Tucking in the garlic
Happy New Year! We've been busy with the holidays recently, but here's a belated post from mid December to get us started for 2015. Stay tuned for information on this year's CSA registration coming out in the next few weeks.
The last real field task of the year is done!
After planting the garlic, I wait until the ground is starting to freeze and then mulch with straw. This helps moderate the temperatures in the soil during the very cold weather. Excessively cold soil temperatures and/or too many freeze-thaw cycles can be bad for the garlic, which (ideally) has already started growing roots.
I was a bit late this year as you can see from the snow:
One advantage of doing this job when the ground is frozen is that it simplifies straw delivery - I can drive around pretty much anywhere without being concerned about soil compaction or erosion:
There won't be much action in this field until the garlic sprouts start poking up, but garlic is one of the first plants up in the early spring so that won't be too long.