Seasoned Soil: Fall garlic & the taste of patience

Fall is my favorite season, although summer is a close second.

Summer brings adventure, energy and a lot of work during the hot growing season. Fall, however, provides the rewards of our hard work throughout the summer months with harvests, tan lines and fall celebrations. In our community, fall welcomes bountiful farmers markets, fiestas and local craft fairs. All of which are exciting and community focused.

I have since returned from yet another conference outside of the state, and one thing stands out to me for sure … we are embedded within our heritage, local products and community involvement. All of which makes me proud to be from New Mexico.

Fall is a time for reflection, planning, preparation and patience. We learn a lot about what went right and wrong during our growing season, how we are going to plan differently for next year, and preparation for the seasons ahead with seed saving and/or new garden or field ideas. If you are feeling extra energetic and want to continue planting throughout the fall/winter months, you may consider planting garlic!

Garlic is planted in the fall. The ideal time is around Halloween, but we still have some time. Garlic has several varieties, and they can be classified under hard neck or soft neck varieties. Hard neck varieties send up a seed stalk, have larger fewer cloves, are cold hardy, and easy to peel.

Soft neck varieties have more of a grass like top, multiple smaller cloves, and are hardier for storage. Either do well in our area, although I received some local garlic from a friend and all those bulbs were of the hard neck variety. They are also carrying mostly hard neck varieties at the local farm stores.

Garlic is an easy plant to grow. Carefully break the bulb apart into individual cloves. Put the scar (stem) end down with the pointy end upward. They go 1 to 3 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart. Cover them up, apply some mulch for moisture retention, and give them a good water.

I have heard that soaking them before planting can also help “wake them up” if you are doing a large field with limited water. Give them some water over their growing season (fall through next summer).

Garlic is ready for harvest in June and early July when the leaves begin to turn brown and the tops fall. Remove the soil around a few bulbs to see if they are ready for harvest. Lift the bulbs and allow them to cure for several days. Then you can store them or use them for summer and fall recipes.

I think it is crazy how long it takes (and the patience required) to grow garlic … but it is a forgiving plant and serves as the base of so many New Mexican dishes. If you would like more information on growing garlic, please contact the Extension Office.

If you have a love for gardening and want to serve your community, consider joining our Valencia County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Applications are open now and will be accepted until Dec. 29. If you would like more information please come to our Master Gardener Open House event on Nov. 19. RSVP required; please call the office at 505-565-3002 to get on the list.

Contact Sierra Cain for more information. I hope you all have success in planting garlic and enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday.

Program announcements

To register for an upcoming program or to join our Valencia County Extension Newsletter, call the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service at 505-565-3002. For more information, visit valenciaextension.nmsu.edu.

Join our newsletter, Call the office and provide your email address to receive monthly updates and programming opportunities from the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service. Call 505-565-3002.

• Join the Valencia County 4-H Program. Enrollment for the upcoming Valencia County 4-H year is officially open. The enrollment window runs through Jan. 31, 2026. No late enrollments will be accepted. Contact Jamy Proctor at 505-565-3002 or jamyp@nmsu.edu

• ICAN Nutrition Class Series: Zoom from 2-3 p.m. every Thursday. Call the office at 505-565-3002 for more details about the Zoom classes.

• 2025 Ask A Master Food Preserver: From 7-7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Join virtually each month to get expert tips on food preservation. The class is free. Visit bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu/index.html to register today.

• Master Food Preservers-Applications now open. Do you love canning, dehydrating, fermenting, or preserving your home harvest? Join the Master Food Preserver (MFP) program, hosted by the Bernalillo County Extension in partnership with Sandoval, Valencia and McKinley counties. Applications are due at 5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. To apply, visit the Bernalillo County Extension “Food Preservation Classes” page bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu/foodhealth/classes.html

• Become a Valencia County Extension Master Gardener. Are you interested in serving your community as a Master Gardener with your gardening expertise? Applications are open and include: trainings, completion of the master gardener certification course, volunteer hour completion, and monthly meeting attendance. Application deadline is Dec. 29. For more information, contact Sierra Cain at 505-565-3002 or sierragh@nmsu.edu

• Crafting Memories this Holiday Season. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Rio Communities Makers’ Space, 360 Rio Communities Blvd. Reconnect with the joy of the season through this creative, hands-on ornament-making class designed for adults. Call to RSVP at 505-565-3002. The class s free. RSVPs and lab fee due by Monday, Dec. 1.

• Valencia County Forage Growers Workshop: Thursday, Dec. 4, at the UNM-Valencia Campus. Five CEUs will be rewarded for the pesticide private aApplicators. Registration will be online, please call or email Sierra Cain at 505-565-3005 or sierragh@nmsu.edu for more information.

• Winter Extravaganza: From 5:30-8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. Celebrate the season with a bunch of creativity, friends, and your community! The Winter Extravaganza is all about connection, fun, and festive crafting. Join the fun to make a variety of holiday themed projects, that are perfect for gifting or keeping for yourself. Call the office to RSVP at 505-565-3002

• The Gift of Infusion: From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday, Dec. 15, at the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 404 Courthouse Road, Los Lunas.

This Christmas, give the gift of flavor. In this hands-on infusion class, you will create gourmet treats like compote butter, black garlic salt, and herb oil, plus gain plenty of other delicious ideas perfect for gifting or enjoying at home. Call the office to RSVP at 505-565-3002. Class is $5. RSVPs and workshop fee due by Thursday, Dec. 11.

• Christmas Jam: From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the Rio Communities Makers’ Space, 360 Rio Communities Blvd. Join us for a joyful Christmas Jam class where we will stir up sweet seasonal creations together. This hands-on workshop is perfect for all ages and makes for a delightful holiday activity, which you get to take home your own jar of delicious cheer. Call the office to RSVP at 505-565-3002. Class is $5. RSVPs and Workshop Fee due by Thursday, Dec. 11.

• The Valencia County Seed Library: Looking for free seeds? The seed library is open. Check out seed packets for your garden. To obtain seeds, you can schedule an appointment with Sierra Cain at sierragh@nmsu.edu or 505-565-3002. Thank you to the Valencia County Master Gardeners for help in sorting and placement of seeds for the library.

• Agriculture School Enrichment Programs: School is back in action. Harvest and fall programs related to the science of agriculture are offered to elementary and middle school-aged students.

Contact Sierra Cain for program offerings and scheduling at sierragh@nmsu.edu or 505-565-3002.

• Family and Consumer Science Community and School Enrichment Programs: School enrichment programs offer hands-on learning in areas such as food safety, nutrition, personal finance, and life skills. Educators can contact Crystal Garcia-Anaya at anayacry@nmsu.edu or 505-565-3002.

If you are an individual with a disability who requires auxiliary aid or service to participate in a program, please contact the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service Office at 505-565-3002 two weeks in advance of the event.