On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 06:04:16 GMT, "J. Lane"
wrote:

Isn't garlic a two year crop? Plant in the fall of year one, leave the next
year and pull up in the late summer the year after that? If you pull it a
year after planting all you get is 1 clove, but if you wait another year the
clove multiplies.

I was reading "Growing Great Garlic", a great book by Washington state
farmer Ron Engelland (sp?). In it, he says the rocambole types and
other stiffnecks require a fairly long freezing period, something
places like Gilroy, CA cannot provide. He kind of relished the fact
that warmer areas could not grow the hardier stiffneck types such as
his Spanish Roja. However, he says softneck silverskin types are much
more appropriate for warmer areas.

As an aside, growing "large" garlic is a demanding process. It
requires rich soil heavy in nitrogen, full sun and plenty of water
(but not sopping, so in a raised bed). Mulching and keeping weeds
down is also of vital importance.

Dan