You can grow garlic at home very easily, but there are so many different kinds available that even experienced gardeners find it fascinating.
By planting garlic with other edible plants, you can keep aphids, weevils, mosquitoes, mites, and Japanese beetles away. This is also a good use for any extra cloves you might have after your regular planting.
Choosing the right type of garlic to plant
The first thing to consider before you start planting garlic is what type of garlic works best for your climate. Garlic is divided into two types: softneck and hardneck.
Generally, garlic grows better in southern climates (warm regions).
Softnecks are the garlics you usually see in stores. They have a milder flavor than other types of garlic, and they can last up to 10-12 months. If you want to braid garlic, softneck garlic is the best type to use.
Garlic that is grown in northern climates should be of the hardneck variety as they are more hardy. The term hardneck refers to the hard central flowering stalk, or garlic scape, that appears in the late spring to early summer.
Hardnecks have a better flavor than softnecks, though they don't last as long.
Elephant garlic is similar to regular garlic, but it is actually a member of the leek family. It is planted and grown in the same way as regular garlic.
How much garlic do you need?
How much garlic you plant depends on how large of a crop you want.
You can plant a 15- to 30-foot row with 1 pound of seed garlic in general.
This will vary based on the type of garlic used. Most softneck garlic varieties have 65 to 70 cloves per pound, while hardneck varieties have 40 to 75 cloves per pound.
It is more efficient to space plants closely together in order to increase the amount of plants that can be grown in a given area. This is especially useful for crops such as garlic where a large number of cloves are needed to produce a moderate amount of garlic.
It's okay to order more garlic than you think you need because you can always plant the extras in your garden or use them to cook.
How to Grow Garlic Easily & Successfully
This guide provides instructions on how to grow garlic in your garden. Following these tips will help you to yield a healthy and large garlic crop each year.
The first step in successfully growing garlic is choosing the right type for your needs. There are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. The first step in successfully growing garlic is choosing the right type for your needs. There are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck garlic is best suited for cooler climates, while softneck garlic is more tolerant of warmer weather. If you're not sure which type of garlic you want to grow, try growing both and see which type does better in your climate.
What kind of garlic you decide to plant is up to you, but if you live in a warmer climate that doesn't get cold winters, it's probably best to go with softneck garlic. Hardneck garlic needs a cold winter dormancy period to do well.
Step 2: Determine Where You Will Grow the Garlic
After you have decided on the kind of garlic you would like to grow, the next step is to determine where you will plant it. Garlic can be cultivated both outdoors and indoors in pots, making it a feasible option for nearly anyone who enjoys cooking, even if you live in a cramped apartment.
It is better to grow garlic outdoors if possible so that the hardneck varieties can have the winter for the cold dormancy period. However, garlic takes about 6 to 8 months to grow.
It is typically best to plant garlic in the fall so that it will be ready to harvest in the summer, but it is possible to plant it in the spring with the understanding that the harvest may come later than usual and the garlic may not be as large as anticipated.
Even though it is not the traditional time to plant garlic, as long as you take steps to protect the plants from frost damage, many people have had success growing garlic at other times of the year.
Planning How Much Space You Need to Grow Garlic
You will need to plant garlic cloves at least 18 inches deep in soil and 4-6 inches apart to allow them to grow properly. If planting multiple rows, keep each row 12 inches apart.
We recommend that you choose a container that isdeep enough and wide enough for each clove you plant If you are planning to grow garlic in containers, make sure to choose containers that are deep and wide enough for each clove you plant. While people have had some success cramming many cloves into one small pot, it is not ideal if you want full bulbs.
When growing garlic outdoors, it is important to choose a spot that gets enough sunlight and has good drainage. Poor drainage can lead to bulb rot, which is not fun to deal with!
Step 3: Gather Your Supplies for Growing Garlic
The next step after deciding what type of garlic to grow and where to grow it is to gather the materials needed for planting.
Here is what you will need for growing garlic:
- Potting Soil: Garlic does not require any special type of dirt, but using fertile potting soil is a good choice. Soil should have a pH between 6.5 and 7. If you are unsure of your soil’s pH, you can get an inexpensive soil testing meter that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your garden soil’s condition! It’s a handy gadget to have for whatever you may be growing, not just garlic!
- Prepared Space: Whether you plan on using containers, a raised garden bed, or growing in the ground as-is, you will need to prepare some of the space. Drainage is the most important aspect of growing garlic because water collecting at the roots can be disastrous for this plant. This means drilling holes if necessary in any container and making sure the soil is well turned & aerated.
- Mulch: If you are planting garlic outdoors in the fall, mulch is absolutely necessary to protect the plants over the winter. You can use straw, grass clippings, leaves, or other organic mulch. You will want to mulch about 4″ deep over the plants once in the ground, so this will help you get a good ballpark idea of how much mulch you need for your plants. Mulch helps prevent the plants from surfacing throughout winter thaws and freezes, as well as helps reduce weeds.
- Garlic Cloves: Lastly, but not least, you will need your garlic cloves! Remember that for each clove you plant, you will get one bulb of garlic {which will typically contain between 8-16 cloves, depending on the type of garlic you are growing in the garden}. This will help you plan the amount you should purchase. For our family of 5, 3-4 bulbs of garlic are usually more than ample to supply us with fresh garlic year round!
Plant each garlic clove about two inches deep and four inches apart. Plant each garlic clove about two inches deep. Plant each garlic clove four inches apart.
Once the cloves are separated, you can plant them individually in the ground. To plant garlic, first peel the outer layer off the bulb and separate the cloves. Try to keep each clove and its papery covering intact. Once the cloves are separated, plant them individually in the ground.
Bulbs of garlic with many little cloves should have the largest cloves chosen for planting, with the smaller cloves saved for cooking. Bulbs with small cloves will not yield large bulbs.
Next, it's time to plant your garlic! Make sure to take note of which way the cloves are pointing when you're putting them in the ground.
You will want to make sure the cloves of garlic are pointed side up, as this is the part where the shoots will sprout from.
There is a point at which a bulb of garlic will start sprouting where green shoots come out from the top.
You should plant garlic cloves with the bottom facing the ground, which is usually rounder and thicker than the top.
To plant garlic, start by separating the cloves from the bulb. Then, push each clove into the dirt about 3 inches deep. You may want to poke holes into the dirt first to make sure you've gone deep enough.
You can use a ruler or a bamboo stick to make sure the plants are evenly spaced out. Just mark the 3 inch mark with a pen or pencil.
Push the clove back into the ground so that the pointy side is facing up, and cover it with dirt. If you're planting in the fall, put a layer of mulch over the top of the cloves that is 4 to 6 inches thick. This will help protect the plants during winter.
Step 5: Caring for Your Garlic Plants
Garlic plants need regular attention to make sure they have enough moisture and aren't under attack from common pests. Check for pests like Nematodes, mites, and snails, which can damage garlic plants.
It is essential to frequently weed your garden and make sure that weeds do not grow near the garlic. Weeds can be very detrimental when garlic is growing, as they take up essential soil nutrients that your garlic needs and they can prevent water from draining properly.
After the winter, you will want to spread 1 to 2 inches of mulch around your plants to protect them and reduce weed growth.
If you have an unusually dry spring season, you will probably have to water your garlic more than usual. Make sure that the water does not pool around the roots of the plant.
Step 6: Harvest Your Garlic
When your garlic's leaves or stems start to turn yellow, it's time to harvest! This usually happens in July or August if you planted the garlic in the fall, or in September or October if you planted it in the spring.
Using a small garden spade or gardening fork, carefully dig away at the soil surrounding the bulb. The bulb should be large and have a healthy papery wrapper surrounding the cloves. If the bulb appears small, you may wish to wait a few weeks and discontinue watering the plants.
After the bulbs have been dug up, they need to be hung up to dry so that they can cure. This process takes around two weeks and is not difficult to do.
It's best to hang garlic in a warm, dry place that isn't in direct sunlight. Too much sun exposure can make garlic sprout, and cooler temperatures can lead to rotting or fungus growth.
What to do next summer
Although garlic is not difficult to plant or cultivate, it can be challenging to know when to harvest the crop.
In general, hardneck garlic will be ready to harvest within four to six weeks after the development of scapes.
The best way to determine when your crop is mature is to look at the leaves. When 50 percent of the leaves is green and 50 percent is brown, the crop is mature.
The bottom leaves of garlic plants die first, which is normal and a sign that the plant is nearly ready to harvest. Each green leaf above the bottom leaves represents one paper wrapper around the bulb. Therefore, you should not wait for all the leaves to die, as this would result in garlic that has no paper wrapper and can only be stored for a shorter period of time.
What if it’s too late to plant garlic now?
Don't worry if you think you've planted your garden a little late. It's actually better to plant late than to plant too early.
Why?
If you plant garlic too early in the fall, it may not grow well and the bulbs may not develop properly.
If you plant the cloves too early, they won't develop roots until it gets cold. This means that they will just sit in the soil, not growing, and becoming more susceptible to rot, disease, or underground pests. Exposure to really hot weather in fall can also reverse vernalization and result in smaller bulbs.
The best time to plant in northern climates is after the first killing frost, but you can still work the soil before that.
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