Red Janice Garlic

I think this is the third year I have grown this Garlic. I planted it September 1st. I like it because it gets done early, about May 1st last year, it has a good flavor too, I think I have about 100 cloves planted.

I harvested my Red Janice Garlic yesterday.

Last week something happened to my Garlic. I thought an animal had gotten into it and knocked it down to the ground. Really what happened is it was ripe, and when soft neck garlic is ripe it falls over. So  I picked about 80 nice heads. The variety is Red Janice Garlic.  

Garlic and French GreyShallots

The garlic and shallots were planted late last October. Really they are very easy to grow. Basically you just have to keep them weeded. I am growing Red Janice garlic, French Grey Griselle Shallots (Allium Oschanini). I was gone at harvesting time last year and my son in law didn't know what the shallots were. I couldn't find them any where, and finally discovered that he had thrown them in a composter, where they cooked in the sun all summer long. But they survived the experience and this is my second year of my own line of shallots. I tell this story to point out that they aren't hard to grow and can take some abuse.

Red Janice Garlic, Grey Griselle French shallots and two grocery store varieties, planted in a French Intensive style raised bed..

You can see how I laid out the bulbs about 6-8 inches apart.I planted them today October 12th. After I laid them out I shoved them down and buried them.The Garlic is a variety named Red Janice that originated in the country of Georgia. It is a soft neck variety that is supposed to do well in Northern climates. As I understand it the Grey Griselle shallots are a variety of their own Allium Oschanini. This is supposed to be the true shallot from France and all others are impostors. I also bought a few red colored and also copper colored bulbs that were referred to as being shallots, but I suspect are really Potato Onions/Multiplier Onions Allium Ascalonicum. All totaled I planted about sixty bulbs. As you can see I placed these bulbs in a double dug bed rich in organic matter, and the bed is sitting on about ten inches of compost.