Waukesha County Home

HOMES PLUS SEPTEMBER 2015 4 Speak to a new home consultant for details. To qualify, sign a new build contract between September 1, 2015 and September 30, 2015. RediHomes®, model homes and condominiums are excluded from this offer. Offer includes a design studio allowance in the amount of 2% of the base price of the home given in the form of a credit at the time of home closing on the home closing statement. Upgrades, lot price and lot improvements or allowances are not considered part of the base price of the home. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer, with exception to the current lot discounts (if applicable). All pricing must be current for offer to apply. Offer subject to change at any time at the discretion of Bielinski Homes. Owning a new Bielinski Home is even better when you make it your own. And now, when you sign up to build a new Bielinski home by September 30 th , we'll include Design Studio upgrades worth thousands of dollars, absolutely FREE. The selection is huge, and our experts are on-site to guide you through the process. To learn more, visit a model home or speak with a new home consultant. But hurry, this special extended offer only runs though September 30 th . 262-448-4044 | bielinskidesignupgrade.com Model Homes Open | 12pm to 5pm | Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon-Tues 241690004 Garlic has come a long way, from once being known as "the stinking rose" to today as a health food. Research has confirmed its many healing powers come from the sulfur compounds found within. Because of this people are eat- ing more. Growing your own allows you to do it organically or at least with fewer chemi- cals. Plus, it's easy to grow. Let's first take a look at the soil. Garlic likes loose, well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter. Loosen the top 12 inches. Garlic roots like to grow deep. As you are doing this add extra organic matter (compost, etc.), and don't be shy. Now it's time to plant. When is the best time to plant? That would be fall. Garlic is a bulb, like tulips, and actu- ally likes to put on a little growth in fall. This also gives it a jump-start in spring. You want to plant four to six weeks before the ground freezes or around the beginning of October. Don't worry if the foliage breaks the soil sur- face a little as it grows, it'll be fine. You can plant in spring but the bulbs will be much smaller. Planting garlic starts from an actual bulb. Not from a grocery store though, they have been treated with sprouting inhibitors. Care- fully split it into individual cloves, leaving the outside wrapper on. The larger the clove you plant, the larger the bulb you harvest. This is why some people will separate them. Plant the larger cloves for bulbs and the smaller to use like scallions. Plant them 2 inches deep, pointy side up and about 6 inches apart. If you plant multi- ple rows, the rows should be 1 foot apart. Mulch the bed with 12 inches of marsh hay, grass clippings, or straw. This helps retain moisture and inhibit weeds. Garlic likes it fairly moist when actually growing, but cut back during the last four weeks of bulb development, normally June or July. Garlic is a heavy feeder. Top dress with compost and use kelp meal. You want to fer- tilize once in fall and twice in early spring, but stop after May. Weed if necessary, but the mulch should minimize this. Keep an eye out for flower formation on the leaf tips and remove. This allows more energy to go to bulb formation. Also, they are really tasty! Now, harvesting and curing. Plants should be harvested when the lower third of the leaves have turned brown and tops are still green. Use a pitch fork to dig plants; never pull out by the foliage. Get freshly dug whole plants out of the sun as soon as possible. Now shake off excess dirt. Do not wash. You can use the bulbs fresh, but if you want them to store well, you'll need to cure them. The entire plant should be dried in the shade for three weeks. After curing, the bulbs can be cut from the leafy top growth, leaving about an inch, and the roots should also be trimmed. Now, store in a cool, dry place and enjoy. All you have to do is figure out what vari- ety you want to grow. There are a lot of vari- eties to choose from. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is the head horticulturalist with Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Ixonia. He can be reached at mtimm@ebertsgreen- house.com.) Garlic: from 'stinking rose' to health food MICHAEL TIMM Photo by Michael Timm Michael Timm's garlic harvest this year. The purple bulbs in the front are Spanish roja. Plant bulbs in fall for biggest results

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