Is it better to dry garlic cloves before planting them?

Which is better for starting apple trees from seed? In moist dirt or water? Thanks Scott

-- Scott Buehler (Scott_Buehler@snap-tite.com), August 23, 1999

Answers

On garlic..

Don't dry it. Keep it in it's paper sheath in the bulb with all it's pals. You can hang it in a braid, put it in a paper sack or other place where it can breath. Then this fall plant it in your future garlic bed, preferably just before hard frosts. Late October here in Iowa. Mulch the bed well to protect it from frost heave. This will also help control the weeds in Spring.

Good Luck.

-- Kathy Dice (redfernfarm@lisco.com), August 28, 1999.

apple seeds won't germinate in plain water they need warm soil although soaking them for a couple hours can speed germination.

-- kathy hart (saddlebronc@msn.com), August 29, 1999.

Scott, Here's how I grow your average white german garlic in south central Illinois. I usually dig my garlic in late July and let it dry for several weeks. I set aside the amount that I want to sell and start peeling the rest for myself. I usually set aside and refrigerate (in the crisper drawer) 100 cloves for next years garden and freeze the rest. My growing area is 4' by 15' and is a raised bed as all my garden is. Soon after digging the crop I start preparing the soil for the next one. About every three weeks until planting time - which is always Oct 21st here - I dump 3 to 5 gallon of chicken and rabbit manure on the soil and work it in. On planting day I retrieve the 100 cloves from the fridge and put 25 to a row in 4 rows and cover it with about 12 inches of good clean wheat straw. After that I let nature take it's course and forget about it. I have no weed problem and in July I dig up bulbs as big as baseballs! Hope this helps you in one way or another. Happy gardening! -Doc

-- Doc Petersen (docpetersen@wabash.net), October 23, 1999.

Doc, from above do the plants emerge above the straw before winter of do they stay inthe ground all winter and then come up? I always planted mine at wheat planting time (winter wheat) and harvested when the wheat was harvested (July). I have planted some now and only about 40% have emerged. I have watered them some but it is so dry here and my beds dry out even quicker that the rest of the soil. I always wanted mine to get up before winter here in southern Illinois.

-- dean klaus (dsklaus@accessus.net), November 06, 1999.

Best way to germinate apple seeds is to flush them down the toilet. Only because they will not breed true. Best propogation is either by grafting or buying good stock. I have a fine orchard of semi-dwarfs, all bought from Miller's of Canandaigua, NY. They generally go about $10 to $20 per tree, and mine are superb. If you have good root stock, you can graft. For my money, the new trees are worth the cost. Most start to produce in @ 3-4 years, and my 8 year old trees are producing 2-3 bushels a year. Frankly, more apples than we need, but friends and neighbors like the overage. Also, it's tough to find my favorite heirlooms commercially. My favorite is Roxbury Russet, followed by Northern Spies, Baldwins, and Mutsus. Won't find any of them in most modern orchards. Good luck with your apple-growing!

-- Brad Traver (homefixer@mix-net.net), December 10, 1999.