I planted garlic too. I have raised beds made of concrete block so I put one clove in each little concrete square along the perimeter. Finally chopped back my basil and of course, I miss it! Maybe some will grow back.
Fall tomato crop has a few green ones growing.
I also planted some garlic. I belong to a CSA and was told that the garlic we get in our share is what they use to start the next crop. I’ve never grown it before but was happy to hear that planting in the fall is supposed to be better than Spring planting. I’m planning on mulching it with straw but have put off buying a bale of straw just because the going price is $5. I’m hoping that they’ll be discounted now that Halloween is over - lots of people use them for props around here, along with corn stalks, gourds and pumpkins. I am a little concerned because we’re supposed to have about three days with temps in the high 60’s. I don’t want it to start sprouting now! http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/plant-garlic-zmaz78sozraw.aspx?PageId=2
When I grew garlic in the mid-Atlantic area, it would sprout a little before the cold days really hit. I remember being told to mulch it a bit with straw and to expect about 6" of growth, then dormancy, then more growth in the late winter and early spring. Don’t worry! Garlic is pretty easy.
One difficulty was that it rained like crazy right around harvest time. When that happened, some of my heads split open. I just used them first since they wouldn’t have stored well. Most of them were fine.
HELP!
I don’t know what to do.
Even though I have looked forward to this season for a long time, now that it’s here, I just don’t know how to deal with it.
I look around and it seems like everyone else is putting their garlic in, and all I seem to be able to do is look out the window. I’ve tried walking the garden, handling the garlic starts and attending all sorts of lectures, but I don’t seem to be motivated to put the garlic in. It’s just all so boring.
I’ve tried getting my friends interested in doing it for me, but they all seem to have their own things going on.
I worked so hard the last four years breaking the soil, tilling it, amending it and raking it in preparation for this and now that I’m here, I just feel tired. I even used to dream about watching my garlic grow over the Winter, but what’s the point of it all, anyway?
I know that next Spring and Summer other gardeners will be harvesting their garlic and I won’t have anything to show for it. My parents are probably turning over in their grave because I won’t have any braids. And what will neighbors and relatives think?
Everywhere I look people will be enjoying their favorite garlic-flavored foods and I will be left out…again.
And don’t tell me to go see a Master Gardener, because I don’t want anyone to think there is something wrong with my gardening and I’m not sure they help anyway.
Have a beer and chillax.
Planting garlic is easy peasy if your ground is already in good shape. Literally a few minutes project depending how much you plan on planting. Break apart cloves (I left skins on), root down, plant about 1-2 inches in the ground. Cover with soil. Done.
I too was a little worried about the mild weather this week. But the people who have planted for years have theirs in the ground so I’m trusting it’s ok. 
You can buy it at the grocery store or farmer’s market next spring.
But yeah, any of us can get gardening fatigue.
My friend left on a 2 week trip and dropped off a huge bag of mystery squash and her last green tomatoes. I can google what the squash is (and I’m pretty versatile with squash,) but what to do with the green tomatoes besides frying or some chutney/relish/coulis?
And another question- I did containers and the 2’ x 4’ elevated planting box. Next spring, can I re-use that soil, just amend it with more compost? Same Q about the soil in the potato grow bags.
@lookingforward:
Green tomatoes are also great pickled, if you use a standard pickling recipe (mine calls for 4 tablespoons of salt/quart, plus chopped garlic and mixed pickling spice), you can pickle the tomatoes and they are delicious.
With the containers, yep, you can re-use the soil, what I do each spring is I put on bagged compost/peat moss mixture (or similar) (I am too lazy to do my own compost) on the beds, and I till it under with my mini tiller (I have a honda one, I love it, works great in the beds), and it has worked great for me. Each year the dirt settles, and I can get a couple of 2 cu ft bags on there, then turn it under ( shovel works, too, or a small spade kind of thing).
Pickled sounds good, Thx. Love pickled carrots, too. White vinegar and water?
Yes, you can reuse your soil in raised beds. But yeah, turn it over mix in some new nutrients and rotate your crop areas within the plot - so plant the tomatoes in a different spot then last year.
You can put a ripe apple or banana in a brown paper bag with the green tomatoes, close the top, and they will start to ripen. Once they have a little blush of color, you can put them in a sunny window to finish the job. This works better with small, firm tomatoes.