Winter solstice 2016

Clearly being sick for four days messed with my sense of time. It wasn't until I heard the radio point out that it was the shortest day of the year that I realised that the winter solstice was upon us and that today was my last chance to plant my recent purchase of three Giant Russian garlic cloves.

Ordinarily I don't follow the rule of 'plant on the shortest day, harvest on the longest' for garlic, mostly because my experience has been this results in a measly garlic bulb in return. Not to mention, many expert Aussie gardeners say that it's actually better for us to plant anywhere from March until May in order to grow a decent sized bulb. But I tend to use the solstice as a rough 'guide' for the latest date I should plant garlic.

Fingers crossed my earlier plantings do well and that these late additions aren't too bad either so that I get a decent amount to replant next year at a better time.