Re: [gardeners] garlic in Texas
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 30 Sep 1998 06:53:30 -0600
At 10:29 PM 9/29/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi, Allen.
> Thanks for the reply on my garlic dilemma. You can tell a "hard neck"
>garlic if the stem coming out of the bulb is hard. The stuff one gets in
>the grocery store has a soft, sort of pliable stem. Most of the hard neck
>garlics have a rosey colored outside skin and usually have roja in
>their names. So I wonder if the Mexican Pink could be a hard neck, and of
>course, when I think of Creole cooking, I think of red peppers.
>
> If I have to give up trying my roja cloves I've saved for planting in
>Texas, where can I find the Mexican Pink or the Creole? Actually, I
>thought I'd go ahead and give my rojas a try. If they don't make it this
>year, I can start with one of your recommendations next year when I've
>finally moved myself down there.
>
> This probably sounds a bit confusing, but I have a friend living in mom's
>house, looking after it, the dog and the cat, and trying to keep the
>plants I haul down there alive. Once I get there permanently, I will live
>in mom's house till my new house is build near Sisterdale. Meanwhile, I'll
>be going down for a two-week visit on Saturday.
>
>Thanks for the help.
>Vicki in Seattle, where there's a decided nip in the air tonight and the
>tomatoes will likely be hit with late blight by tomorrow morning.
>
Vicki, "Growing Great Garlic" by Ron Engeland (I think he's also a friend
of Terry King) says "Too much summer heat (temperatures over 95 degrees F.)
for more than a few days can cause early maturity and reduced bulb
size...." On the other hand, he says "Many people (including the author)
would claim that small bulbs well grown in poor soil still produce the
best-tasting, best-keeping garlic bulbs." It's not going to cost a lot to
try it. If your garden area is windy, you might plant them three or four
inches deep for desiccation protection. Margaret