Our dedicated Veggie Garden volunteers came together last week to plant a variety of garlic bulbs. The weather was dry and sunny – the perfect day to finish off the planting group’s work for the year. Looks like they had fun doing it too!
After an incredibly fruitful bounty that came from our garden this year, we asked Vanessa Choo, the Veggie Garden’s trusty leader, what the group is currently growing for the cooler seasons:
“Currently, we have kale, swiss chard, winter lettuce, radish, broad bean, chicory, and collard growing as we attempt to showcase year-round vegetable growing, so our
Tuesday harvesting group will still be working every 2 to 3 week until snow hits.
We asked the group if they would share their secret to growing beautiful, flavourful garlic, and here’s what they recommend:
- make sure your soil is well-amended
- Plant cloves 4″ deep and 8″ apart with ¼ cup of organic fertilizer under each clove
- Keep the beds weeded and watered until late-June
They also offered up these fertilizing tips to get bigger bulbs:
- Fertilize in mid-February & early March. When garlic sprouts, add nitrogen fertilizer: fish fertilizer and bloodmeal are two good sources.
- Fertilize in late March or early April to help bulb growth. Add potassium & phosphorous: seaweed or kelp fertilizer are good options.