Soil preparation key to growing garlic

We are getting ready to plant garlic at the Orchard and it should be in the ground and irrigated by mid-November. We will be testing somewhere between 18 and 27 varieties.

Garlic is planted in the late fall when the soil is still warm but the air temperature is dropping. The concept of late fall planting is to produce roots but little or no top growth.

The soil is being prepared with compost and a good starter fertilizer that is high in phosphorus. Since garlic is a root crop, we must have good drainage and are preparing the soil to a depth of 18 to 24 inches. Other planting beds are typically prepared to a depth of 12 inches. In addition, rocks larger than a golf ball are being removed.

The garlic commonly found in the grocery stores is a mild form that accommodates the taste of the general public. However, if you like to experiment with food, the garlic palette is huge.

Planting garlic from selections at the store will give you some hands-on experience if you have never grown garlic before. You can produce a lot of garlic in a very small area and it is relatively easy to grow. They can also be grown in containers. Pick up some garlic bulbs from your local grocer and separate it into cloves. You can leave the papery outer covering still attached to the clove when planting.

The hardest part about growing garlic is soil preparation. You cannot skimp on this part of the growing procedure. The bottom, flat plate of the clove should be pointing down when planting. This means the pointy end is up. Space the cloves about 4 inches apart and about 2 inches deep. Firm the soil above the cloves but do not compress it with your feet. In fact, never put your feet on the prepared rows.

Other row crops we are preparing to plant in the spring and late winter at the Orchard include sweet onions, tomatoes, chili peppers and melons. One of our 15-foot-by-180-foot areas is being set aside for square-foot gardens. Soil preparation for these gardens is happening right now.

Come out to the Orchard and take a look every Tuesday and Saturday morning. For directions call the Master Gardener help line at 257-5555. Just as a side note, we are always looking for volunteers. The Orchard has a "learn-by-doing" philosophy.

Q: I have both a pygmy date palm and a Mediterranean fan palm. Do I need to cover or wrap them in burlap during the winter nights to keep them from freezing?

A: The pygmy date palm can get hurt at temperatures in the mid-20s. The Mediterranean can handle just about anything we can give it. So, you will want to cover the pygmy date palm if it gets that cold, but cover it just for the night.

If it is windy, the damage can be worse. If there is a threat of freezing temperatures, look for clear skies and wind. That's when it can get really cold and brutal.

Q: Please advise me on how to trim roses properly. Also, do you have any other suggestions regarding growing roses?

A: That's a whole treatise in itself. The basics of rose growing are the following: Fertilize in January with a good rose fertilizer or flower fertilizer plus iron; follow that up with fertilizer applications about every eight weeks, avoiding the hot summer months. Use compost applied to the soil around roses and make sure it is watered in well. Use wood mulch around roses to a depth of 3 to 4 inches.

Water as you would any other nondesert shrub. Enough water should be applied each time to wet the soil to a depth of 18 inches. Use at least two emitters if using drip irrigation.

Remove old roses from the bushes as the flowers are spent. Prune roses in late January after the worst of the winter is over.

Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Direct gardening questions to the master gardener hot line at 257-5555 or contact Morris by e-mail at extremehort@aol.com.