I plant in the fall.. If you plant now you may get garlic heads with small cloves or undivided garlic rounds. You have some good ideas on what to do... Garlic need a cool period to grow properly. So you may have to figure out a plan that involves cool weather. I dont know how cool your Januarys are but that may be your best bet, plant now, pull in autumn, resting, then replant in January... You probably can also pull early and rest them and replant in fall.. I wouldn't try to hold them until fall unless you know that particular variety keeps long. I learned the hard way. I had some garlic bulbs that I was trying to hold just shrivel up over a couple of months...

>why shouldn't I just replant the cloves I choose as I harvest them? It might work. Garlic is, at base, a perennial. But I see two things that would concern me. First, the tops might grow too fast, then die back in late fall/winter. That's a lot of energy gone, that might effect the overwintering roots. On the other hand, they just might go through a summer dormancy the way some onions do. Second, it's likely to be hit or miss, with the replanted cloves rotting from summer rains. The fresh cloves are much more suseptible to this, as compared to cured ones, because the wrappers dissolve before roots can establish themselves. Give it a try. But be sure and reserve some of your seed stock for fall planting, just in case.

You'll have better luck with peas if you plant them in early early spring, while it's still freezing even as long as the soil has a good consistency. I planted a second crop as well which produced a few beans at only 6 inches high or so and then withered and died. They definately hate the heat. I would think about planting a fall producing crop soon, they take at least 70 days to mature and we generally get a freeze in the end of September. You'll still be able to harvest into October as long as the temps stay above 20. Good luck. I think we are all brave souls for gardening in Minnesota. Tina Here is a chart from the U of M website that shows fall crop info. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1227.html

Oh Donna -- I'm so glad you liked it! And Gor-Gor -- never had a cherry tomato?! Gasp! They're like heaven in just one bite! :-)