Planting Garlic

I finally started planting garlic yesterday, getting in about half of the ideal two thousand cloves.  I always forget that the soil doesn't dry out easily in the Fall, so it's best to prep the garlic beds in August.  Then I aim to plant between mid and late October, with early December being the latest ever successful planting (that's here in the valley, not home in the mountains!).  I like to hoe a trench about two inches deep, pull the largest garlic heads apart into cloves, and plant them six inches apart in double rows three feet apart.  After raking the soil over the cloves, I spread a few inches of mulch hay over the whole area and if you're lucky, you may only pull a couple of large weeds before harvesting in July (2011!).  I plant "German Red," a large stiffneck variety that I bought from a friend about twelve years ago.  I always intend to try other varieties, but forget to order them.  This year, my friend Kate gave me some Elephant Garlic to try, so I'm branching out.  I'll keep you "posted..."