Some common questions

Numerous questions have been received regarding some basic gardening techniques or terminology. This column will attempt to address some of the more common ones.

Some of the questions are:

• What does “determinate” or “indeterminate” mean on a tomato?

• How does garlic grow and when can I harvest it?

Garlic grows below ground and is harvested as a bulb. A bulb is made up of numerous cloves, depending on the type, of anywhere from six to 10, possibly more.

Bulbs are broken apart and each clove is planted in the fall. (I strongly encourage fall planting for all garlic types; spring planted garlic simply will not develop the size of clove you would desire.)

Cloves should be planted about 3 to 4 inches deep, about 6 inches apart. They may or may not sprout green growth in the fall. In our area, once the ground freezes, mulch to keep the ground from thawing before spring finally arrives. This past winter, with the unusual warm days we experienced in February, thawing ground is the signal plants wait for to begin growth. Sprouting or breaking bud too early will certainly kill or set the plant back.

Garlic is harvested when the top growth begins to die down, usually in August. Bulbs should have excess soil removed but DO NOT wash them. After the bulb has dried, excess dirt may be removed by simply rubbing it with your hands or using a soft brush. If you do not intend to braid the garlic, cut the brown tops off and store in a cool, dry, dark location. Garlic must be kept dry during storage.

• How do I keep gophers out of my garden?

When we moved into our current home, it became evident once the snow left that there was a healthy gopher population residing here. They have basically disappeared now with kudos going to our cats and one determined little dog. However, this isn’t always practical.

Some have purchased plants called “Gopher purge” or “Mole plant” thinking this would solve the problem of annoying below-ground dwellers. Both the common names used by marketers of these plants usually refer to members of the Euphorbia family. Euphorbia plants do exude a bitter, milky substance from their roots and can be a small deterrent to some soil dwellers, but for the most part I strongly encourage other means of rodent control.

Euphorbia are aggressive re-seeders and can quickly spread to form massive colonies that choke out other more attractive or desired plants. Their milky sap can cause rashes on human skin, so if you have discovered they are taking over your yard or garden, pulling them is only advised if you use non-porous gloves, then bag the plants in plastic and throw them away.

The most time-tested remedy is to line either individual plants or garden areas with wire mesh less than 1⁄2 inch in diameter and extended downward to a depth of two feet. Poison should not be used; other animals ingesting the sickened or dying gopher can be poisoned as well.

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