By Jasmine Shi
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The weather is finally getting chilly, which we are not complaining about — it’s about time! Just at the last work party, we were still in short sleeves, and today we’re bundled up in toques and scarves and big coats.
This is now the right temperature to plant garlic. At the garlic workshop a month ago, the temperature was actually still too warm.
The garlic plant is interesting in that its flower stalks don’t produce viable flowers which can make seeds. Instead, garlic produces bulbils, which are tiny bulbs that are clones of the original plant. It’s believed that instead of flowering and spreading seeds to propagate its progeny like other plants, garlic has gradually evolved to depend on human planting for continuing its bloodline!
We planted four varieties of garlic today: Red Russian, Saltspring Select, Music, and a giant mystery variety. They were planted in the garlic bed, and also in the planter.
Red Russian and Saltspring Select garlic ready to be planted
Mystery elephant garlic cloves donated by Linda
In our big winter coats, separating the garlic cloves
Finished planting the garlic and added labels
In addition to planting garlic, the last of the tomato plants were taken down today. As it gets colder, tomato plants are vulnerable to fungal diseases. The tomatoes that were left are all unripe, but they should mature after a few days.
They will ripen faster if placed in a brown paper bag with a banana, as the banana releases ethylene gas, a hormone plants naturally produce to encourage ripening.
The last batch of tomatoes for this year!
