RogueRose wrote:Very interesting...I wonder if this can be done in colder climates where there's lots of freeze and snow? I usually plant my garlic in October/November and I would think that planting it like that would kill the clove before it has a chance to growGary350 wrote:When I plant my garlic I push the cloves into to the soil just deep enough that the top end of the clove is flush with the soil surface. I don't even cover them up with soil. I spray them with the water hose this washes the soil up against the cloves. Once the cloves take root the plants are permanently anchored in place. As the garlic grows larger they grow themselves out of the ground. When my garlic is finished about 1/2 of the garlic head is above the soil.
When I lived in TN my garlic was never larger than a ping pong ball. The soil was hard as cement when it was dry and I was planting the cloves too deep. I think a bag of child play sand mixed with 10% soil would be perfect for growing garlic and onions.
I use to buy fish aquariums very cheap at yard sales. I use to plant all types of seeds under a fish aquarium then turn the fish aquarium upside down over the seeds. It was very strange to look out side in the middle of winter with 6" of snow on the ground and the fish aquariums were green with plants. Onions, garlic, beets, carrots, lettuce, herbs, Spanish, peas, turnip greens, etc. Even when the temperature got down to 15 degrees many of the plants were fine. During the day the aquariums were mini green houses. I use to lift one end of the aquarium, tip it back and harvest a few things for dinner. Then put the aquarium back down again. That was about 1980 when I was still young and had lots of energy.
