Just a quick note to let everyone know that our garlic patch is flowering, right on schedule. Garlic flowers (also known as “scapes” and “top sets”) can be cut off and eaten when young and tender, or they can be allowed to develop into bulbils.
We are now officially into the homestretch. In a few weeks the the upper leaves of the plants will start to turn yellow. When two-thirds of the plant turns yellow, it is time to start pulling the bulbs from the earth to see what has been going on underground for all these months.
Edward,
may I be of assistance in your quest for health and garlic-induced “cyber immortality”..(to quote chas).
“Garlic vodka still enjoys popularity in Russia. There are many recipes of this “anti-flu beverage”, but it mainly comes down to several(?) cloves of garlic added to a mixture of vermouth, vodka, gin and brandy. The drink should be stirred up twice a day and infused for not less than 21 days. People do not drink glasses or garlic vodka, though. They only take 10 or 15 drops of it two times a day.”
Now, I’d recommend leaving out the vermouth & brandy and doubling or even tripling the quantities of vodka & gin…you may wonder why? - well, the appalling smell of this brew is almost certainly guaranteed to turn off any self-invited dull and boring dinner guests and ease the pain of their mindless chatter about the current state of the world and how hard it is to see both sides of the story (yada yada)..and what about the price of oil?.
all you can reply is “Hey! its Organic..slurp slurp”
remora
oh yeah, and as usual I left the most important part out…(typical)
http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/03-07-2006/82843-garlic-0
rem.
EC: have you encountered any problems with Garden Bugs such as the voracious and omnivorous jitterbugging Japanese Beatle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jbeetle.jpg
“Dear Mike McGrath: Help!! A few days ago, I noticed shiny green and brown bugs on the leaves of my Crepe myrtle. Now the leaves are more full of holes than the Albert Hall where these voracious creatures have been busy at work. Could you please assist? —Arundhati; Robbensville, New Jersey
A. Yes, Japanese Beatles are one of the toughest insects a gardener can face. Although their favorite food is roses, there are few plants these imported pests won’t eat to the ground if given the chance. But they can be beaten!”
- from gardensalive.com
I would think that a big healthy robust Patch of JAPUNDIT Garlic like yours, can more than hold its own against an attack from most Garden Pests without resorting to pesticides and other nasty chemicals.
–remora
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYkBX90uOX4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Ku8WHPlX0
No bug problems, rem. Especially for the garlic.
Thanks for the update. Do you grow from your own bulbils?
We looked into it once, but found out it takes two or three years to go from a bulbil to a clove that is suitable size for eating. Instead, we just buy cloves intended for planting from the local farm goods place.
and here is some recent research news from Japan.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609092230.htm
remora