Garlic—getting ready to harvest—first week of June 2023
Open mic @ courthouse gazebo
_, Arkansas
Well to tell the truth, it’s a little difficult to get ready to harvest because it’s already June 2 and I am in Marble Falls, Arkansas. Before we left Louisville, I checked the garlic and cut off all the scapes from the Thai Fire plants. I figured those Thai Fire would be ready in about two weeks. That was May 15 — more than two weeks ago. It’s now June 17, 2023. We’ll be headed home soon.
Garlic scapes removed from the Thai Fire plants.
Careful foot placement on the path to Balanced Rock
protecting the new shoulder replacement
water from the rock
on the path to Balanced Rock near Marble Falls, Arkansas
When we return, and I can go to the garden to look at the garlic, I assume that Thai Fire will probably be past its prime. So harvesting garlic will be the first Garden task. I am very curious to see how many of the top leaves are yellowing halfway down the leaf because it takes four or five of the top leaves 50% yellowed for the bulb to be ready to harvest.
Music garlic, not yet ready to harvest. Must have upper 4-5 leaves 50% yellow before the bulbs are filled out and ready to harvest.
I have found three tray frames with squares in the floor of them that I think I can use to hang the garlic plants to cure. The frames I found have 1- 2 inch openings. I must find quite a few more frames, or we’ll have to build a garlic curing rack with 2 inch holes so that I can put one garlic plant in each opening or figure out a way to hang the rack from the ceiling on the porch.
I did purchase from Ora Fabulous Fibres, Australia, a twisted paper product, but it was much thinner diameter—more like a string. So I crocheted it with a crochet hook and modified pattern for the Japanese market bag that I had crocheted before.
Garlic holders I crocheted: yellow, cotton/hemp yarn, Australian twisted paper, crocheted, unknown material, slick twine from a friend.
I still have several of the bags that I crocheted last summer out of different materials to be the hard garlic holders so that they can be sold as a group of garlic. I experimented with whatever materials I had on hand while I waited for the twisted paper twining that I ordered from Australia because it was the only place I could find this twisted paper product.
Garlic holder prototype Billie gave me. Beside it the Australian twisted paper twine.
She doesn’t remember where she got it, but when I told Jim’s mom Billie that I was trying to figure out a holder for garlic, she pulled this out of her stuff, handed it to me and asked me, “Like this?” It was perfect. So that began my search for the twisted paper twine I could use to make this garlic holder; however, I haven’t found the product in the right diameter. I had seen twisted papers used for handles on all kinds of paper bags that are for sale, but when I tried to purchase it, nothing I ordered was the same diameter twisted paper as was on the prototype that I received from Jim‘s mom, Billie.
Closeup to show the difference in the thickness of the paper twine crocheted and the paper twine thickness I need to make a garlic holder like the prototype.
Garlic in the holder I crocheted from the twisted paper twine.
I am pleased that five people have already requested braids from the new crop.
This last picture I found on Pinterest but haven’t figured out how to make it yet. I don’t have a pattern or the material to make it out of, but I’d like to find the material and the pattern and try it.
On my Pinterest page @deborlynn3523 I have multiple examples of garlic holders out of various materials, as well as many samples of different types of garlic braids (among other boards about garlic production as well as other items of interest to me and maybe to you, too). Check it out.