by Amy Swanson
Volunteers: First Parish & Hancock
Weather: Light rain with sunny dispositions
Yesterday was great! It’s been a month since the last time I was there and now I see the fresh promise of what is to come. A month ago it was all about prepping….clearing out the remnants of last year, spreading mulch, creating new garden space. Now when you arrive, there is a clear sense of what is to come–rich dark dirt, quadrants of neat beds, that unique pretty green of young plants, and tidy paths. Having worked at the garden the first 2 years, I know that this early phase gives ground before too long to riotous growth and crowded beds demanding attention. But right now, in the quieter phase, while much has been planted (and some greens already harvested), there is more to plant in the upcoming volunteer days. Yesterday our crew added squash, peppers, cucumbers and more.
Here is what I learned yesterday:
Asparagus—Carla’s beds are 32 years old! Talk to any gardener and they will be surprised that these asparagus beds are still so productive. Most would say that 20 years is a long time for plants to stay productive. Some of the plants have gone right to seed. They are readying themselves for next year. But there are plenty that are delivering the tasty spears we recognize.
Garlic—Garlic gets planted in the fall…ideally after the first hard frost so they don’t start growing too soon. You want them to lay dormant over the winter and start really germinating in early spring. Do you know when garlic is ready for harvest? The “tell” is in the greens. You know when it is ready to harvest by watching the green fronds. First the fronds have to get to the stage where they start to spiral and curl up. Then you wait for them to uncurl. After that, they are ready to harvest. Carla would normally expect that to be around July. However, with our warm winter and lack of snow cover, we might see the garlic ready sooner.
Garlic