Onions and Garlic - Chores for a Grey Day

Today our weather is cool and cloudy.  There are possible showers on the horizon which will be very welcome on our dry little island.  The onions aren't as dry as I'd like them, but I want to keep them that way, so it was time to complete the harvest.

I'll have to use these onions first.

I started cutting the tops from them and putting them in a plant tray.  The cut tops, however, still looked quite juicy and it occurred to me that the onions might lose more moisture through the cut tops than was good for them.  I'd attempted braiding onions before - quite unsuccessfully, I might add - but perhaps it was time to give it another try.  This time the work went much better.  I'd hate for a true efficient to view my amateurish efforts, but it does the job.  I discovered that if I place the onion being added to the braid at the side that's being brought to the centre, the whole process is a lot smoother.  I tied the tops with twine, made a loop and hung them from nails in the potting shed.  They can complete their curing there and then eventually be brought indoors for storage.

Amateurish onion braiding!

Then it was time to turn my attention to the garlic.  As I said in an earlier post, this year's crop is a bit disappointing.  Next year's garlic, which will be planted in a few weeks, will get the benefit of lots of SeaSoil.  Today, I trimmed the tops and roots, dusted the worst of the dirt off and put the garlic in open brown paper bags.  They'll be stored in a cupboard that has an outside wall.  Of course, I kept the best 2 bulbs from each variety for planting next month.

Two varieties of garlic - plainly distinguishable.

I plan on ordering some new garlic from Salt Spring Seeds as soon as their 2013 catalogue is available. There's nothing like fresh garlic!  It's crisp, juicy and so fragrant.  It's such an easy crop, anyone can grow it.  I've even given starter bulbs to people who can only grow in containers!