow overnight and flurries now....Ok...just looked out. More than just flurries now...expected high today = mid-30's, and low = mid-20's...

Is it EVER gonna get to be spring?

Well.....another cold nite, wind chill of +7 this morn' at sunrise.
The garlics look today much like they did at this time yesterday; like a boxer who caught a lucky right cross, down but not out....but the sun is shining and all will be right with the world before it's all said and done.

Hi all, I'm new here. Glad to such an active forum for garlic growers and lovers. Anyway, I am from NY and we have had some nice weather for a couple of weeks now and I my cloves are sprouting along with some other flowers in other gardens. It is going to get cold here all weekend, were talking hard freeze (lower 20's at night), we had snow last night. My pretties are in an elevated bed but I don't know if the cold will kill my sprouts. I am going to cover them but I'm afraid that won't be enough. Please let me know if there is anything else that can be done or if garlic is hardy enough to withstand a few nights of freezing in the spring.

Guess I could have read the last most recent posts instead of the first. Geezz Im slow.

Sounds like you're catchin' on fast, Alex......welcome to the LisaAnn's GarlicHead Slow Lane with the rest of us.

Another cold and windy nite here on the hilltop......I could use a little "global warming" right about now....

I HATE WIND!

Plastic covered or not, this is awful! News was discussing the weather and tender plants in the indepth way they do (HAHA) I guess in a couple of weeks the total proof of damage will be evident! Hairy moose knuckles on another thread is seeing already what can happen. Oh MY!

.....I ain't gonna cry about the weather.....won't do any good....besides my tears would just freeze to my face like the icesicles hanging from the grn.house right now.

There's no doubt my Metachi ( Marbled Purple Stripe-a subvariety of the Purple Stripes-hardneck) likes this cold weather better than my other varieties.
So there's a question to pose to the group......Have you got a variety that is weathering this "over-the-top" cold snap better than another...?

I'm thinking a beer, in the greenhouse, surrounded by seedlings, watching the sun set, would be good for my soul.

Yep, a beer is good for the soul. Some people waste it by pouring it in compost, before it has been through the human strainer. What a pity.

My Spicy Red Korean Hardneck is braving all the weather changes. Only garlic that really impresses me. Got it at farmers market last summer and saved and planted in October.

Don't have a good thing to say about the other garlics out there in my garlic patch! So I won't say anything at all about those !

I don't know if I'm hexing myself here but...
All my garlic is still upright and green.I only have 3 varieties going elephant, german extra hardy,and extra select(last years volunteers and spring planted).Now that I said something it will probable wait for the warm up and then die on me.
Oh and whats wrong with alittle wine instead of beer?Right about now it's the only reminder I still have around that all this frustration(with the weather&trying to grow things) does have it's rewards.

German Extra Hardy, Porcelain hardneck, good choice for our zone, over-winters well, long roots to help prevent winter heaving, good storage keeper, large cloved bulbs. Farmer's Mkt. favorite.

......and you can top my chalis off with some of your finest grapa'....we'll toast the Garlic Gods to ward off any vex's and hex's they may decide to bedevil us with....hahaha !!!

quote:

Originally posted by MooreHaven Gardens:

......and you can top my chalis off with some of your finest grapa'....we'll toast the Garlic Gods to ward off any vex's and hex's they may decide to bedevil us with....hahaha !!!

I'll second that motion.I'm hopeful we'll finally see the weather pattern come back to normal and let us all get to a good growing season yet.I think their calling for above freezing temps. a few days from now. Knowing my luck though I better start looking for 4 leaf clovers or the hex just might stick.

Yeehaw!!! Nite time temps back in the 30's, now we're talkin'.....think I'll do a light foliar feeding today just to give them a boost after weathering this last cold snap. I'll be using a composted manure tea at 1 qt. of tea per 2 gal. of water in a handheld sprayer. As we have rain moving in again tomorrow, I should get a good leaching action of what is oversprayed. I've never felt the need to do this in years past, but they are looking a little stressed (and I seem to have a couple more gray hairs over it also) and in need of a little pampering. The frost damage is already done, but this should help them rebound from it. And after the bug disaster of last year, I'm needing this year to be a good crop, if for no other reason than to restore my faith in myself.

"Garlic on, Garth !!!"

Welcome, alex!

I am in NY too, between Buffalo & Rochester & it's been cold here!

A few flurries today & high temps today at 36...low to 37 on Sat...that'll be a heat wave with the high predicted at 57!

Haven't even been out to look at my garlic!
Gonna transplant some tomatoes today...INSIDE...they've been needing it !
Looking great so far!

My first time growing under lights & well worth the expense, in my opinion!

My lights will need to be "cock-eyed" soon, as the Branywines and Yellow Pear Tomatoes have outdone themselves!