Growing

Ground Cherries Starting to Give Fruit

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Finally found some ground cherry plants for the garden this year. It had been a while since we refreshed them and last year there was no harvest of these delicious little husk tomatoes.

This year looks to be quite different!

Ground cherry plants are growing well in the garden this year.
Ground cherry plants are growing well in the garden this year.
Ground cherries are fruiting and the plants are spreading out in the garden.
Ground cherries are fruiting and the plants are spreading out in the garden.

A few fruits have already dropped and it’s only the middle of July. There should be a large enough harvest to provide plenty of fruit as well as seed, so stay tuned!

Garlic Scapes Flavor Potatoes and Vegetables

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In the beginning of summer it’s time to look for the flower stalks of garlic. That is if you grow hard neck varieties of garlic.

Garlic leaves are flat and linear and they grow longer as Spring progresses. These flat “grass blade” type leaves may arch gracefully to either side of the plant or grow almost straight up.

Near the start of summer a round stalk will sprout from the center of the garlic leaves. This round stalk is noted by its curly style of growth.

Garlic flower stalks grow into curled shapes before they straighten up.
Garlic flower stalks grow into curled shapes before they straighten up.
The central rounded stalk with a cone-shaped end is a garlic scape that should be pruned.
The central rounded stalk with a cone-shaped end is a garlic scape that should be pruned.

If the flower stalk is allowed to grow, the plant will be putting more of its energy and nutrients into the formation of small bulbils instead of into the garlic bulbs that we want to harvest in a few weeks time. The bulbils can be planted for another garlic crop in 2-3 years.

To grow the largest garlic bulbs

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