November is Garlic and Onion Planting Month

Bob Bauer

November 01, 2016 (Last Updated: March 06, 2023) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

November 01, 2016

November is garlic and bulb onion planting time if you're fortunate enough to live in zone 8b. If you planted your broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale in the fall, you may have a hard time finding room. I'm going to have to use a corn patch this year but need to stay away from the south fence. I always forget how far down in the sky the winter sun arches and that even though the fence is made of chicken wire and covered with grape vines, which lose their leaves, not enough light is available..

I've saved the three largest garlic bulbs from last year's crop, which will give me about 30 sets to plant, but I'll have to buy a bag of onion sets. I space the garlic out about 4" in every direction and cover them with a quarter inch of soil. The onions need 6" but the same depth..

November 09, 2016

The cook came home with Spanish sweet and Walla Walla onion sets and Shallot bulbs. I don't know where Allium gonna go but I think I just lost two more corn patches. The peanut butter jar in the garden trap has been licked clean by slugs..

There are an awful lot of them this year, one of the disadvantages of sheet composting. I should put saucers with beer in them along the back fence and see how many I can drown, but I don't know if I could tolerate a drunken garden cat..

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