Today we had rain for the entire day. It has been weeks since our last rainfall during the day. What little that has fallen came during the nights. The advantage to that is garden work is possible following the rain.
The drops collected by this garlic leaf point out both an advantage and a disadvantage to garlic leaf design. If the leaf was slightly more vertical, the collected water would have been directed to the root mass under the stem. That is a plus. More of the rainfall is placed where the plant can use it. As the plant matures the seal where the leaf joins the stem loosens. This part of New York State usually receives abundant thunder storms during July. Garlic is undertaking its drying down process just as massive amounts of rainfall strike the plants. The seal between the leaf and the stem weakens and moisture enters the stem of the plant. Mold flourishes under these conditions.
Last season half of the garlic crop endured a July thunder storm during harvest. Water actually ran out of inverted plants. A tan stain marked all of these bulbs. Some were usable, some rotted. The only solution that I can see is to buy portable hoop tunnel to cover the garlic as harvest time approaches. The more reasonable solution is to continue planting more that we need. Still that roof over my garlic does have its appeal.
1 comment:
I have never grown garlic. We have such rain and humidity I am not sure how it would go through the drying process without mold. Interesting.
Post a Comment