With a storm full of rain predicted to hit our area tomorrow I decided to get out and make the bed in preparation for this year’s garlic crop.
Garlic crop 2011
I had forked the soil over a day or so ago while the sun shone on my back. Today I dug through a generous quantity of sheep pellets and added this sweet smelling, no cost maple leaf hummus and some stinky half rotted sea weed out of my seaweed tea bucket.
Once it has rained and soaked all these goodies deep into the soil I have some lime to add plus a sprinkling of bulb food. I will plant the garlic at the time of the shortest day.
Perhaps it will be consistently cold by then which assists in the growth of garlic cloves. Many of our spring bulbs are leaping out of the ground as the mix of warm days and some chillier ones continues.
While out in the garden before the storm force winds hit we gathered up a large plastic bag full of maple tree leaves to begin the slow break down process to provide us with even more leafy hummus next year. This year I added a good quantity of sheep pellets to ensure better decomposition.
Nature has provided well for the garlic bed this year.
ordinarygoodness 
Hi–glad to have stumbled upon your blog this morning. The picture of garlic caught my eye. I’m growing it for the first time this year and wonder when you decide it’s time to harvest yours. (Here in the the States, it seems like harvest time is getting close…) Do you just wait for the first few leaves to wither, or do you have another method?
Hi Sharon, thanks for stopping and reading my blog about garlic bed preparation. Traditionally garlic is harvested on the longest day but wiser gardeners than I suggest that you harvest when some of the outer leaves are drying off but there are still some green leaves. Hope this helps and you get a good crop.
Thanks! Looks like I won’t have too long to wait!
Sounds great. Enjoy your garlic!
Looks like the best of preparation, Lynley, and good luck for a great crop.
Thanks Juliet. Regular rain falling in spring seems to be very important too.