Early & Late Garlic

As you probably know already, one of my most favorite crops to grow is garlic. I just really enjoy watching the tops grow, while not knowing how big the bulb will actually be. Last year was just awful for garlic, but this year should be spectacular.

I wrote last year when I planted the first batch of garlic that I'm trying a few of the new varieties I'd tried last year because, even through the crops were bad these varieties showed promise. They went in in October (two pictures right) and started sprouting a week or so later.

The varieties I have come to know and love over the years went in the ground in December (two pictures left). They didn't sprout. Now, I'd never put in garlic that late, and I was really concerned all winter that with all the freeze/thaw and rain we'd had that they had rotted in the ground.

I went looking for them on Saturday and there was nothing. Now I'm really worried, because the October batch has started growing at least an inch a day, which is normal for spring.

Monday I went up and there were sprouts!! LOTS of them!! Really happy now.

And this was a good if unintentional experiment: the October plants are much further along than December's group. I'm curious to see how the harvest is for both groups.