How to Grow Garlic

2 Materials
$10
5 Months
Easy
Garlic is the ultimate "set it and forget it" vegetable, and learning how to grow it is just as easy!
What are Garlic Seeds?Garlic seeds are the cloves on the outside of the bulb. For growing garlic at home, always buy seed garlic from a reputable seed company. I personally love to get my garlic from Southern Exposure Seed Company. Many of these seed companies won’t have the garlic ready to ship until early fall, so be prepared. As a side note, do not separate the garlic cloves until it’s time to plant.


Hard Neck vs. Soft NeckGarlic varieties come in hard neck and soft neck. Typically, soft neck varieties have better flavor, but are more difficult to store in warmer climates. You can also cut off the tall green growth on soft neck varieties, know as garlic scapes, and use them in cooking. I grow hard neck garlic since I live in the southeast, and this gives me a longer shelf life for my harvested garlic. Here’s a good video from  Burpee all about the differences between hard and soft neck, so you can choose the variety that works best for you location. 


When To Plant GarlicFall is the choice garlic planting time in most climates. This gives the cloves time to produce a root system before winter and will help produce larger garlic bulbs the following spring.Spring planted garlic will produce a nice crop, but the bulbs will be small. I’ve always chosen to plant in the fall because the weeds are less pesky in the fall and winter, and you want to be sure weeds aren’t crowding out your garlic crop. 


How To Plant GarlicGarlic grows best in well-drained, crumbly soil that is exposed to full sun. Till soil to the depth of 10 inches and mix in 2-4 inches of compost, or plant in your raised beds that require no tilling.Snap off the outside cloves from the garlic bulb and gently push them down 2 inches deep into the prepared soil. Make sure the pointy end is facing upward. Water thoroughly. 


Plant the cloves 3-5 inches apart.Cover cloves with several inches of lightweight mulch, like straw. The garlic shoots will find their way up through the lightweight mulch.
Weed, Feed and WaterIf weeds try to creep in, pull the weeds up by hand, being careful to not disturb the below-ground developing bulbs.


Compost will provide instant food for the garlic and the decomposing mulch on top will provide nutrients to the soil during the entire growing season. No other food will be needed for the growing garlic. When I say garlic is low-maintenance, I really mean it. 


Keep the garden soil moist during the growing season and stop watering when the green above-ground shoots turn brown. The brown shoots indicate that the garlic is almost ready to harvest and withholding water helps the garlic bulbs form their paper-like outer coverings.
How To Harvest GarlicWhen two-thirds of the plant tops have dried and turned brown, it’s harvest time. Insert a shovel  under the garlic bulb to remove it from the garden soil. Be very careful that you don’t damage the bulb with the tip of the spade or trowel. Don’t try to pull it up by the top since this could break the top of the bulb off, making it more difficult to remove. Use freshly harvested garlic bulbs immediately or allow to cure and dry for future use. To dry, spread bulbs out in a single layer or string them together and place in a warm location out of direct sunlight and dry. I usually have a fan blowing on them as well to ensure good ventilation. You’ll feel the papery skins are dry when they crinkle slightly at your touch. The drying process usually takes 4-6 weeks, but is totally worth it. 


See the video and full post for more info on how to grow garlic!
Resources for this project:
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Courtney |The Kitchen Garten
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  2 questions
  • Candy Candy on Jan 19, 2020

    I live in joliet il do igrow the garlic the same way?

  • Patricia Patricia on Feb 05, 2020

    I would love to do this but , I live in south La. , when is a good time to plant ??

Comments
Join the conversation
 2 comments
Next