PDF North of the Mason-Dixon line, fall is the time to plant garlic. Here’s how to get started.
Choice of planting stock:
Whether you bought gourmet stock online or just want to try your hand using garlic from the grocery store, look for large cloves from large bulbs. Garlic will quickly adapt to your soil and climate, but it helps to start with good stock. Choose only bulbs which are firm, show no sign of mold or bruised spots.
Soil Preparation:
The soil for a garlic bed can be prepared well in advance of the actual planting date. Choose soil that is reasonably well-drained. If it is not already loose, work organic material and / or sand into it with a manure fork or shovel. Either work deeply or set the top 3″ layer aside and work the lower layer separately. The bulbs are set in deeply, so the soil needs to be worked BELOW this level for best results. This can be a hassle the first time, but it gets better with each successive season.
Planting Time:
Wait until cold weather threatens. If there has already been a light snow, all is fine and good. We want to time this so that the bulbs begin to send out roots, but not give them time to send shoots above ground. For many of us, this will be the final planting of the season … and just in the nick of time, too!
Planting Details:
As you separated the individual cloves from the larger bulb, you probably noticed that the garlic has a pointed end and a stub end. The stub end is where the roots will emerge from, so plant the bulbs stub end down, roughly 3″ below the surface and about 3″ apart. I dig all the soil out of the planting bed, arrange the cloves, cover with an inch or so of compost to hold them upright and then return the soil to the bed. They will, however, be just fine if you simply push them into the soil and then cover them. Tamp the soil lightly and, when the bed is completely planted, apply a thick (6″ / 150mm or better) layer of mulch. Hay works well, as does compost or shredded tree leaves mixed with something else. (The tree leaves tend to mat down and keep water out.) The goal is not to keep the soil from freezing, but rather to keep it frozen until the weather is definitely settled in the spring to avoid frost heave. Frost heave can actually propel the cloves completely out of the ground and that is “Not”, as Martha would say, “a good thing.”
Spring Care:
In the spring, remove the excess mulch until the garlic shoots are seen. Then, after applying blood meal or other source of slow-release nitrogen, you can return the mulch around them if you wish. That’s it. Keep them watered until mid-summer.
Summer care:
Not too much here. Keep them from drying out until mid-summer. In mid-to-late summer, allow the soil to dry out. While there are some garlic-specific pests, the garlic can pretty well defend themselves in most gardens.
Harvest:
There are two harvests of garlic and their timing will depend on which varieties you planted and your local weather.
In late-spring / early summer the seed heads will form on stalks called “scapes”. While they are still young and tightly packed, cut the scapes off well down into the leaves and add them to salads, soups, stir fry, scrambled eggs and so on. They will add a mild garlic flavor that simply can’t be described but definitely shouldn’t be missed.
The second harvest happens when the leaves are about 1/3 to 1/2 brown. That’s when you’ll want to dig the mature bulbs and dry them. This can be done on a screen so that air can get to all sides or on a table. If done on a table, give them a turn once or twice while drying to avoid moisture collecting on the bottom side that could cause decay. They will need plenty of ventilation but should be shaded. There is earnest debate about whether to rinse them off before drying or to wait until after the tops have completely dried to rub the dried dirt from them. The take-home? Just choose one: both methods work. But most of the dirt needs to be gone before they are stored to avoid harboring tiny pests.
Storage:
After drying, keep the bulbs indoors in a cool, dark place … but NOT the refrigerator as this will speed their sprouting. Depending on the variety, storage times will vary, but are generally enough to get you through the winter and into the next planting season. Freezing, drying and pickling are all good choices. Packing them in oil for storage in excess of 3 weeks (refrigerated) is not a good idea as oil permits botulism poisoning. (Note that the link above also offers virus-free garlic. I have NO financial connection with them.)
This is just a thumbnail overview. It is possible to get into agonizing detail and make a obsession / specialty of growing garlic. I mostly grow it for my own table and that of friends, so it’s almost certain that I missed a useful trick or two. If so give me a shout in your comments!
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