Ah, garlic.
For years now, I’ve been trying to set myself up as a supplier of heritage seed garlic. Over that time, I’ve had very little success, and discovered a number of problems with that idea.
Firstly, I live quite far north – near Kerikeri – and it seems anyone who lives south of me is not going to get the same results from my seed garlic that I do, even on a good year.
Secondly, I keep getting hit with rust. The garlic-grower’s curse. At least in New Zealand. I’m not alone in this struggle and it’s so very frustrating.
I’ve experienced good years too. I’ve learned heaps about garlic. But this year’s harvest is probably one of the worst, and I just don’t know if I can do it again.
Last week I lifted my three turban varieties. We got some small bulbs, but many of them had split.
The good news is these are still edible. I’m still deciding exactly what I’m going to do with them though.
About 3% of the stock has either a neck rot or basal plate (the bit between the garlic cloves and the roots) rot. It’s a lower number than in previous years, but it means I’m spending my weekend peeling and freezing the cloves I can save.
We have got some good garlic too – but it’s small (2cm-4cm), and there’s not a lot of it.
There’s still two varieties in the ground – Ajo Roja and Takahue. My hopes aren’t high for them if I’m honest.
In an ideal world, they need another month in the ground, but the rust is really taking over. I don’t know that they’ll get it.
So far, I haven’t seen a single bulb that’s made me think “oh, I’ll save that to grow next year”. They’re all very disappointing and I think I’m just at the end of my tether with this whole idea.
So I’m planning to take next year off, say goodbye to the collection, and give the garden a break from garlic.
I’ll focus on soil improvement for a year or two, then get some new stock from one of the several suppliers of heritage seed garlic I’ve found in the years since I began.
Te Mata Garlic, Koanga Institute, Setha’s Seeds, Blue Terrace Garlic, and Gourmet Garlic are all great places to get your seed garlic.
In future years, I’m sure I’ll come back to garlic. But it’s not working now, and the results are actively getting worse. So it’s time to quit, at least for a little bit.
I have been growing garlic for home use and for the first time this year I have gt rust. It arrived withe hay mulch that I bought in spring. My bulbs are tiny. At worst, I will strip the bad outer layers off and freeze it. I might also confit some of it in olive oil. The trick to avoiding botulism when doing this is to boil the garlic first, just enough to cook through. Those two are the laziest options that I can think of at the moment.
Thanks Jenny, I think the rust weakens the plant, then the botulism takes hold. I did sterilise these ones per Tasmanian Garlic’s recommendations with high-strength bleach this year, and the rot is generally pretty minor compared to other years – it’s the rust that’s the real problem. Absolutely gutting to watch huh? Freezing is a great option. Drying and garlic salts make good gifts. Just a real bummer.
Kat you will have to take up growing Strawberries like Poppa did. You might be able to sell them at the gate.The Mahia Strawberry king he was. You may be the next Keri Keri Strawberry Queen.
Dad used to get his plants from a grower near Tauranga and have them for Christmas dinner.
Our Banana plants have got two flowers on this year so may be some Bananas. Cheers Rob. Have a great Christmas. I sure miss those Mahia Christmas parties we used to have with fresh Crayfish. Dave.s now got a car and goes for his RL in Jan.
Dunno about strawberries – we have some pretty hardcore commercial growers up here who grow great ones. But our blackberries and boysenberries are absolutely pumping this year and are even easier to propagate… Such short seasons for all of them though. Well done on the bananas and all the best for David’s test in January!
My garlic has gone great this year. Bulbs 3+ inches across.
On another note, can I get some peanut seed from somewhere? I tried store bought unshelled, but it doesn’t germinate.
Hi Andrew, well done on the garlic!! I got my seed off TradeMe last year. This year I’ve saved the best of last year’s harvest from the most vigorous plants, and I’m growing from those.