Garlic harvest

Last weekend, I got chatting to one of the most experienced allotmenteers on the site and asked him about my garlic. The tops looked yellow/brown and dry so I wondered whether or not they were ready for harvesting. He said that it looked like they had rust, just like his did apparently (it turns out we got them from the same place). He advised that I dig them up and dry them out. This I did. They have been drying out on the kitchen table for a week and this morning I peeled of the outer covering. 4 or 5 were a bit mouldy inside - perhaps I should have peeled them just after harvesting. The piccies below show what I have got. Not a big harvest.





Shortly after taking on the allotment in Oct 2006, I was advised by many of the allotmenteers to get something in the ground asap so that I would have something to harvest asap. The first things I planted were onions and garlic I think. I did the same thing last year - planting garlic and onion sets (plus a few pot-grown onion seedlings) in the Autumn. I am not sure that planting so early is a good thing to do. I find it hard to maintain the bed for so many months. Looking around at other plots, garlic and onion grown much later catch up anyway. Next year, I will plant them later I think.

Off to the plot shortly. I need to weed round the peas and tidy up the sad looking brassica bed. I might buy some Brussel Sprout plants from somewhere which I'll cover with shop-bought netting tunnels to ensure a supply for Christmas.