"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
"John Dyer" wrote:

Sorry for the newbie question - but why is it done this way? What
happens
if you fill in with soil?

The idea is not to have soil get into the leaf layers while getting a
longer blanched stem; I think that's why you drop plants into dibbled
holes
and either let the soil naturally slump into place or water it so the soil
flows around the stem.

....

It was simply done for speed in the old days. Then once they realised
it worked on a commercial scale, it got copied by gardeners as well.
Both the roots and the leaves can be trimmed right back as well.


michael adams

....








Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at
home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G