Planting garlic

Garlic seed  There are two major kinds of garlic: soft neck and hard neck. Hard neck stores the best. Soft neck is good for braiding. We like the flavor of the hard neck garlic, and that is primarily what we grow. Every bulb of garlic contains several cloves, and these individual cloves will each produce a bulb next year. Only plant the biggest and best garlic you have to ensure a good genetic stock for next year. You can plant any garlic from the grocery store, but be sure that it is organic as conventionally grown garlic is usually sprayed with an anti-sprouting agent.

Where to plant  Plant garlic where no members of the allium family (onions, garlic, chives, shallots, leeks) have been grown for 3 years. I like to try to follow my brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale…) with alliums as they act as a cleanser for the many problems that the brassicas can bring to soil.

Prepare & Plant  To prepare your garlic bed, add lots of compost and turn under lightly. Plant each clove 6-8 inches apart. Poke the clove in to the ground, root down, to a depth of about your thumb. The growing tip should be about an inch below the surface.

An easy method is to take a dibble, or a broom handle, and poke a hole about 3 inches deep. Drop the garlic in the hole with the root end down. Cover with soil. When all of the garlic is planted, water it well and cover it with a thin layer of straw or mulch to suppress weed growth. The garlic will begin to grow. The new shoots are delicious and picking them will encourage more vigorous root growth. It is not necessary to pick them though, they will die back and then come again in the spring.

After the first freeze  Usually we get our first freeze in early November. Mulch the garlic patch heavily, 4-6 inches thick, with straw or leaves. This mulch will protect the tender cloves through the winter.

In the spring  Remove most of the mulch leaving just enough to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Garlic likes lots of water in the spring.

In June  Early summer your garlic will begin to set scapes. This is the stalk in the center which forms a curly tip and then sets seed. Just as the scape begins to curl and spiral, cut it off and eat it. You can make Roasted Fennel or Fresh Herb Salad Dressing with your scapes! Removing the scapes will send the remaining energy of the plant in to sizing up the bulb. In a couple of months you will be harvesting your garlic!

Posted in Growing Tips