People often ask us, just what we do at the Youth Garden Project in the winter?
It’s a great question since the ground is frozen and it’s too chilly to play outside. But, what folks may not know is that while YGP staff are busy with winter fundraising and program planning, a lot is still going on underneath the soil too!
Take garlic, for instance: growing, harvesting, and drying garlic is a long process that takes nearly a year from start to finish.
At YGP, it’s a tradition to plant garlic seed on or around Halloween (to scare the vampires, of course). The garlic is then covered with a thick layer of straw mulch for protection over the winter. Garlic is planted in the fall to establish roots, and goes into a dormant period once the ground freezes. As it warms up in the spring, the garlic bulbs grow large and flavorful.
Patience is key to ensuring the cloves mature, so bulbs are often not harvested until mid-to-late summer. After the lower leaves begin to yellow, YGP farm staff harvest the bulbs and hang them to dry in the ‘corn crib’. The bulbs often take several weeks to dry completely.
Garlic is a fun and relatively easy crop to grow! Consider adding it to your garden plans for the year.
Visitors can explore the YGP garden in person at 530 S 400 E Moab, UT or online at www.youthgardenproject.org to learn more about our programs and how we serve the community.
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