From: nowhere@nearyou.com   
      
   On 10/16/2021 3:37 AM, T wrote:   
   > On 9/30/21 17:51, T wrote:   
   >> When do I fertilize?   
   >   
   > Burpee's customer service said just as sprouts   
   > start to come up in the spring   
   >   
   > And to cut off the scapes the moment they occure   
   Okay. We plant rocambole or Stiff Neck garlic which will produce scapes. The   
   varieties are German Red and Russian Red.   
      
   I'm in Maine and I've planted as late as the end of November and had to dig   
   down through 3" of frost in the ground, so essentially planted in frozen   
   mud. The garlic came up fine.   
      
   We try to plant by the 3rd week of November, but before snow. And then we   
   cover it with about 6" of straw which stays until the greens begin emerging   
   through the straw and remove about 4" or so, the rest will mulch the garlic.   
   The straw isn't to keep the garlic from freezing, but to prevent them from   
   un-thawing and freezing again in the springtime.   
      
   As for scapes, if removed you get better size bulbs, but you can leave them   
   on and get smaller bulbs and what they call bulbils which can be planted,   
   but they say that can take 3 or 4 years to produce bulbs of any size.   
      
   We remove our scapes when they have circled around about 270° or 3/4 of a   
   turn. I cut the scape stalk at the point just above the leaves below them.   
   The flower tip seems too tough for eating, but can flavor something if you   
   choose. The scapes, run through a food processor with additions of olive   
   oil, Parmesan cheese, salt & a touch of lemon juice to keep its color. Then   
   freeze the pesto in 1/2 cup jars until you want some of the best pesto you   
   are ever going to eat, be it with pasta and such or just on crackers.   
   Usually no nuts, but we like some pecans if we add any.   
      
   We're setting 11/11 as garlic planting day on a 6" grid. Harvest around the   
   end of July or when the first 3 bottom leaves brown and die. Good luck!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)