Lesson 7: Vegetable Gardening
Onions, Garlic And Leeks
Onions and garlic are often used as the base for many recipes. Having your own supply makes excellent economic sense. The taste alone will convince you to keep a fresh growing supply handy, almost year round. Plant some yellow, white and red varieties, so you have enough for both salads and hot dishes. Always buy onion and garlic bulbs from the nursery. Trying to get started from supermarket produce won’t give you the results you need.
Leeks are a member of the allium or onion family. They are delicious in soups and stews. Currently they sell for $2.49 per pound at my local grocers, so it makes sense to have a stand of your own.
Because they're strongly scented, onions are generally not troubled by most pests. Grow in rich, loamy soil, sowing thinly, about 1/2" deep in rows 6" apart. Thin to one plant per 1/2" for scallions, slightly less for chives and 1-2" apart for leeks. In the north or high elevations, start leeks inside about 8-10 weeks prior to transplanting. Transplant into trenches that are 8" deep. As leeks grow, fill in the dirt surrounding them to blanch the skins.
Onions like an alkaline soil, so if your beds are slightly sour, add lime about 2 weeks before planting. Add in some good compost and they are ready for planting. Don’t use any high nitrogen feeds on any member of the allium family. This only encourages the green tops to grow, and diverts energy from the underground bulbs.
Keep them watered well. They require regular deep watering to mature fully. Lack of proper watering causes the bulbs to split or slow down their growth. Alliums are not generally bothered by insects due to the strong odor the plants give off. This makes them excellent beneficial companions to other vegetables.
It takes around 6 months for them to mature. Pull them when the tops turn brown and begin to wilt. Place them on a clean dry wooden plank or table in full sun for a few days. They can then be hung or stored in a clean, dry place. Leeks should be harvested as needed for immediate use.
Garlic likes full sun and well-drained soil. Garlic is quite tolerant when it comes to soil types and textures, and does best in rich, crumbly soils when the pH is in the 6.2 to 6.8 range. Dig in 6-12 inches deep to prepare the bed. Garlic bulbs have deep rooting habits, so to encourage healthy growth, deep turning of the soil is needed. Plant in the Fall, 4 to 6 weeks before freezing occurs. Plant the cloves during warm weather so germination occurs and good root formation follows. It is a good sign when you get green shoots popping above the soil in late autumn. Don't worry. The tips may suffer a little winter burn, but they can tolerate zero and below. Studies have shown that some garlic leaves actually grow ever so slightly on sunny days with temperature is below freezing.
Harvest garlic when the lower leaves have browned, but the upper leaves are still green. Use a pitchfork to lift them, as pulling only breaks off the leaves. Remember, these are deeply rooted bulbs. If planted in the Fall, your first harvest could come anytime between May and June.
If you’ve never tasted the intense flavors of homegrown garlic, give it a try. I promise, you’ll never be happy with store-bought varieties again.
Topic of Discussion. Which is your favorite recipe using garlic?
