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 Most of our garlic crop for this year (the bulbs we haven’t eaten fresh). We’ve made a drying rack out of two fruit crates and put it under the shelter so that the garlic doesn’t get too much sun….. or rain! When it’s dry I’ll plait it into tresses for keeping, but not for long as we’ll get through this amount quite quickly. Passing through Lautrec, the centre for l’ail rose, this long-keeping, pink-skinned variety of garlic, in south-western France, we once saw barns full of garlic bulbs drying like this on racks . |
Tomatoes, a cucumber and a locust
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The locust was enjoying our habas leaves – I don’t mind so much if it eats those as they are nearly over and I picked most of the last beans from them today, but I didn’t want it eating the aubergine plants (which they love), so this one was crushed between two rocks by Lo Jardinièr. There will be others, so we’ll have to watch for them all summer.
12 comments:
Your garlic looks really good. I like your drying rack, my garlic is just laid out on a table in the shade of one of the oak trees.
Nasty locust, lovely tomato and cucumber.
I've plaited my garlic, but haven't got nearly as much as you have. Locusts take some killing!
I must remember to plant garlic again this autumn, though my previous efforts haven't been to successful!
You can never have too much garlic. We have given up growing it - too many failed crops for some reason. Lovely to see the first tomatoes appearing.
I always love a good garlic harvest. Mine are far from ready, as we had a cold spring up here in the north.
We have those locusts here in Spain. A good dose of fly spray gets rid of them fast. I couldn't crush one.
There are two months for planting garlic here - August and March. I wonder when do you plant your garlic?
Ewa: here we plant garlic in October or November. I have heard it said, too, to that you should plant it on the shortest day of the year and harvest it on the longest day.
Are those archive photos? I can see sunshine on them!
I didn't realize you had to dry garlic after harvesting. I have left them on a shady table and later braided them. I haven't ever had such a harvest as you have.
I've been away for a week. Before I left, I set my plants (mostly in containers) in groups surrounding a sprinkler that worked on a timer to water 10 minutes a day in two 5-minute sessions morning and evening.
Upon returning, I found that my plants not only survived my absence, but flourished. So much for my skill!
I have harvested a few tiny cherry tomatoes, but I have no proof. They never made it to the house to get their picture taken: too good and fresh. I had to eat them immediately.
Weeping sore: It sounds as though you've won the tomato challenge, although I'd like some proof! Our tomatoes are not nearly ripe yet.
I'm sure leaving your garlic on a shady table does let it dry - it's just a matter of not letting it get damp when it's still fresh. Usually here, and certainly in your climate, the air is so dry that the bulbs will dry whatever you do with them, but this year we've had a lot of rain.
I have never seen garlic dried like this. I will sure remember that. I think that mine will be ready for harvest later in summer.
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