Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Only dug up the garlic patch ready for planting today. Might have to throw a few in the AP and see how they go.

Last year's notes (I realize this is not a very large sample, but I was just growing a bit for testing purposes):

The 4 from the AP bed had a total weight of 552g (118, 124, 142, 158)(mean weight is 133). The 3 from the raised bed of manure/soil/sand/charcoal had a total weight of 436g (122, 122, 182)(mean weight is 122g). The largest head was defective/non-useable as it looks like it is growing into several sub-bulbs of tiny cloves.

PS: all of these were the largest heads of garlic I've ever grown and the AP garlic beat that grown in the incredibly rich soil of the new garden bed. Planted October 1, harvested July 5 (just a couple weeks after longest day of the year).

I wonder if AP grown garlic would keep as well as ground grown garlic?
I never have enough to keep for very long, we eat so much of it.

Have some Elephant garlic in the garden at the mo, but I have to say I am a little dissapointed with it. You plant one large clove and at the end of the season you dig it up and its still one large clove. Doesn't multiply real quick so if you want to save some for planting the next time, tough luck!

I am sick of not being able to buy Australian garlic in the shops and I never seem to grow enough or can't find it as it has died down and the tops have disappeared.

So this season I bought 1 kg for $38 from Green Harvest.
I pulled them apart and planted a bed, had more over so did another bed (in the ground this is). So when they mature I will have around 250 bulbs.
Here is a picture.

As far as companion plantings go I believe that any of the onion tribe should be kept away from peas and beans, they don't like each other.
But grow carrots with the oinions and that's good. The onions keep away the carrot fly and the carrots keep away the onion fly.

Note the Calendula flowering in the path?
It is self seeded and I don't mind but I heard a bit of trivia the other day. Apparently, Ladies, if you have calendula flowering in your garden your husband will always remain faithful!

Happy gardening
Dale

Lets hear it for garlic!

Helps about everything other then ice cream and strawberry shortcake.

I have only grown elephant garlic twice and it was slow, I need to practice a lot more with it, I have only grown regular garlic in the ground but want to try it in the GBs.

I freaked out a couple weeks ago in ND US stores to se garlic marked 'Product of China' !! Excuse me?? With the US one of the largest producers in the world?

Incredible. Besides not having a clue what was sprayed on it or fertilized it.

I have some growing AP.
In dirt I have it growing w/ strawberries and they both look great.

Garlic grow great in both AP and good soil. I've found the variety I've grown (no idea what as I've been replanting for years) seems to split into sub-bulbs when conditions are too rich. This is much more of an issue this year with trout (high nutes) than last year (struggling to keep some tilapia alive, much less eating).

Tried e garlic, but none of us liked the flavor.

Hi Hydrophilia,
what is e garlic and please can I ask what is that thing on your head in your photo?
I had wondered if it was your hair, dreadlock style and all wet but I saw a photo of you on a recent thread and you don't have dreadlocks, is it a kind of sea sponge?
Dale

elephant garlic (but not really garlic). Look a few pages back in the thread.

Cheers,
I have elephant garlic in the garden but it grows so slowly and hardly reproduces. I don't even look at it anymore.
Dale

Big sunflower star I found while playing along the coast here. They can grow over 70cm, but this was the largest I had found...and my cousin was there to shoot a pic. Cold water (about 10C or 50F), but beautiful scenery.

I am growing garlic in my AP at the moment. I've planted it so that the bulb sits above the water level and the roots grow down into it. Hopefully this'll stop any rotting of the bulb.

Just found this old post- very timely as I think the shortest day here was only 6 days ago. Wondering if it will fit in with the moon phase now too. Might be time to plant garlic.

My hero, Peter Cundall says the sowing of onion seed should take place on or just after the shortest day of the year. This will ensure they do no bolt to seed when the weather warms up.

Hi argument is based on these plants being linked to the time zones on either side of the shortest day (when the days are getting shorter and when the days are getting longer).

If they overlap the two, they will go to seed when the warm weather comes as they believe they have reached maturity (their allotted time on earth).

But sown on or after the shortest day they have maximum growing time before their body clocks click over to reproducing stage.
Make sense?

OH I haven't sown mine yet, Bye.......

Interesting. I wonder if it would work for carrots and parsley as well? Note to self...

I sowed a good patch of carrots in May 2009, am still picking from the patch but if any are left when the warm weather comes in September/October then they will go to seed. Timing is everything in vegie growing, don't you agree?
Dale