Friday, September 18, 2009

garlic and cover crop order

A couple days ago I ordered:

Great Garlic Combo - 8 oz of Duganski & 8 oz of Susanville from Territorial Seed Co. 8 oz = about 30 cloves.

I think this may not be enough garlic to produce enough to eat and plant next year. I didn't grow enough this year.

So I'm ordering from Johnny's:
Garlic, New York White (softneck, 3 heads)(link)
Garlic, German Extra-Hardy (stiffneck, 3 heads)
Fall Green Manure Mix, 1 lb(link)

The garlic is back ordered till Oct 1, but that's fine.

The green manure is a cover crop that worked well for me last year. The only trick is getting it in early. It'll go in after the tomato, squash and corn beds are cleared. The tomatoes might as well come out now as they aren't doing much. The beds that are cleared late will be planted with winter rye seed, which I get at my local True Value hardware store.

6 comments:

Jain said...

I pulled my tomatoes last weekend. Half were stunted and half were rotting on the vine. Misery.

I bought some winter rye for the first time this year. I'm wondering how dense it will grow. Lawnlike? I'm afraid it will be impossible to (hand-)till in the spring.

kathy said...

Yes, I think I'll put my tomatoes out of their misery today.

The winter rye does grow like a course long lawn. Especially if the birds don't eat 90% of your seed. I turn it by hand with a shovel in early spring. I don't find it any more difficult than turning bare soil.

Tom said...

Hahaha, I just ordered the same things from Johnny's. I live not far from you in N. Tewksbury.

kathy said...

Garlic is SO expensive. I hope I don't need to order it again.

Jain said...

Thanks, Kathy!

Anonymous said...

I'd been wincing over the garlic prices at Johnny's and other favorite sources.

Then I went to visit my mom in central New York and discovered her favorite farm stand was selling their own garlic sets at about half the price. SCORE! Of course, I forgot to ask if it was hardneck or softneck; guess I'll find out by doing.