Growing garlic may seem a bit intimidating, but it really is a very easy process. I started growing my own a few years ago and now it is one of my favorites in the garden. It requires minimal effort,doesn't attract pests and tastes delicious. There are many varieties of garlic and two basic types, softneck and hardneck. The big difference being the appearance inside. Hardneck have a flowering stem that grows through the center of the bulb, this is the scape,which is another edible prize from the garden. Hardneck also does well in areas that have rough winters. Softneck bulbs are usually larger and produce more cloves. I don't really have preference,so whichever you choose is completely up to you. Garlic is typically planted in late fall,early winter and can survive through the winter and be ready to harvest in early spring,however, I also plant in late winter,as soon as the ground thaws,so I can have bulbs by summer or early fall.. That said, overwintering the bulbs does give you larger,tastier garlic. Garlic can vary as far as when it is ready to be harvested, but typically it takes between 6-9 months.
I order my garlic from Burpee, but you can find it online from many different nurseries and seed purveyors.You can also buy garlic from a local farmer's market and use that to plant, but I don't suggest using what you buy at the supermarket. One never knows what it is treated with and that is always a concern for me.
I always start off with organic soil. I have raised beds in my garden, but you can grow garlic in pots or vegetable bags. Fill your container with the soil,then pull apart the head of garlic.
Gently push each clove of garlic into the soil,pointed side up. This is the end that sprouts, and may already have some green peeking through when you receive it.
Once you have lined up the cloves, gently push them completely below the surface of the soil and cover with a little more soil. I usually space them about 6-8 inches apart. You really only need to allow for the size of a typical head of garlic.That is it! You can see the cloves right next to garlic I am already growing in the above picture.
Once planted,the garlic really does not require too much care. Water and sunlight are the two important factors. Garlic also is a heavy feeder and likes fertilizer, but honestly, I don't always fertilize them. When I do, I use an organic vegetable fertilizer like Jobes in early spring,once the greens are sprouting and again in May, but not after that.After the bulbs in the ground start to get big, I lay off the fertilizer.I water once or twice a week,depending on local rainfall. Before you know it, the garlic looks like this...
If you plant the hard neck garlic, you get an added bonus...scapes!! These curly tops of the garlic can be cut off prior to harvesting the bulbs and used in recipes as you would use onion or garlic. A little goes a long way, but they add a delicious flavor to many dishes. You may see them at your local farmstands in spring and summer. Why buy them when you can grow them?
Once your garlic has grown quite tall and you notice the greens start to brown or wilt, it may be time for you to harvest. The beauty of growing garlic is that you can always use your finger to dig a little trench around the head in the ground to check its size. If you like what you see, then gently loosen the soil around the bulb and ease the garlic out of the ground.
Garlic needs to "cure" for about two to three weeks to make is shelf stable, so after I pull them up,I do not wipe off the dirt ,rather I give them a good shake and hang them in my garage. Once they have cured and the skin is paper like,I dust of any residual dirt ,trim the roots and bring them in to store and cook with. It never lasts long in our house because we use garlic all the time.
This is a great little science project for you and your children. They delight in seeing their plants grow and eventually use them for meals. It teaches them patience,gardening skills, science skills, and to be self-sufficient.
Try planting some garlic this year..now is the time! Have fun and if you do plant,please share your pictures with me!
