Any idiot can grow garlic. Seriously. When's the last time you watched a television special on the "Remarkable Garlic Growing Person"? Never. Because you do not have to be remarkable in any way, shape or form to successfully grow garlic. But you do have to plant it - and the time to plant is October.
Skip right to the instructions.
I'll be planting my garlic in the next couple of weeks. I had an issue with mosaic virus this year which made my garlic ungenerous. It also made it diseased which made me angry. I had to buy all new, disease free garlic to plant this year, instead of using my own stock.
Garlic's planted in the fall and harvested in July. October is the time to plant your garlic for next year's harvest. This right here is a step by step tutorial on how to plant, grow, harvest and store one of my favourite crops - garlic.
Many, many, many, several, too many to count ... years ago, my father brought home some garlic. And THAT is when my garlic growing obsession began.
I'm obsessed with many things, that's how I've learned to do so much and why I can't sleep at night because I'm always plotting, planning or cleaning up after my latest venture. Occasionally I'm getting rid of evidence.
Same for bean sprouts. You can grow bean sprouts at home in 4 days. These are not difficult skills.
For growing garlic you just need some garlic and some dirt. Ready? Let's plant some garlic.
The first thing you need to know is which type you should be planting: hardneck or softneck garlic?
What's the difference between Hardneck and Softneck garlic?
Softneck garlic
- Softneck garlic is best grown in warmer climates.
- Has no stalk that grows up from the centre and therefore doesn't produce a garlic scape.
- Softneck garlic heads are generally smaller than hardneck and have smaller cloves.
- The head of a softneck garlic can be made up of multiple rows of garlic cloves.
- Softneck garlic will store for 6-8 months if kept in optimal conditions.
Hardneck garlic
- Hardneck garlic is best grown in cooler climates.
- It has a long hard stalk that grows up from the centre of the head, producing a scape in June and a flower head later in the season filled with little garlic bulbils which you can use as garlic seed.
- Hardneck garlic is larger than softneck and has bigger cloves.
- Cloves form the head in a single row.
- Hardneck garlic will store for 4-6 months if kept in optimal conditions.
So generally speaking, if you live in a climate where you get lots of very cold temperatures and snow in the winter, plant hardneck. If you live in a warmer climate with mild winters and hot summers, softneck garlic is for you.
How to Grow Garlic
Separate your garlic head into cloves. Just pull them apart. Pick out the biggest cloves for planting.
The flat end of the garlic is the root end.
The pointy end is the tip of the garlic. It needs to point up.
You want to plant the garlic "root" end down and pointy end up. The tip of the clove should be about 3 inches below the ground. The bigger the clove you plant, the bigger the resulting head of garlic will be.
If you sprinkle a little oregano on top of the garlic and squeeze a tomato over everything, in 9 months you'll have grown a delicious marinara sauce.
No you won't.
Plant the garlic cloves so they're around 4 inches apart and their tips are covered by a few inches of dirt.
Cover them up and wait. Through the fall the clove will start to develop roots and maybe even a shoot depending on how warm your weather is.
By the spring with a little help from sun, water and these little guys to aerate the soil, you'll have garlic plants starting! A single clove, produces an entire head of garlic.
Harvesting takes place in July and is accompanied by the traditional garlic harvesting dance. That's followed by curing the garlic and properly storing it - which do not have official dances associated with them. Curing and storing is treated with reverence. Just kidding. I dance for those things too.
How to Grow Garlic.
How to grow hardneck garlic. From planting to harvesting.
Materials
- Heads of garlic
Tools
- Trowel or shovel
Instructions
- Separate your head of garlic into individual cloves.
- Choose the largest cloves for planting.
- Plant the garlic, flat end down (the root end) in a hole that is 3-4" deep. When covered with soil, the tip of the garlic should be around 2" below the soil line.
- Fall planted garlic will develop roots underground in the fall and then go dormant through the winter. In spring it starts to grow again.
- In June, hardneck garlic will send up "scapes". Scapes are the tip of the growing stalk. Cut these off once they loop into a complete circle.
- DON'T THROW THE SCAPES OUT. You can use them for cooking or making a DELICIOUS garlic scape pesto.
- Stop watering your garlic 2 weeks before you harvest. (Around the time the lower leaves on the plant have turned brown.)
- Dig garlic up in July when one half of the leaves are brown. This indicates the garlic is ready to be harvested.
- Cure your garlic by hanging it in a well ventilated, shaded area like a porch. Leave it to dry for 2 weeks. This curing process will help your garlic to store much longer.
- Once cured you can cut the roots off of your garlic and the stem, leaving 1-2" of stem above the bulb.
- Store garlic between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. A humidity level of 65% is the best.
Notes
- The bigger the clove you plant the bigger the head of garlic will be.
- If properly stored hardneck garlic will store for around 6 months.
- You can also freeze your garlic cloves. Just separate the cloves and put them in a freezer safe container. Do not remove the skins, they're a protective layer.
- Want garlic powder? Dry extra garlic in a dehydrator and then grind it into homemade garlic powder.
- Softneck garlic is planted and grown the exact same way except it's planted in the spring and there are no scapes to remove.
- If you missed the fall planting for your garlic, don't worry! You can still plant it in the spring and get a good garlic harvest. A gardener at my community garden does this every year. Your garlic heads may just be a little smaller than fall planted garlic.
Can You Use Grocery Store Garlic for Planting?
What's The Best Variety of Garlic to Grow?
Can I Plant My Garlic in the Spring? Because I Forgot/Ran Out of Time/Couldn't Be Bothered To Plant It in the Fall.
How Much Should I Water It?
Water your garlic just like you would any other crop you're growing. The fall is usually a rainy time and once I plant it I don't water it at all. I just let nature run its course. What IS important though is to stop watering your garlic 2 weeks before you harvest. Around the time the lower leaves on the plant have turned brown. This helps speed up curing and the drying of the papers around the head.
When Can I Dig It Up?
How do you dig up garlic? Just rip it out?
Um, no. Don't harvest your garlic by trying to pull and manhandle it out of the ground. Dig it with a shovel, pulling up slightly on the neck.
What kind of dehydrator do you use?
I use an Excalibur dehydrator (it's pretty much what most dehydrating enthusiasts use) for all my dehydrating projects. You can take a look at the Excalibur dehydrator here (this one is white, but mine is black.)
Hands down my favourite garlic recipe is actually one that doesn't use any garlic at all. It uses the garlic scapes I harvest in June, which is yet ANOTHER reason to grow garlic. My garlic scape pesto is delicious on pasta or pizza and stores for a year in the freezer.
Now you have all the information you need on how to grow garlic so get out there and get your hands dirty. Or for the more refined among you - soily.
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My mother in law had garlic growing in her yard that her dad planted 60-70 years ago. She didn't want it anymore and told me I could have whatever I wanted. So I dug up all different sizes of plants to replant. The bulbs develop little mini clove looking nodules and she says that they're "mini garlic plants" but couldn't say for sure how to plant and grow them. Is this true, and if so can they be saved for a season or two before planting?
Hi Jamie. Any garlic clove that grows underground from the original bulb can be planted to produce more garlic. But it can't be saved for any longer than a season because it'll dry out. If you're talking about the little seeds that grow at the top of the plant from the scape, then yes those can be saved and planted, but it takes a longggg time (a few years) for them to become actual garlic. You get a true duplicate of the plant, but it's a bit of a pain. ~ karen!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading everybody's comments and replies. Garlic is one of those things that holds a special place in a person's heart. Especially if you grow the stuff. We farm it in the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island. Yellow Point Blues. Hottest, dryest summer in decades and bumper crop city this year. We didn't water once. Babyed the soil. It's an incredible plant.
I appreciate....i'm going to start garlic growing but i guess i've already got 3/4 of the knowlegde i need.thanks karen
Is it too late to plant in NYC area?
Hi Pamela! Nope, you're still good. NYC is pretty close to my weather in Southern Ontario. And to tell you the truth, as long as you can work the ground you can plant garlic. It might not get quite as large as if you planted it a few weeks ago but it's not going to make too much of a difference. Good luck! ~ karen
I too had problems with squirrels this year in my garlic patch. This is the first time for that to happen. I spread dried blood, purchased at agway, over the patch. This product worked quite well to keep the squirrels out and it works good to keep rabbits out too.
Planted garlic before in Ohio about 60 miles south of Cleveland. The squirrels got it. Have any suggestions how to stop them.
Hi Vicki. I've only had problems with my garlic and squirrels once. And honestly, all I did was replant it all. They didn't touch it again. It angered me though because I had carefully planted a bunch of different varieties and labelled the rows and those dumb squirrels screwed everything up! I had no idea what went where. I have had some luck with other bulbs by spreading rose branch clippings all over the area. If I were you and you have access to any thorny branches, that's probably what I would do. ~ karen!
i planted my garlick early oct. i checked one clove and it,s getting roots. we are getting extreamly warn weather here in southern bc. and the weather is going to stay warm for awile yet. if the garlick starts to sprout before ground freezes will it be damaged.
Hi Dave! You're garlic is doing exactly what it should. Getting some root mass going. You're very likely to see some shoots coming up and that's just fine. Expected even. You're on your way to some home grown garlic! ~ karen
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It's May and I just bought two pots with three garlic plants in each. They are about 15 inches tall. If they can only be planted in the fall what should I do with with my plants now? Put them in the ground anyway? Thanks :)
Hi Jeanene - If they're 15" tall already that means they're growing and were probably planted last fall. :) So depending on the size of the pot, you can either leave them in there (making sure they're watered well, or you can carefully transplant them into your garden in full sun. You'll have full heads of garlic around August. ~ karen !
Surfing the web during our Blizzard of 2014 for garden tips and found this great information on garlic. Any chance I dig through the icy soil and plant it now or should I wait til Fall? I don't want to plant in spring and get smaller bulbs. I will have to go to the store to buy some patiences to wait all the way to Aug 2015 for my home grown garlic.
Hi Diane! Don't go digging through the soil now, lol. If you put them in the ground now they aren't going to do anything anyway. Just wait until the ground is workable and plant them then. They'll be fine. :) ~ karen!
You're funny...I love the way you write...and think....I made pesto with my scapes last year...flower arrangements too (they are lovely)....but the best way to enjoy the scapes is to sautee them in butter with fresh asparagus...they both pop up out of the ground around the same time! Thanks for making me smile! Nicole
Thanks Nicole! I have a batch of garlic scape pesto in the freezer at this very moment. :) ~ karen
I've been growing garlic for years and live in North Dakota, unless I missed it - I didn't see anything posted here regarding mulching. I've tried many different kinds of mulch with varying success. What are your thoughts on this? Other than weed control, is it needed to protect the cloves during the winter?
Hi Connie - The only thing my cloves have ever needed protection from are squirrels! I personally have never consciously mulched my garlic bed. I may forget to rake leaves on it every once in a while, but that's about it. I've always had a 100% germination rate (or close to it). ~ karen!
ok, I just realized that I peeled all the skin off my garlic before planting this fall. did I wreck it all?
Nope. Believe it or not they should be fine. Some people use this method (of peeled cloves). I never have, but I've heard it works and should be fine. :) Phew. ~ karen!
WHEWWW, THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD TO HEAR
I bought 2 heads of garlic at Wal-Mart from the big bin of loose garlic. I didn't know about the "spray to prevent sprouting", and I've had Wal-Mart garlic grow sprouts when I haven't used it quickly enough. Should I risk planting these or try to find an organic type of garlic? I'm in southern IN, and it's still in the 60's, so I should have a bit of planting leeway yet. Thank you so much!
Hi Melissa - Sure! If you can't find any garlic anywhere else, give it a shot. Chances are it'll be fine. Try to hold off on planting until you've had your first frost. ~ karen!
Am starting on my third year with some wild and some purchased--the bulblets on and in the roots-- do they reproduce like the separate cloves? If left in the ground do smaller heads eventually get to be large heads(several years later)?
Hi Marvin - Leaving smaller bulbs or heads of garlic in the ground will never produce great big heads of garlic. Then tend to just rot. The best thing to do is to dig the bed up at the end of each year and plant a new bed with new cloves from new bulbs. ~ karen!
Good afternoon Princess! I've planted (organic) garlic in my veggie beds for 3 years and was all set to plant more in October .. but!! I've been reading about garlic rust and garlic white rot and how garlic should be rotated with other veggies! So sad, as I have really only one place to plant them in the full sun! (Victoria, BC) So this year I will grow them in deep containers. Have you experienced these garlic diseases? Or do you rotate to avoid them?
Thanks .. I like your sense of humour!
Hi Anne-Marie - I've never had a single problem with garlic until this year. And I got something weird. Half of my garlic rotted. It spread from one plant to another. I believe it was the dreaded garlic white rot. I've only planted in this one particular spot for a single year, (normally you're O.K. to rotate every 3 years or so) but I'll definitely be moving it next year. ~ karen!
Thanks Karen .. what a shame, garlic is so precious! I'll certainly be having a smaller crop next season, as I can't plant in the same area..sob sob!
:)
I plant garlic...just for the scapes!!! I watch them like a hawk, when I think they're ready, not about to turn yellow, I cut them off, wash them, cut them into 3" strips, blanch them (longer if I've left them too long and they're woody, more like a boil until soft) them I make scape pesto, I forgo the pinenuts incase someone has nut allergies, but make scape pesto like basil pesto...it is the best!! freeze in cubes or small snack size zippy bags, on top of steak, baked potatoes, in mussels, on bagette for bruschetta....and on and on......better than garlic!!
Scape pesto is my favourite. I love regular Pesto, but scape pesto is in a whole other category! ~ karen
I've never grown a garden but always wanted to. Do you think I could grow garlic here in Las Vegas Nevada?
Hi Orlena - I don't think you should have any problems growing garlic in Vegas. You should be able to grow both hardneck and softneck garlic. Just make sure you have nice soft soil with some compost in it and make sure to buy garlic from a good garlic source. Farmer's markets and that sort of thing should have some for you to buy right now. Plant it when the weather starts to get cooler. November or December. Good luck! ~ karen
I live in the Cleveland ohio area and would love to plant garlic. When do i do this? /Before the winder or in the spring? I have had different suggestions on when to do it and would like to know what to do for good results. Is there just one bulb planted in the hole and then is is covered or just left open to grown on its own? thanks for any info you can provide me. I love garlic and use it quite often.
tom masterson
Hi Tom - You should plant your garlic somewhere between late October and late November. Before the ground freezes but after the heat of summer. Yes, you need to cover each clove with soil. If you plant it in October you may see little sprouts starting to grow. This is fine. Buy your garlic now from a local garlic grower and you'll have the most amount of success. Good luck! ~ karen
Hi Karen,
I was wondering how well garlic grows in Phoenix? We have highs in the 100's well into October...and then starting again in May usually. Any tips?
Thanks, Brittany.
Hi Brittany - There are varieties of garlic that suit hot climates better. Hardneck varieties, like the ones I grow, are suited for areas that have a dormant period (a few months of cold). These varieties need this cold period in order to grow. Check with local growers, or even grocery stores as to what varieties grow in your area. Chances are it will be a soft neck variety. Good luck. ~ karen!