Our big autumn planting project continues at my Bedford, New York farm with the next crop of garlic.
Although this can be done in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked, fall planting is recommended for most gardeners. This allows extra time for the garlic bulbs to grow and become more flavorful for the summer harvest. Every year, we plant garlic from Keene Organics, a family owned farm in Wisconsin that sells certified organic and naturally grown gourmet bulbs for both eating and planting. Garlic is great for cooking and very good for your health. It is known to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol, and carries many antioxidant properties. Knowing that I also grow the garlic myself makes it even more special.
Enjoy these photos.
It’s always exciting to get a delivery from Keene Organics filled with a variety of garlic bulbs for my garden. I’ve been planting Keene Organics garlic for several years, and am always so pleased with their growth and taste. The garlic is one of the last crops we plant before winter.
When planting garlic, look for the largest most robust bulbs. There are always about three or four heads in each netted pack, and each one contains at least four to six cloves – some even more. If you’re a little unsure of the terminology, the entire garlic is called a “head” or “knob.” And each small, individual segment of a garlic head is the garlic clove.
Among the varieties we are planting this year is Leningrad, which has a very rich, hot, strong garlic flavor. It starts off mild and becomes very strong and robust as it is eaten.
Softneck Silver White is known for being the longest storing garlic. It has large bulbs and pretty coloring. Silver Whites are flavorful, mild and great when baked and roasted.
The Chesnok Red garlic is an heirloom variety. It is loved for its rich flavor as an all-purpose cooking garlic. It’s also well known as a superb baking garlic.
This hardneck Red Grain garlic has a spicy zing and a rich sweet flavor when roasted and sauteed.
And, Elephant Garlic is actually a leek that resembles garlic in growing and in appearance. It has a very mild flavor. It is most commonly found in grocery stores. It is also larger than the other garlic varieties.
Each head is carefully broken to separate all the cloves and then the cloves are grouped together and placed in plastic containers. For the best results, plant the largest cloves from each bulb and save the smaller ones for eating.
The garlic cloves can be soaked in fish emulsion to give them a fertilizer boost and rid them of possible diseases, which could have been carried by the garlic.
To prepare the solution to treat the garlic cloves, Ryan drops a scoop of baking soda into a watering can and then adds the fish emulsion into the same container. He also adds water until the can is filled.
The baking soda and fish emulsion water solution is then poured into containers of garlic.
The cloves are kept submerged until they have absorbed enough of the mix.
Next, the garlic is strained and left to dry for a few minutes and then sprayed with isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. This helps to sterilize the cloves. If you don’t have alcohol, you can also use hydrogen peroxide or vodka.
Meanwhile, here is where the garlic will be planted – in a bed behind my main greenhouse. While the garlic is soaking, Phurba cultivates the earth. Cultivating accomplishes two things: removing any weeds from the garden bed and loosening the soil to optimize the retention and penetration of air, water and nutrients for the plants. Building up the soil is the most important part of preparing a garden for growing vegetables and flowers. A deep, organically rich soil will encourage and support the growth of healthy root systems.
To make sure all the cloves are spaced evenly, Brian uses a long bamboo stick to measure out where the garlic will be planted. Doing this creates straight, pretty rows, but it is also important to give each clove enough room to grow and develop.
When planting multiple rows of garlic, be sure the rows are at least one-foot apart. Brian uses a ruler specifically designed for planting crops.
Brian measures both ends of the row to ensure the rows are straight – we have a lot of garlic to plant. Measuring carefully guides where the next row will go.
Phurba follows behind with a dibber, making holes in each row – six inches apart. The T-grip on the dibber allows the planter to apply enough pressure to create a consistent depth for each hole.
Each hole is also about four inches deep.
Ryan brings out the prepared garlic cloves – all in their labeled netted sacks, so varieties stay grouped together.
Phurba plants the cloves – each one faced up, and the root side faced down.
If the soil is well cultivated, this should be a fast and easy process.
At the end of the bed, Brian uses a dibber to make slightly bigger holes for planting the Elephant garlic.
Once all the garlic is planted, using a hard rake, Phurba carefully backfills all the holes at once.
Next, Brian sprinkles a coating of organic fertilizer over the entire bed.
We use Bio-tone Starter which grows larger root masses to help plants establish faster. It also provides all natural nutrients and is fortified with Bio-tone microbes and mycorrhizae.
Using a soft garden rake, Brian goes over the area again to make sure the fertilizer is well-mixed over the newly planted crop. We’re expecting a good rain overnight, so the bed will get a nice drink.
Phurba then stakes the area to remind passers-by that the bed is planted – and no walking.
The garlic crop will tolerate some shade but prefers full sun. This garlic will be ready to harvest mid-July to August. I can’t wait.
If you haven’t yet planted your spring-blooming bulbs, try to get it done soon.
Planting bulbs can be a a very labor intensive task. Every autumn, we plant thousands and thousands of bulbs here at my Bedford, New York farm. Over the last couple of weeks, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have planted bulbs along my winding pergola, beneath my allee of linden trees, in the gardens outside my Winter House, and in various spots throughout the Japanese Maple Grove. Different planting methods are used depending on the area, the size of the bulbs, and the amount of bulbs selected for the space. My sources include two Connecticut companies - Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs and Van Engelen Inc. Wholesale Flower Bulbs.
Enjoy these photos.
Nearly every garden bed is planted with new bulbs each fall. These beds are beneath my linden trees adjacent to my dovecote and peafowl pen. When to plant bulbs differs from one climate zone to the next, but in general, it is best to plant them a few weeks before the ground is expected to freeze.
Always be sure to add the proper bulb food to the bed. It should be a balanced fertilizer that has a good amount of phosphorous. Fertilizing spring-blooming bulbs also helps them fight off diseases and pests.
Ryan mixes a trug bucket full of Bulb-Tone and Bone Meal and sprinkles it evenly throughout the gardens.
For smaller bulbs, we use dibbers specifically made to create narrow deep holes. Here are two types – one with a pointed tip and one with a more rounded tip.
Ryan and Phurba are planting hundreds of Crocus ‘Tommies’ bulbs from Colorblends. All the bulbs are packed according to transport needs. They must be kept moist without being wet, and planted soon after arrival or stored in a cool, dark place until planted.
Crocus ‘Tommies’ are purple-pink early spring bloomers. The four-inch tall plants have egg-shaped blooms that open wide in the sun. Planted en masse, they create a carpet of color in late winter or very early spring. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
The crew is excellent at planting, and works in an efficient assembly line process. For these bulbs, Phurba first makes one hole and drops one bulb into the hole about three to five inches deep.
Then, Phurba uses the tip of the dibber to position the bulb, so it is facing up with the roots facing down. Don’t worry if it is accidentally placed upside down – the flower will find its way. It will just take longer.
Lastly, Phurba backfills the hole.
Bulbs are also planted in my Japanese Maple Tree Grove. I love this part of the farm. Over the years, I’ve planted hundreds of Japanese maples in this area.
At the edge of the gardens, Phurba and Brian plant Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides hispanica – shade-tolerant plants that bear spikes of lightly fragrant, blue flowers. These bulbs are also quite small.
This is what they look like in bloom. These flowers are bell-shaped and about three-quarters of an inch long. They prefer full sun in cooler climates and partial shade in warmer climates to avoid scorching. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
These holes made with the dibber are perfect for these medium-sized Spanish Bluebell bulbs. The general rule of thumb is to plant a bulb three times as deep as the bulb is tall.
Phurba places the bulb in the hole, always pointed end or sprouted end faced up. Phurba pushes it down, so it is at least three to five inches deep.
Here, one can see which holes are filled and which ones are not. For these, Phurba fills an entire space of holes before backfilling.
Once all the holes are filled, Phurba carefully covers them all up with soil.
We also planted hundreds of galanthus bulbs, or Snowdrops. Snowdrops are the early spring white flowering bulbs that open between January and March. Our snowdrops are from Van Engelen Inc. located in Bantam, Connecticut.
Galanthus, or snowdrops, start out as small bulbs that produce a delicate white bell-shaped blossom atop a sturdy rich green stem.
Galanthus ‘Hippolyta’ is an award-winning British hybrid featuring pendant, somewhat round, densely compacted, double white flowers with green spots, interior green petals with white margins and green-gray foliage. (Photo courtesy of Van Engelen Inc.)
Galanthus ‘Nivalis Flore Pleno’ is an heirloom double snowdrop. The flowers show double layers of milky-white, drooping flowers tipped with green. (Photo courtesy of Van Engelen Inc.)
And this is Galanthus ‘Elwesii.’ This is a great variety for naturalizing in the garden. It is a large-flowering Greek native, circa 1874, that has broad, ivory flowers tipped green with gray-green foliage. We have just a few more left and this bulb project will be complete for the year. And then we can move on to the next big fall task – covering all the outdoor planters and boxwood shrubs with burlap. There’s always lots to do in autumn at my farm! (Photo courtesy of Van Engelen Inc.)
My Bedford, New York farm is buzzing with fall activity - my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are winterizing the greenhouses, blowing leaves, and planting thousands of spring-blooming bulbs.
During the first years of my farm ownership, I established a long daffodil border along one side of my property. This border extends from my Summer House past the stable and down to the Japanese maple grove. Every spring, when the flowers are in bloom, I carefully assess what areas need more flowers and color, and every autumn we plant in those spaces. This year, our daffodil bulbs are from Colorblends Flowerbulbs in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. The varieties we got include 'Tom Pouce,' 'Falconet,' 'Pipe Major,' and 'Accent.'
Here are some photos. And please tune-in to QVC later today at 2pm ET when I share some of my newest holiday decorating products. It's never too early to start planning for the holidays.
This is just part of my long daffodil border in April. It stretches down one side of my farm and erupts with gorgeous swaths of spring color every year.
I plant all different kinds of daffodils from crisp white to bright yellow. Over time, some have faded away and are being replaced with other varieties, while others flourish.
These blooms have developed so nicely along the border – it’s a joy to add to it every year.
There are a myriad of bulb planting tools available. These are traditional long handled bulb planters made with steel. The six inch barrel is perfect for planting most bulbs and has a 37 inch long handle for planting ease.
Brian starts by making a series of holes in the designated area. This space has not yet been planted, so there are no other daffodil bulbs under the soil.
Daffodils are medium-sized bulbs, so the holes are spaced about six-inches from one another on all sides. And the general rule of thumb for planting spring bulbs is to plant them two to three times as deep as the bulbs are tall. This means most daffodils will be planted about six inches down while smaller bulbs will be planted three to four inches below ground.
Once the holes are dug, they are sprinkled with fertilizer. The Espoma Bulb-Tone Plant Food is a blend of natural and organic ingredients and is recommended for all bulbs, including daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, and tulips. Bone meal fertilizer is a meal or powder made from ground-up animal bones. It is used to increase phosphorus in the garden, which is essential for plants to flower.
The two are mixed together in a large trug bucket and then sprinkled over the holes.
Here’s Ryan feeding the bed. It is so important to feed any plants and trees that are planted. As I always say, “if you eat, so should the plants.”
This is a daffodil bulb. Daffodil bulbs are round in shape with a pointed tip which is where the shoot will appear. Look closely and see the small roots on the underside of the bulb. Daffodil bulbs are usually around two to three inches in diameter. All bulbs should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place until they are planted. These bulbs are in good condition and ready to plant.
Brian places the bulb into the hole. Always plant with the pointed end face up. If it is planted upside down, the flower will still grow, but it will likely take longer.
Here is one bulb in its hole several inches deep.
Sometimes, daffodil bulbs may divide and produce bulblets. This bulb has two bulblets – one on each side.
If the bulb does not fit into the hole, it is okay to separate the bulblet from the parent bulb and plant them.
This double bulb now fits in the hole nicely. The bulblet that was pulled off is planted in another hole and will grow just fine.
When planting a variety of flowers, always consider the size of the flower when in bloom – smaller flowers in the front, and taller ones in the back. It’s also important to consider the light requirements of the plant. Since early spring bulbs such as daffodils bloom before most trees shrubs leaf out, they can successfully be planted under them. This variety is called ‘Falconet.’ These daffodils are sweetly scented, clear yellow flowers with orange cups. Since a bulb typically produces four stems, a planting of 25 bulbs can yield 450 flowers or more. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
‘Pipe Major’ is a yellow and orange daffodil with an intense orange-red corona, surrounded by large waxy petals. It also blooms later than most extending the floral display. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
‘Accent’ was introduced more than 50 years ago. This cultivar is an elegant and prolific daffodil boasting star-shaped flowers that are four-inches across, adorned with slightly reflexed, ivory-white petals and a contrasting, frilled funnel-shaped cup of deep salmon pink. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
And this is ‘Tom Pouce’ with creamy yellow petals, and an apricot cup. Named after the Dutch Napoleon-like pink pastry, ‘Tom Pouce’ remains a big favorite among gardeners. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
In production line fashion, Brian fills the holes in sections to ensure the varieties remain together.
And then Phurba follows to backfill all the planted areas before starting the next section.
I can’t wait to see all these bulbs erupt with gorgeous color come spring. This border looks more lovely every year. What bulbs are you planting in the garden? Share your comments with me in the section below.
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