Ninniku Monogatari - Part 7 (The Final Verdict)
Last week we noticed that the tops of our garlic plants had died off quite extensively, indicating that it was time to pull them out of the ground and harvest their bulbs.
Carefully making sure that that we did not get them mixed up, we first pulled up some of my plants.
Next we pulled up Mrs. JP’s plants.
The result of our long experiment?
There seemed to be no difference at all between the bulbs that were planted early and those that were planted late.
On a side note, a local neighbor of ours named Mori-san had three or four years of failed garlic crops and asked us what our secret was. I told him about what I read on the Internet about waiting until the first frost to plant. Normally he had been planting quite early in the autumn, but this year he waited for the cold weather to arrive. I am happy to say that Mori-san called today to thank us for the advice and to report that he ended up with a magnificent crop for the first time this year.
Bravo.
http://www.thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/quotes.html
*the cat has got my tongue at the moment*
rem.
July 9th, 2008 at 7:14 amLooks delicious!
July 9th, 2008 at 1:05 pmThose do look good. They’re covered in gloves, but Mrs. JP (and yourself) obviously have very green thumbs. Do you mash (the correct word is escaping me) and can them to preserve for use later?
Also, thanks for the update, but I have to admit it was a bit anticlimactic. Was there no marital strife over accusations of product substitution, secretly switched plots or use of GGH (garlic growth hormone)?!
I guess now the real question is, was this a Japanese drama (one season and it’s over) or a Western drama (more seasons if it was popular, and I think Ninniku Monogatari certainly was).
July 9th, 2008 at 3:38 pmYeah. . . In the end it was pretty boring, wasn’t it. I expected at least enough difference to give us something to quibble over for the next couple of months, but there was no real difference between the two sets of garlic. I even sat down with Mrs. JP hoping she would say something, but her only reaction was to shrug and declare that the two crops are the same.
What we do with the garlic bulbs is simply hang them up somewhere where they get plenty of air. They will keep for the entire year until next year’s crop.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:04 pmShe’s conning you! She’s chalking this up as a draw. Yet plainly she said that hers were going to do better. And they haven’t. So you win. She’s diverted your attention away from this fact with this sly ‘draw’ business.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:26 pmYou really ought to weigh them and declare even a gram of difference as a huge win!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:04 pmAll I’m going to say is…
July 9th, 2008 at 11:25 pmJust as tasty as last year’s crop, especially chopped fine and sauteed with scallops in a little white wine.
Mucho arigato from the Pink House.
“…this year he waited for the cold weather to arrive…Mori-san called today to thank us for the advice and to report that he ended up with a magnificent crop for the first time this year.” –JP
You must graciously hold this victory over Mrs. JP’s head for ever and ever.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:18 amo-o and Vin. . .
Victory?
Actually, I have this overwhelming compulsion to apologize for having the temerity to even come close to being correct about something.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:14 pmEdward,
I am not overly familiar with Garlic aside from having eaten it - as most people have,but Leeks and Onions I have grown and eaten since..(whenever).
The pH of your veggie garden soil has a small part to play in the outcome of your planting - for leeks & onions the range from memory is in the region of 6-7 and Garlic being a close neighbour I would guess its around about the same.
Do you know the ph?
Did you prepare the soil before planting to supplement any deficiences?
and lastly..Scientists involved in recent Mars explorations have discovered that the ph of the soil is conducive to the cultivation of certain vegetables - so what are we waiting for? lets go gardening in the High Frontier.
remora
July 12th, 2008 at 3:12 am..I just took a bit more time to go thru those quotes from the garlicstore link on comment#1
“three nickels will get you on the subway - but garlic will get you a seat” - old New York saying.
*that is funny*
rem.
July 12th, 2008 at 3:34 amrem,
No, we did not check the pH of the soil before planting. I think Mrs. JP sticks her finger in the dirt, turns around three times, and takes a swig of rum or something like that before she decides what the soil is lacking, but that’s about it.
As for my role, I basically help with the initial heavy tilling of the soil and then basically rest until it is time to eat the stuff.
July 12th, 2008 at 9:30 am“three nickels will get you on the subway - but garlic will get you a seat”
Hah!
July 12th, 2008 at 9:31 amThree nickles? Remora, that site hasn’t been updated for a long, LONG time.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pmMr Pink,
with all due respect…(dude)
1) The quote stipulates “OLD” new pork saying
2) This morning I am going to Church and I will send up a prayer for:
* Those poor oppressed people in North Korea
* Those congenitally blind people awash on the sea of the net who refuse to address people by their correct name
my name is r-e-m-o-r-a.
my late Father was “The Remora”
thankyou
July 13th, 2008 at 12:32 ambut..but…but…I find it impossible to consider you as belonging to the lower class — i mean case.
Pink sails in the sunset…
July 13th, 2008 at 11:15 ammR.pINK,
i realise that Japan is a bit of a Looking Glass World but it doesnt mean that we all have to jump down the rabbit hole and munch on mushrooms along with the rest of the madhatters.
remora
July 13th, 2008 at 4:50 pm