Description

Contents:

• 1 gal. worm castings
• Spring Amendments (~1.5 lb): alfalfa, menefee humates
• Fall Amendments (~1.5 lb): alfalfa, menefee humates, azomite, gypsum

This 3 lb mix will amend a 4×8 garden bed or spread it out wherever you plant your garlic. This mixture is designed for relatively balanced soil pH and quality. Do a soil test if you’re unsure of your pH or nutrient make-up.

You will receive 3 separate containers. Fall amendments should be mixed with the worm castings and added to the garden bed before planting garlic in the fall. Spring amendments should be added in March when garlic leaves begin to sprout from the ground. Alfalfa helps plants grow healthy, strong leaves by adding organic nitrogen to the soil in a form that will not “burn” your plants.

When to plant garlic:

Timing your garlic planting can be a little tricky, especially as our climates shift. It is important to plant garlic BEFORE the ground freezes and with enough time for the cloves to sprout and grow roots, but not so early that the sprouts grow more than about an inch or so tall. That being said, garlic is quite tolerant of weather variations so don’t stress about it. In southern CT and warmer regions of NY (Zone 6), plant your garlic during the second week of November. In colder regions of upstate NY, Litchfield county, and the Berkshires (Zone 5), plant your garlic during the first week of November or last week of October.

Planting recommendations:

We recommend adding an inch or two of finished compost or well composted manure to your garden bed, followed by our mineral/worm casting mix. Dig in the fertilizer using a rake or digging fork so that the top 4″ of soil are well incorporated. You can then plant your garlic, unpeeled, one clove at a time, root side down about 4-6″ apart and 2-3″ deep. It is very important at this stage to MULCH. Pile 4-6″ of straw mulch or shredded leaves. This will protect the garlic from damage during the winter.

Early March or when soil can be worked: Incorporate the rest of the amendments into the surface around the emerging garlic up to 2 inches deep. Remove some of the mulch so that the sprouts can reach the sun. Make sure to water your garlic regularly (once or twice a week if the weather is dry) and keep it well weeded. 

If you have leftover fertilizer, it will be ideal for other types of allium crops such as onions, shallots and leeks.