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Planting
When to Plant Garlic
Plant garlic in fall, after the weather has cooled but before the ground freezes. In colder climates, a useful rule of thumb is to plant about 1 to 2 weeks after the first killing frost, giving the cloves time to develop roots before winter.
Garlic needs a period of cold temperatures for good bulb development. Fall-planted garlic receives this chilling naturally over winter. If you plant garlic in spring, chill the cloves in the refrigerator for about 8 weeks beforehand, then plant as soon as the soil can be worked.
In many areas, garlic goes into the ground around the same time as spring-flowering bulbs, generally from September through November. Gardeners in mild-winter climates may plant later, but spring-planted garlic often produces smaller bulbs.
Where to Plant Garlic
Plant garlic in full sun, with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, and in fertile, well-drained soil. Before planting, work compost or other well-rotted organic matter into the soil to improve its structure and fertility.
Good drainage is especially important. Garlic can rot in soil that stays wet, so if you have heavy clay or poorly drained soil, consider planting in a raised bed.
How to Plant Garlic
Plant garlic as individual cloves, 2 to 3 inches deep and about 4 to 6 inches apart, with the pointed end facing up. Separate the cloves from the bulb just before planting, and leave the papery skins intact.
- Start with healthy seed garlic. Choose large, firm, disease-free bulbs from a reputable nursery, garden center, or seed supplier.
- Separate the bulb into cloves just before planting. Use the largest healthy cloves and keep their papery skins on. Larger cloves generally produce larger bulbs.
- Plant each clove 2 to 3 inches deep, with the pointed end facing up.
- Space cloves about 4 to 6 inches apart. If planting in rows, leave enough room between rows for weeding and tending the plants.
- Water after planting to settle the soil around the cloves.
Types
Garlic comes in two main types: hardneck and softneck. The best choice depends largely on your climate and whether you value scapes, large cloves, or longer storage.
- Hardneck garlic is generally more winter-hardy and is a good choice for colder climates. It produces a stiff central stalk and edible scapes, with fewer but typically larger cloves. Hardneck garlic does not store as long as softneck types. Popular varieties include ‘Chesnok Red’ and ‘German Red’.
- Softneck garlic is well suited to many milder climates and generally stores longer than hardneck garlic. It usually produces more, smaller cloves and has flexible stems that can be braided after curing. Popular varieties include ‘California Early’ and ‘Inchelium Red’.
Harvesting
When to Harvest Garlic
Harvest garlic when about one-third to one-half of the leaves have turned yellow or brown, while several upper leaves are still green. Don’t wait until all the foliage has dried, or the bulbs may begin to split apart and won’t store as well.
Garlic planted in fall is typically ready to harvest the following summer, usually from June through August depending on your climate and the variety. If you’re unsure, carefully dig up one bulb to check it. Mature bulbs should have plump, well-defined cloves covered by several layers of papery skin.
If you’re growing hardneck garlic for scapes, harvest the scapes earlier in the season when they begin to curl.
How to Harvest Garlic
Loosen the soil around each bulb with a garden fork or shovel, taking care not to pierce or bruise it. Lift the whole plant from the soil rather than pulling hard on the stem.
Gently brush away large clumps of soil, but leave the leaves and roots attached while the garlic cures.
Storage
Garlic can be used fresh from the garden, but bulbs intended for storage should be cured first.
Place freshly harvested garlic in a warm, dry, shady location with good air circulation for about 2 to 4 weeks. Garlic is fully cured when the outer skins are papery, the neck and roots are dry, and the cloves feel firm.
After curing, gently brush away loose soil. Trim the roots and cut the stems to about 1 to 2 inches above the bulb, unless you’re growing softneck garlic and want to braid the tops.
Store cured garlic in a cool, dry, dark place with good air circulation. Softneck garlic generally stores longer than hardneck garlic.
Save a few of your largest, healthiest bulbs if you’d like to plant your own garlic again in fall.
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Comments
If the tops are brown it's time to harvest the garlic. If you wait longer the bulbs may become overripe and the cloves may start separating from one another.
The white tops hold garlic "bulbils"—tiny garlic bulbs that could, if replanted over several years, become edible heads.
You could also remove the greens stems, bulbils and all, cutting somewhere low on the straight potion of the stem; you want to remove the curl. This stem is a garlic "scape"—and it is edible. Ct up scapes into 1-inch or so pieces, gave them a light coating of olive oil, and roasted them in the oven (around 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes)—similar to the way you might roast asparagus. You an eat them as a vegetable side or put them into just about anything, from omelets to salads to soups.
We should mention that because you are removing the seed element, you are enabling the clove underground to mature into a good size. If you leave the scape, with bulbils on, the plants sends energy to the bulbils.
Then use cloves of the mature garlice for next year's crop.
Rust is a sporadic disease that probably overwinters on garlic and volunteer Allium crops. The recommendation for managing it is rotate your crop/sm specifically rotating out of Allium crops for 2 to 3 years.
Rust develops in moist conditions, so it's important not to overwater.
In future, you can spray plant with neem oil before the rust appears and that may prevent the spores from taking hold.
We hope this helps.
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"Ever" is the key word, here, Lisa.
Garlic by seed will take years/seasons to turn into true bulbs with useful cloves. (How many? Figure seven or eight—years—at least.)
To have garlic in one season, go to a nursery or garden store, even maybe a feed store (our "local" is an Agway for loose cloves, but garlic is even sold in packs) this fall; that's when they become available. Buy as many as you like, then plant them in good organic soil in the fall—October, November... And mulch them and forget about them. Even if you see green shoots, an indication that it was a little too early to plant (which has happened to me) leave them alone.
Next spring, true shoots will appear and thrive. It's really hard to get garlic wrong—and it couldn't be easier. All you really need to do is keep the plants weeded.