How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Garlic
how to cultivate garlic? The popularity of garlic is skyrocketing in both kitchens and gardens across America as more people discover how simple it is to grow this flavorful bulb. Abundant garlic harvests don’t take much expertise — even beginners can grow these nutritious homegrown treats. Just a few simple steps after reading this How to Cultivate Garlic blog, and you’re on your way to enjoying homegrown garlic and heady harvests.
how to cultivate garlic
Choosing Garlic Type for Planting
This is the first and most important process of learning how to cultivate garlic because a better garlic type gives you better results. Garlic enthusiasts have the pleasure of selecting from a diverse range of varieties, each offering unique flavors to elevate culinary delights. These varieties can be broadly categorized into two main types, catering to different preferences and cooking styles:
Hardneck garlic: Hardneck garlic, named for its sturdy central stalk or scape, boasts robust and occasionally spicy flavors. Despite their shorter shelf life—typically lasting up to three months post-harvest—hardneck garlics remain prized for their large, uniform cloves arranged neatly around the stem.
Softneck garlic: Softneck garlic, in contrast, lacks a firm central stalk, making it ideal for crafting traditional garlic braids often seen at local markets. Renowned for its milder taste profile, softneck garlic exhibits exceptional storage capabilities, lasting up to six months or more. Their heads feature numerous small, irregular cloves arranged in multiple layers, offering versatility in cooking and preserving.
For optimal results, sourcing planting garlic from local garden suppliers is recommended. While supermarket garlic may suffice, it often originates from distant regions like California or abroad, potentially lacking adaptation to local growing conditions.
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Best Time For Garlic Planting
If you want to know how to cultivate garlic then you have to know first when you have to start cultivation of garlic. Garlic planting thrives in both fall and early spring. However, similar to tulips and other spring bulbs, garlic requires chilly weather for proper development. Without this chilling period, garlic heads may not divide into cloves, resulting in onion-like bulbs. To ensure garlic receives the necessary chill, consider planting it alongside your earliest vegetable seeds in spring. Alternatively, fall planting aligns well with flowering bulbs, offering garlic ample growing time for larger, more flavorful summer harvests, aided by nature’s chilling process.
For fall planting garlic, aim for two weeks before or after your region’s typical first frost date. Unsure about frost timing? Consult your local county extension agent for guidance.
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Preparing Garlic Planting Beds
For optimal growth, garlic thrives in full, direct sunlight and requires loose, fertile, well-drained soil. To ensure bountiful harvests, providing adequate plant nutrition is essential. Prepare your garden beds by enriching them with a generous layer of organic matter, such as compost, spread evenly at a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Incorporate this organic layer into the soil along with a balanced fertilizer like Pennington UltraGreen All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10 to promote healthy plant development.
Before planting, conducting a soil test is highly recommended to assess the soil’s nutrient levels and pH balance. This step ensures that the soil is optimized to support garlic growth efficiently. Aim for a near-neutral pH range of 6.0 to 7.0, as garlic thrives in these conditions. Your local extension agent can assist you with conducting a soil test and provide guidance on soil amendments tailored to your garden’s specific needs, enabling your garlic plants to thrive and produce abundant yields.
Planting Your Garlic
Garlic cultivation differs from traditional seed or plant-based methods as it’s grown from individual cloves, the very same cloves used in cooking. Each clove has the potential to develop into a full garlic head. As planting time approaches, consider turning the preparation of garlic cloves into a social affair by inviting friends for a garden party with a garlic-themed menu!
planting garlic is the most difficult for lear how to cultivate garlic – if you enjoy this garlic planting process then beliveme you are a true gardeners.
To prepare the cloves for planting, start by gently removing the papery outer layer of the garlic head. Carefully separate the cloves, ensuring to leave the papery covering intact on each individual clove. Take care not to damage the flat bottom plates of the cloves, as these are where the roots will emerge. If a few cloves sustain minor damage, don’t fret; they can still be set aside for culinary use.
When it’s time to plant, ensure that cloves are positioned 1 to 2 inches deep in warmer climates and 3 to 4 inches deep in cooler regions. Place each clove with its flat, rooting plate facing downwards into the soil, while allowing the pointy end to protrude above the surface.
For fall plantings, consider adding a layer of weed-free mulch, approximately 4 to 6 inches thick. Grass clippings, leaves, or straw are excellent choices. This layer serves to regulate soil temperatures, preventing wide fluctuations as the seasons transition. Gradual cooling in the fall and warming in the spring contribute to optimal garlic growth and development.
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Caring for Garlic as It Grows
The most important part of the blog how to cultivate garlic ~ because caring is the key to grow healthy garlic. When fall-planted garlic starts emerging through the mulch, typically coinciding with the arrival of early spring songbirds, gently pull back the mulch from the growing leaves. Once the leaves reach approximately 6 inches in height, it’s time to provide them with a nutrient boost. Add a layer of compost alongside the emerging leaves and feed the garlic with the same balanced fertilizer used at planting time. For those who opt for spring planting, perform this task approximately one month after planting to support healthy growth.
To ensure robust garlic development, it’s crucial to keep the area around the plants weed-free. Garlic doesn’t fare well when competing against garden weeds, so regular weeding is essential.
Maintain consistent moisture levels by watering the garlic, aiming for approximately 1 inch of water per week from a combination of rainfall and irrigation. This helps to sustain optimal growth and development throughout the growing season.
In early summer, when hardneck garlic varieties produce curly and soft scapes, it’s time to intervene. Cut off these scapes, as they are not only delicious in stir-fried or sautéed dishes but their removal also promotes larger bulb growth.
While garlic generally faces few insect-related issues, certain pests can pose serious threats. Sevin Insect Killer Ready to Use is effective against common garlic pests like cutworms, leafminers, and onion thrips. However, ensure a 14-day gap between treatment and harvest to avoid any residue.
Fungal diseases can also impact garlic crops, and ruin your knowledge about how to cultivate garlic often manifesting as small tan, white, or purple spots on the leaves. Daconil fungicides offer highly effective control against garlic diseases such as botrytis blight, downy mildew, or purple blotch, safeguarding the health and productivity of your garlic plant.
Harvesting and Storing Garlic
Depending on your location, the time for harvesting your garlic crop may range from July to September. Look for signs such as yellowing stems that start to fall over and the bottom leaves turning brown — these indicate that it’s time to harvest. When digging up your garlic bulbs, take care to keep the stems intact.
To extend the storage life of your garlic, it’s crucial to “cure” the harvest properly. Find a warm, dry, shaded area with good ventilation. Either hang the garlic by its stems to dry or spread out the heads in a single layer. After two to four weeks of curing, your garlic will be ready for optimal storage.
Once cured, trim the stems to about 1 inch above the bulbs. For long-stemmed softneck garlic varieties, consider braiding the stems for added fun or as thoughtful gifts. Refrigerators offer the ideal conditions for long-term garlic storage, ensuring your harvest remains fresh and flavorful for months to come.
Don’t forget to set aside some bulbs from your harvest for planting stock, ensuring a continuous cycle of homegrown garlic production.
With a bounty of homegrown garlic at your fingertips, explore a variety of culinary delights, from smoky roasted heads to fresh garlic pestos and flavorful garlic-infused oils. GardenTech brands and the GardenTech blog are dedicated to supporting your gardening journey, offering resources and expertise to help you learn, grow, and fully enjoy the rewards of gardening.
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1. E. Everhart, et al., “Garlic,” lowa State University Extension, February 2003.
2. UC IPM Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, “How to Manage Pests: Onion and Garlic,” University of California, June 2016
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