How to Grow Garlic in Your Garden
5 Materials
Easy
Garlic is one of the most rewarding crops to grow in the garden! It takes very little effort to plant and harvest. Once you've learned to grow your own garlic, you'll love using it in the kitchen all year long.
Free printable instructions, more photos, and full tutorial available at: http://www.homefortheharvest.com/how-to-grow-garlic/
Step 1: Prepare to plant your garlic (fall season for most of Canada):
-Select a garden area
-Prepare the garden space by pulling out weeds, top dressing with
compost, and watering the soil
-Find high-quality seed garlic
-Peel the outer papery wrapper off the outside of each bulb of garlic.
Step 2: Plant the garlic
-Plant the cloves 6" apart
-Water the area after planting
-Water the garlic bed weekly until the ground freezes
-When the ground freezes, cover the patch with shredded leaves
Step 3: Care for the garlic
-Remove the shredded leaves when the ground thaws in the spring
-Water the garlic once or twice a week as the garlic plants grow
-Keep the area well-weeded throughout the growing season
-Clip off garlic scape tops when they make a complete curled circle
-Stop watering the garlic when the leaves start to turn yellow
-Leave the garlic in the ground for a few weeks, without watering
Step 4: Harvest the garlic (generally mid-summer)
-Harvest bulbs when 2/3 of the leaves have turned yellow
-Brush the bulbs gently to remove surface soil
-Hang the garlic in a breezy, warm, dry location
-Let garlic cure in this airy environment for 6 weeks
-Cut the stalks down and trim the roots
-Store garlic in a cool, dry, dark place with ventilation (not the fridge)
-Save the largest, healthiest bulbs for planting in the fall
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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4 of 6 comments
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I'm doing this this week!!
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That's great! I hope you have a wonderful time growing your garlic :)
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What kind of garlic are you planting. I have planted hard neck for the past 2 years. It is very "rewarding." I would like a more pungent kind of garlic, guess I will look at organic grocers for bulbs. I read last year that most of garlic sold in the US is from China. (?) I read this month that international products (regarding organically grown) are not subjected to the same standards as the US. Therefore, we really don't know if they are organically grown or not. Sad
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I grow red russian and porcelain garlic. Some other gardeners in our area grow garlics called yugoslavian and georgian fire as well. I find I get the best flavour by feeding the garden bed with organic compost, worm castings, and some glacial rock dust (all safe for organic gardening). It is so true that you really don't know what you're getting when it comes to imported garlic. Find a local organic grower you trust to get some high-quality seed garlic for a variety that will work well in your climate. Ask for growing tips for that particular variety, and you'll be on your way to a lovely patch of garlic! Cheers, Mary Jane
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