If you are new to reading my blog you may have missed these earlier posts, so check them out and catch up on our year in growing garlic.
https://donteatitsoap.com/2016/09/30/a-year-in-growing-garlic-part-i/
https://donteatitsoap.com/2016/10/13/a-year-in-growing-garlic-part-ii/
https://donteatitsoap.com/2016/10/18/a-year-in-growing-garlic-part-iii/
https://donteatitsoap.com/2017/01/28/a-year-in-growing-garlic-part-iv/
In my Part IV post that I wrote in January I expressed our great concerns about how well the garlic would grow in the wet conditions that we were having this past winter. The wet conditions continued pretty much throughout the winter, with only short freezing periods, and now into the spring. At this point we have learned that garlic is much more resilient that we believed it to be.
The garlic is coming up beautifully and we are so thankful. Since it has all grown up through the straw, we will leave the straw in place to help with weed control. If the garlic had not grown through the straw we would be raking the straw away in hopes of revealing the garlic spouts.
As the ground dries and temperatures warm I expect to see vigorous green growth on the garlic. We will keep them weeded and watered as necessary and probably side dress it with nitrogen fertilizer in the spring to encourage the green growth. It is recommended that fertilizer not be given after May because at this point the bulb will be developing.
