When I switched the lights off last night and headed to bed, it was with slight concern. The weather forecast was awful for the morning and I was wondering how on earth I was going to keep 16 gardeners in Clonegal happy and interested in today’s grow your own lesson that I’d planned for them.
The first two weeks in October in Clonegal
This is an outdoor class that’s enjoyed sunshine and warmth for the past couple of weeks and although we can dress for and work around showery days, the forecast was for torrential rain! As it happened, the worst of the rain kept away almost until lunchtime and everyone was dressed for the showers we experienced.
We covered several topics including soil pH and nutrients and managed to sow three rows of garlic before the downpour sent us scampering inside for shelter.
If you still think growing your own won’t save you a great deal of money, think on this. Three bulbs in the packet from the garden centre for planting purposes cost us €3.49. The three bulbs split into 48 cloves, each of which will hopefully grow into a bulb.
Garlic bulb split into clovesI just checked Tesco online for a price comparison. In Ireland they’re selling three organic bulbs for cooking for €1.99. Assuming all 48 bulbs grow (although they weren’t labelled ‘organic’ their price would be similar) they will have cost 22c for three (instead of €1.99), a saving of €1.77 per pack.
Incidentally, in the UK the identically packaged three bulbs cost 77p…
If you’d like to grow your own garlic, garden centres are selling Autumn sown garlic now that are specifically for growing and are certified disease free. (That’s not to say you couldn’t eat them, but garlic for eating is cheaper, see above.)
Here’s an old blog post explaining how to grow your own garlic. Will you be growing your own garlic this autumn?
Dee Sewell – a horticulturalist and certified trainer who started Greenside Up in 2009 and teaches people how to grow vegetables. Dee specialises in working with community gardens but also offers workshops, allotment visits, consultations, horticultural therapy, afterschools clubs as well as local talks – she tailors her services to meet clients needs. In 2012 Dee launched a Seed Gift Collection containing varieties of vegetable and insect friendly flowers with the aim of getting more people growing. Dee’s blog was a finalist in the 2012 Ireland Blog Awards in the Eco/Green and Lifestyle Categories.
Source: GreensideUp – Now’s A Great Time to Grow Your Own Garlic – Dee Sewell
