Greenup County Connection
Anne Stephens
For The Ashland Beacon
As an artist and arts administrator, I love to learn about art forms other than the ones I routinely embrace. Culinary Arts is of interest to me because I like to eat and I enjoy all types of food! Gardening can be an art form with unlimited opportunity for learning new skills. In the world of Cooperative Extension, all of these topics can come together. Agriculture, Natural Resources, Nutrition, Family and Consumer Science, Community Arts and Development all tie together with a common theme of food. Much like the Farmers Market, these community connections reflect basic life skills and the enhancement of local quality of life. Â
I have noticed an increase in requests for educational information about home gardening at our office. While that is not my forte, I do have a connection to many resources that are intended to be shared, free of charge, directly from University of Kentucky research to our residents.
If you are interested in growing your own garden but think it is too late in the season to start, please continue reading and make plans to start supplying your own ingredients for creative cooking! How do you start? I suggest garlic. Reach out for more publications on this topic.
Growing Your Own - A beginner’s guide to gardening.
Garlic is a flavorful garden vegetable used in countless recipes. In Kentucky, plant garlic in October and early November. Leave it in the garden for the winter, then harvest in early to mid-summer when leaves begin to turn yellow and brown at the tips.
Types
Garlic is most often grouped into hard neck and soft neck types. Hard neck garlic also grows edible flower stalks called scapes with bulbils at the top. Bulbils are tiny garlic bulbs inside the flower head.
Varieties
Hard neck varieties are colder hardy than soft neck, but both perform well in Kentucky. Soft neck varieties often store much longer than hard neck.
Try these varieties, but others may also do well.
• Music (hard neck) is a very popular garlic with classic garlic flavor. It also stores well.
• Bogatyr (hard neck) forms smaller bulbs with outer skin that is purple striped.
• Polish (soft neck) produces very large bulbs with white skin. It offers good storage and strong flavor.
• Inchelium Red (soft neck) produces large bulbs with mild flavor that are excellent for storage.
How much to plant
A five-foot row should yield eight to 12 heads (bulbs) of garlic.
How and when to plant
Plant garlic in an open, sunny spot with well-drained soil. In Kentucky, garlic is planted in the fall, mostly in October through early November. Garlic grows best with added nutrients. Starting in spring, add a slow-release fertilizer or compost, or use a water-soluble fertilizer according to the product label.
Pests and disease
If you see tiny, speckled holes or twisted leaves, you may have thrips. Onion maggots can also affect garlic bulbs if you grow onions or garlic in the same location for many years. Please see UK Cooperative Extension publication Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky (ID-128) at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ID/ID128/ID128.pdf or contact your Ag Extension agent for tips to control pests.
Harvesting
In addition to garlic bulbs, you can also eat garlic leaves, scapes, and bulbils, which all have a garlic taste. You can harvest these while the plant is growing, and you can use them like garlic cloves. Be sure to harvest only some leaves in order for the plant to still grow and produce big garlic bulbs. Bulbs start to mature in late June to mid-July the year after you plant them. When several leaves begin to yellow and tips turn brown, garlic bulbs are ready to harvest. With care, loosen the soil around the bulbs. Gently pull the stalk to remove the bulb from the ground. Shake off excess soil and place in a shaded area to cure (dry) for about two weeks. Once dry, you can braid the tops together or tie them for storage, or you can remove the tops. Keep some bulbs to plant for next year’s crop.
Storing
Store garlic in a cool spot with good airflow. Put garlic in mesh bags, wooden crates with slatted sides, or other storage that gives good airflow. You can hang braided garlic to store. Well-dried garlic should keep for six to seven months.
Serving
People in many cultures have treasured garlic for its strong flavor and smell. Garlic has chemicals that may help fight long-term health issues like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Almost every cuisine around the world uses garlic. You can eat garlic raw or cooked. You can roast or grill whole heads of garlic. And you can pickle garlic cloves or infuse them into oil. Garlic powder is used for cooking and in health supplements. You can also find garlic in soups, salad dressings, and sauces. To use garlic cloves, divide the cloves and remove the papery skin from each one. Five seconds in the microwave will make the skin easy to remove. Cut off the hard root end. Cut, crush, use a garlic press or use whole cloves. To use garlic greens or scapes, wash and cut. They can be eaten raw or cooked.
Clean up
Pull out any leftover plants. Compost healthy plant material. Throw away any diseased plants.
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Authors: Erika Olsen, Extension Associate; Rachel Rudolph, Extension Vegetable Specialist; Rick Durham, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist.
Contributors: Jann Knappage, Food System Specialist; Rita May, Senior Extension Associate; Michele West, Marketing and Media Specialist.
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For more information, contact Anne Stephens, Agent for Community Arts and Development in Greenup County. 606.836.0201 anne.stephens@uky.edu 35 Wurtland Avenue, Wurtland, KY 41144 The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.  UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING  
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