Planting Garlic

According to the lunar calendar,  this weekend (September 27 - 29 2014) is the ideal time for garlic planting. So, early yesterday morning, through a slight drizzle, we set out for the dacha to bury the bulbs in the cold ground. After a brisk walk through the foggy morning forest and a few jumps to avoid the muddy craters in the dirt road, we arrived at the gate. The first order of business was to start the fire to warm the house and eat the last of the remaining raspberries before the frost; once that was taken care of, we set to work.

Garlic Bulbs

The rain had picked up by now and the earth was beginning to grow cold. Traditionally, grandfather says, it is the day that all snakes retire to the ground for winter. The garlic bed is prepared - the cucumbers that grew in the soil before had been ripped out weeks ago. We mark the garlic bed with sticks and string to signify where the rows of bulbs will rest.

True Garlic Seeds

During the summer, when the garlic is about to flower, my grandfather does not remove all of the scapes form the garlic. Instead, he lets a few flower and gathers the seeds. The seeds are planted in late fall (or now) and the next year are dug up as bulbs. The bulbs are planted to grow into mature plants. This year, we plant bulbs along the rows and seeds in between, so that we will have bulbs for next year, too.

We save some bulbs to plant next year alongside other plants (carrots, potatoes) to deter pests, and move on to the next tasks - transplanting, tilling and preparing beds for future winter planting, removing dead plant matter. The rain remains steady and cold, but encouraging; we run inside to fuel the fire. By three, we have finished working for the day and retire into the house to drink tea. My grandfather gives me his old army jacket and I fall asleep by the fire before the water has even boiled.

Rows of Garlic Watered by the Rain