@bogman , I’m about to plant garlic again, this time with some insect “Agribon” at the ready.
In thinking about the info you’ve generously shared about onion maggots over the years, I would love to think the main risk is when flies lay eggs on the leaves. Does that sound right? Would it be okay if I don’t get the cloth on the same day I plant?
I really wish I could plant this creole garlic in the ground instead of these 5 gallon buckets. We surely have plenty of fresh garlic available, but not scapes. I’m only going to be able to plant five or six cloves in each of four buckets. But watering on a clay slope is just impractical right now.
Our first real freeze, and some snow. Not much relative to some areas, but a big deal in these parts.
We’re wintering over peas and spinach. In preparation for the weather I doubled down on the cloches, and then put a sheet of plastic over that. In the little (heated) greenhouse - Meyer lemons.
I have some stonefruit, struggling in barrel liners, and I am about to give up on the two pluots. Not giving up on the Blenheim apricot just yet, although I would love to find a spot for it in the ground. So far I’ve cut them back somewhat drastically.
While the Seedcorn maggot may lay eggs on the soil, near the bulbs, Onion maggot flies tend to lay eggs on foliage. You could have either, but the Seedcorn version is likely more common in your area. Putting the Agribon/Reemay over the bulbs after planting might stop your mystery digger from unearthing the bulbs.
I’ve never soaked garlic before planting. Planting time here is usually means wet soil. I do add fertilizer before planting, to provide mostly phosphorous, which doesn’t travel well downward (to the roots), because clay soils, found here, tend to bind it. I top dress with fertilizers in the spring.
Oh wow, @MunchkinRedux ! I would kill for a green house like that – KILL! My little citrus plants and lavendar plants would be so happy in the winter in that. Instead I watch the citrus shed leaves and just flounder in the winter in my house.
Huh…didn’t know that was a thing. I have to try that next year. Instead, I just put a few layers of gardening mesh on top this year, held down by rocks. It’s better than nothing, but I have to be wary of windy storms, like the one coming up the Northeast tomorrow. I caught one also digging into my garlic bulbs…little s**ts.
Lol! That’s my husband’s pet project (bucket-list thing). He micro-manages it. He has a remote thermometer in there, the readout of which is right near our back door (slider), where he can stand in the warmth of our breakfast nook and gaze, and check the temperature about 33 times a day. Retirement - aint it grand!
@MunchkinRedux you have a huge garden and impressive crop where do you live?
@shrinkrap somebody is making a big sacrifice with the basketball court there! Nice mandarins from your neighbor I’m looking forward to the really good citrus coming our way. We just have lemons and meyer lemons. Rats in the city make fruits a challenge. They even eat my habaneros!
