If you’d like us to notify you later in the year for our 2010 fresh garlic
click here.
We expect to post out new Garlic in November.
Local Hunter Valley weather forecast
Garlic Notes 2009 Crop
Garlic may ward off vampires, but not dramatic weather.
August 2009 presented frosts at dawn with temperatures immediately soaring to 30 degrees. The garlic didn’t know what to think and suddenly began sprouting seed heads. I worried the bulbs would be tiny.
Then, a once-in-a-century hailstorm that spared the region, buried Elmswood in ice that shredded the leaves.
Suddenly there was no choice but to lift the entire 2009 crop. In came wwoofers, friends and hired help - but amazingly the bulbs weren’t damaged. Since then warm windy weather has provided perfect drying conditions.
Click here to meet the team who has helped lift, hang and trim our 2009 garlic.
Growing garlic! Besides the hail, it's been one of the most enjoyable adventures at Elmswood Farm - and the feedback has been marvellous.
Clearly I wasn't alone in disliking the inferior imports!
A group of garlic growers met in Waikerie in May 2009 (a few hours north of Adelaide on the Murray River) to discuss the finer points of growing garlic and it was good to meet the few scattered farmers across the nation learning to grow this important crop.
Since then Graeme and I have visited some farms and it is interesting to learn how similar varieties grow in different soils and climates.
The world has hundreds of different garlic’s and we’ve only tested a few. So for starters there’s excitement about growing new varieties. Improving biodiversity matters at Elmswood, to ensure genetic security in the future, so diversifying our garlic is all important.
We’re constantly experimenting with different growing techniques. Soil preparation varies and we’ll be growing a few rows on the far side of the property in very different soils in 2010.
We’ve erected a new area to dry/cure the garlic and our new tractor is a big help. After 24 years of using second hand old tractors we traded in two and bought a new one.
We don’t have enough places to hang our garlic for personal use, so suddenly there are hooks going up everywhere around the homestead so we can dangle some more bunches.
