Last fall we planted about 60 garlic bulbs and it was a delight to see those little green plants sticking up out of the ground when we first visited the garden this spring. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow garlic it’s really quite easy. That being said we had a horrible winter here in the North East so it was great to see that most of our garlic plants survived.
They are now getting really big and the garlic scapes are starting to form. I can’t wait to harvest them in the next few weeks.
How To Grow Garlic
I get a lot of questions about how to grow garlic so I thought I’d share some of my tips.
Growing garlic is actually very easy. They don’t have a lot of pests or diseases and they are probably one of the lesser maintenance plants in my garden. The only thing you have to watch out for is weeds. Garlic plants don’t like competition and hate sharing their space!
We choose to grow our garlic from cloves but you can also grow it from bulbils. Each year I choose some of the healthiest and largest garlic cloves from last year’s crop and save these for planting this season’s crop.
There are many varieties of garlic available and they come in 2 types; soft-neck and hard-neck. The neck is the long stem that grows up out of the bulb. The neck is usually cut off by the time you see garlic at the grocery store but you will often see a short papery tuft at the top of a head of garlic. This is the base of what was the neck.
Soft-Neck Garlic
Soft-neck varieties are the kind you’ll find in most grocery stores. The advantage of soft-neck garlic is that it stores very well. However, most soft-neck varieties are not that hardy so are better planted in warmer climes. Also, as the name implies, the long neck of this type of garlic is soft making soft-neck varieties best if you like to braid your garlic together to store them.
Hard-Neck Garlic
Hard-neck varieties are more winter hardy so are usually grown in colder gardening zones. They often have much more complex flavors than soft-neck varieties and their skins slip off more smoothly making them easier to use. The hard-neck varieties also produce the much sought-after garlic scapes. Scapes are the tender flower stem of the plant that grows out of the garlic bulb. The scapes are edible and used in a variety of culinary dishes. The main disadvantage of hard-neck garlic is that it doesn’t store as long as soft-neck garlic so you need to cure it and use it within 6-10 months.
Whichever type you choose make sure to get your garlic bulbs from a reputable, organic garlic grower. It’s best not to use garlic bought from a grocery store. Store-bought garlic may not be the highest quality or most disease-resistant bulbs. And grocery store garlic is often sprayed with chemicals to delay the bulbs from sprouting.
Both soft-neck and hard-neck garlic come in many varieties. This year we planted three different varieties, all hard-neck;
Italian Porcelain – Produces about large 4-8 cloves with medium heat. Has a good storage period of about 8-9 months.
Metechi – Robust garlic flavor with a sharp bite but cooking mellows the flavor. Produces about 4-7 large cloves with purple striped wrappers. Medium storage period. Usually lasts throughout winter.
Purple Glazer – Produces large bulbs containing 6-9 cloves with medium heat and a sweet, warm rich flavor. The wrappers are striped purple. Makes an excellent roasting or baking garlic. Stores for about 4-6 months.
When To Plant Garlic
Depending on your zone you can plant garlic in either early spring or late fall. I’m in zone 5-6 and I’ve found the best time is about 3-4 weeks before the first frost. This changes every year but it’s usually sometime around the end of October. If you choose to plant in the spring, plant the cloves as early as you can work the ground.
How To Plant Garlic
Garlic is best grown from good-quality garlic cloves. Each clove will produce 1 head of garlic. First, you need to gently break your cloves apart from the bulb. This is easy to do with your hands or a small knife. Start by removing the papery covering from the head of garlic and then gently pull the individual cloves apart.
Once you have your cloves divided you want to prepare the soil in a sunny spot in your garden. Garlic likes well-aged manure compost so if you have some available dig some into the soil where you’ll be planting the garlic.
Plant cloves root side down (pointy side up) about 2 inches deep and approximately 4-6 inches apart. Rows should be about 6 – 8 inches apart. If you live in a cold climate zone it’s also best to cover the soil with about 6 inches of compost or hay. However, we didn’t cover ours last year and they survived just fine.
When To Harvest Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the tender stem and flower buds of a hard-neck garlic plant. These can be cut off in early summer, usually around the end of June or the beginning of July. The best time is after the scape has formed 1 curl. It’s important to cut these off as leaving them will rob energy from the plant which will result in smaller garlic heads at the time of harvest.
When To Harvest Garlic
You know your garlic is ready to harvest when most of the leaves have turned brown and fallen over. At this time you can carefully dig up the bulbs. I find a gardening fork works best. The garlic roots go quite deep so you will have to dig carefully so as not to damage the garlic bulb. Be careful not to pull them out of the ground by the neck as the garlic head could separate from the stem.
How To Cure Garlic
After harvesting your garlic you will need to cure it so it’s ready to store for the winter. Brush off as much dirt as you can but don’t rinse the bulb with water. This could soften the outer skins and allow rot to set in. Lay the bulbs, neck still attached, out in a shady dry place with good air circulation for about 2-3 weeks until the outer skins turn papery and the roots turn brittle and dry.
How To Store Garlic
Once the garlic has cured you can gently rub the roots off (or cut them short) and either braid the stems of soft-neck varieties or cut the neck of hard-neck garlic a few inches above the bulb. At this time you can choose some of the largest bulbs to put aside for planting in the fall. Store garlic bulbs in a dry place that has good air circulation. Laying them out on a screen or slatted shelf is ideal. Make sure to check the garlic during the winter months to make sure that they aren’t rotting or showing any signs of sprouting.
As you can see growing garlic is fairly easy. With just a little maintenance throughout the growing season (namely watering and weeding), you can grow your own supply of organic garlic that will last you throughout the season.
Karen
For more gardening tips check out this post on building a raised garden bed.
