Introduction

Why Grow Garlic?

Growing garlic is a rewarding endeavor that yields delicious and versatile garlic bulbs for culinary use. To learn how to plant garlic, start by planting garlic cloves in well-drained soil, ensuring each clove is placed a few inches deep and spaced appropriately. Fall-planted garlic is ideal, as it benefits from the chilling period during winter, promoting healthy garlic growth.

Both hardneck and softneck garlic varieties can be grown, with hardneck garlic being more suitable for cold climates due to its extremely cold-hardy nature. As garlic plants mature, garlic scapes appear and can be harvested for additional culinary use, while the garlic heads continue to develop.

By early summer, when the garlic leaves begin to yellow and dry, it's time to harvest garlic; carefully dig out the garlic heads, cure them properly, and enjoy your homegrown garlic's intense flavor and numerous health benefits.

Benefits of Home-Grown Garlic

Homegrown garlic offers numerous benefits, starting with the ability to select from a variety of garlic types, including hardneck and softneck garlic. Knowing how to planting garlic allows for planting garlic cloves in well-drained soil during fall, leading to healthier, more flavorful garlic bulbs by early summer.

Harvesting garlic at its peak and curing it properly ensures a fresh, intense flavor that far surpasses most commercial garlic found at the grocery store.

Additionally, growing garlic at home enables control over garlic pests and diseases, resulting in healthier cloves and a more satisfying gardening experience.

Overview of the Guide

Our How to Grow Garlic guide provides a complete roadmap for successful garlic cultivation. It starts with selecting the right garlic varieties, including hardneck and softneck garlic, and explains the essentials of fall planting. Key steps include preparing well-drained soil, planting garlic cloves inches deep, and managing garlic pests.

The guide covers water garlic needs, handling garlic scapes, and tackling garlic diseases. It also details harvesting garlic, curing garlic bulbs, and storing them effectively. Emphasizing the benefits of homegrown garlic over commercial garlic, it also explores advanced techniques like companion planting and optimizing soil with organic matter. This guide is your go-to for growing flavorful, healthy garlic.

Understanding Garlic Varieties

Hardneck vs. Softneck Garlic

When learning how to grow garlic, it’s essential to understand the differences between hardneck and softneck garlic. Hardneck garlic is ideal for cold climates and features garlic scapes, which are flowering stalks that add a mild garlic flavor to dishes.

This variety is known for its extremely cold hardy nature and often produces larger garlic cloves and garlic heads, but it typically has a shorter storage life. On the other hand, softneck garlic thrives in warm climates and is more commonly found in the grocery store. It has a longer storage life and generally produces smaller cloves that are easier to braid.

Both types require fall planting for optimal growth, with cloves planted inches deep and spaced inches apart. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right garlic variety for your garden and achieve the best results when harvesting garlic and curing garlic bulbs.

Popular Garlic Varieties

When learning how to grow garlic, it's important to understand the different garlic varieties available. Hardneck garlic varieties, such as Rocambole and Porcelain, are known for their robust flavors and are suited for cold climates.

These varieties produce garlic scapes and larger garlic cloves, making them ideal for those looking to harvest garlic with a rich, intense flavor. Softneck garlic, including varieties like Artichoke and Silverskin, thrives in warm climates and often appears in the grocery store due to its longer storage life and easier planting garlic process.

Elephant garlic, although not a true garlic, is notable for its huge cloves and mild flavor, adding variety to your homegrown garlic selection. By choosing the right garlic seed and understanding these popular varieties, you can ensure successful planting garlic and enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh garlic.

Choosing the Right Garlic for Your Climate

When deciding how to grow garlic, it's crucial to choose the right garlic variety based on your planting zone. In cold climates, hardneck garlic varieties like Rocambole and Porcelain are ideal because they are extremely cold hardy and thrive in conditions where the ground freezes.

They are well-suited for fall planting, allowing them to benefit from the chilling period during winter, which promotes robust growth and flavorful garlic cloves. For warm climates, softneck garlic varieties, such as Artichoke and Silverskin, are preferable as they handle milder winters better and offer a shorter storage life.

These varieties are generally easier to plant garlic cloves in well-drained soil and often result in larger garlic bulbs. By aligning your garlic selection with your local climate and planting garlic zone, you can enhance your success in growing garlic and enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh garlic.

Acquiring Garlic Seeds

Where to Buy Garlic Seeds

When looking for the best garlic seeds to grow garlic, it’s essential to choose a reputable source that offers a variety of options. At Grow Organic, we provide a selection of Organic Garlic Seeds for Sale, ensuring high-quality seed garlic for your garden. Our collection features both hardneck garlic and softneck garlic varieties, allowing you to select the perfect garlic variety based on your climate and growing conditions.

Whether you’re interested in fall planted garlic or other garlic varieties, you can find what you need to start planting garlic effectively. Our seeds come with detailed instructions on how to grow garlic, so you can successfully plant garlic cloves and achieve a bountiful harvest of fresh garlic. Explore our range to find the ideal garlic cloves for your garden and enjoy the benefits of homegrown garlic, free from garlic pests and diseases.

Selecting Quality Seed Garlic

When selecting seed garlic, it's crucial to choose high-quality garlic bulbs to ensure a successful harvest of garlic. Look for garlic cloves that are firm and free from signs of garlic diseases or garlic pests, as these factors can impact how well your garlic plants will grow.

The best garlic seeds are those that are well-suited for your local climate, whether you’re in a cold climate needing hardneck garlic or a warm climate where softneck garlic thrives. Ensure you select healthy cloves with a good balance of larger cloves for planting and avoid any with fungal diseases.

Properly planting garlic cloves at the right depth and spacing will help your garlic grows robustly. By choosing quality seed garlic, you set the stage for a bountiful crop of flavorful homegrown garlic that surpasses commercial garlic in both taste and freshness.

Prepping Garlic Seeds for Planting

To ensure a successful garlic harvest, prepping garlic seeds properly is essential. Start by separating garlic bulbs into individual garlic cloves while avoiding damage to the pointy end of each clove. Plant garlic cloves promptly to prevent them from drying out or becoming too stressed.

For fall planted garlic, it’s crucial to prepare your garden soil by adding organic matter and ensuring it is well-drained to support robust garlic plants. If desired, soak the cloves overnight in a solution to give them a head start.

Properly planting garlic cloves inches deep and keeping them spaced adequately will promote healthy growth, setting the stage for flavorful homegrown garlic that can outshine commercial garlic in both taste and quality.

Calculating Needed Seed Quantity

You need approximately 50 cloves of seed garlic* per 25’ row with 6” spacing between cloves. For most garlic, expect a maximum yield of 10 pounds for every one pound planted.

Every variety of garlic varies in the number of cloves per bulb and the number of bulbs per pound. Please reference the garlic descriptions on our website to find out the information needed to calculate the number of cloves per pound.

*Example: how many pounds of Music garlic is needed to plant one 25’ row? One pound yields between 20–35 cloves per pound (4 cloves per bulb x 5 bulbs per pound (low end of the range). So you will need about 2–3 pounds of Music to plant one 25’ row.

Soil Preparation

Garlic prefers to be grown in full sun; partial shade is marginal, but full shade will not work. Garlic prefers a sandy and loamy soil with a pH range of 6–7 and good drainage. Test your soil and amend accordingly and make sure it is loose and not compacted. It is recommended to plow or till and amend the area you plan to plant your garlic at least one month prior to planting.

Garlic needs room to size up, so make sure to provide adequate room for your garlic to grow. Do not plant in areas where other allium crops (onions, garlic, chives, scallions, shallots and leeks) were planted in the last 3 years. Gophers love garlic, so be sure to protect your crop with gopher wire or gopher baskets prior to planting.

Planting & Growing

Plant by November 15th to take advantage of our Limited Seed Garlic Guarantee.

Your garlic will arrive in full bulbs (exception is the elephant garlic which comes with some cloves separated from the bulb). These bulbs need to be cracked into individual cloves for planting.

Plant the cloves within one week after the bulbs were cracked apart. Be careful not to damage the basal plate of the garlic (very bottom). Do not remove the skin from the individual cloves; the skin helps prevent the cloves from rotting in the ground. Separate the cloves by size; larger cloves should be planted for garlic production, the smaller cloves can be planted (or eaten) for garlic greens. Not all cloves are suitable to be planted to produce large bulbs of garlic.

Plant your garlic in slightly moist, well draining soil in the fall. September and October are optimal months to plant your garlic (it should be at least 2 weeks before the first frost in your area). This will give your garlic the best possible chances to withstand winter conditions, by giving it ample time to establish. November is late to plant garlic, and December is marginal. It is best to plant your garlic within a week or two after you received it. Garlic needs to be planted while it is still vibrant.

Some growers like soaking the cloves overnight prior to planting in a solution of liquid kelp (4 tablespoons per gallon of water) and baking soda (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) to give the cloves a good head start.

Plant the cloves with the pointed end up. In warmer climates, plant the cloves 1–2” deep in the soil. In colder climates, plant about 2–4” deep (measured from the top of the clove). Plant in rows no less than 12” apart with cloves planted 6” apart within in their row (allow about twice that for Elephant Garlic).

Place a layer of mulch on top of the rows (leaves, compost or straw works best), depths vary based on your climate (up to 8” in the north). To prevent frost damage in extreme winter regions, mulch should always be kept deep enough to prevent the shoots from surfacing. In areas with wetter winters (mild winter regions) a thin layer of mulch can be used.

Two to four weeks after planting your garlic, dig up (and then replant) enough of your cloves to check for signs of root growth and germination (green shoot coming out of the pointed tip). Repeat as necessary until you see signs of root growth and germination.

In the off-chance that you experience a significant lack of germination (over 50%), contact us within 45 days of receiving your garlic. You may be able to take advantage of our Limited Seed Garlic Guarantee (assuming you planted your garlic by November 15th). See the terms and conditions of our guarantee on this page.

Monitoring Growth

Stages of Garlic Growth

Understanding the stages of garlic growth is crucial for a successful harvest. After fall planting, as garlic grows, you will first notice garlic leaves emerging from the soil. During early spring, ensure that the soil pH is optimal and consider adding fish meal or chicken manure to boost growth. As the garlic develops, the plants will form a flowering stalk in hardneck varieties, which should be removed to focus energy on the garlic head. By early summer, you should monitor the garlic closely; the leaves will start to yellow, indicating that it is time to carefully dig up and store garlic. Maintain proper spacing of plant cloves inches apart and use straw mulch if needed to protect against fluctuating temperatures and help your own garlic reach its full potential.

Identifying Healthy Growth Patterns

To ensure your garlic is thriving, observe key indicators of healthy growth patterns as garlic grows from fall planting through early spring. Healthy garlic leaves should be lush and upright, signaling robust development.

Hardneck varieties and softneck types should show uniform growth, with plant cloves spaced inches apart and garlic heads forming well. In hardneck varieties, remove flowering stalks to redirect energy to the bulb. Use blood meal, fish meal, or chicken manure to maintain optimal soil pH and nutrients.

Proper straw mulch and raised bed conditions are crucial for protecting against temperature extremes and ensuring your own garlic remains healthy.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When troubleshooting common issues in garlic growth, start by examining the garlic leaves for signs of distress such as yellowing or wilting, which could indicate problems with soil pH or nutrient deficiencies. If garlic grows slowly or appears stunted, ensure that plant cloves are spaced inches apart and that the soil is well-drained and enriched with fish meal, chicken manure, or blood meal.

For hardneck varieties and softneck, make sure fall planting was done correctly and that straw mulch is appropriately applied to protect against the ground freezes. Monitor for any flowering stalks in hardneck varieties, which should be removed to focus growth on the bulb.

Use a garden fork to check for proper root development and avoid issues with garlic seed and raw garlic. Ensuring these factors can help you store garlic effectively and enjoy a bountiful harvest.

Required Care During Growth

Once planted, water only when the soil dries out (winter rains may suffice at first). Garlic loves water, but do not over-water or it may rot. Do not over fertilize; this could cause the garlic to grow prematurely before winter, causing it to freeze and die off.

During spring, after the last frost, mulching is no longer necessary and you can pull back your mulch. Fertilizing with a high nitrogen fertilizer is highly recommended. Be sure to keep the weeds away from your garlic; you can grow garlic or weeds, but not both!

If any of the plants start to turn yellow or look sick well before the expected harvest time, pull those plants and keep them separated from the rest of your garlic crop. They could be diseased and you don’t want it to spread to the other healthy plants.

When hardneck garlic stalks start to form scapes (a stem with a little bulge towards its end that will turn into a flower), cut them off when they begin to curl close to where the leaves start to form. This is done to direct the vigor of the plant into sizing up its bulb versus producing flowers, then seeds. Save the scapes. They are great sautéed!

Harvesting & Storage

As soon as the garlic plants begin to turn yellow (around June or July), stop watering and wait about 2 weeks to harvest. When the 2 weeks is up, your garlic is ready to be pulled from the ground!

Cure the garlic in the shade, or indoors. Do not leave in direct sunlight or the bulbs will get sunburned and rot. Make sure there is good air circulation or they may become moldy and rot. A good way to cure garlic is to tie them in bunches, or braid them together (if it is a softneck variety) and hang them in the garage or barn, away from windows.

Elephant Garlic needs to cure for at least 30 days before it is ready for consumption. Other varieties are a little quicker to cure. They will become stronger tasting with age. Most hardneck varieties store well for up to 6 months. Softneck varieties will store even longer. The ideal storage conditions are 50°F with a humidity below 60%.

Advanced Growing Techniques

Companion Planting

Companion planting is a valuable technique for growing garlic, enhancing its health and yield. Planting garlic seed near crops like tomatoes or peppers can help deter common pests, while fish meal and chicken manure can boost soil fertility and support robust garlic growth.

Ensure garlic leaves are healthy by maintaining proper soil pH and spacing plant cloves inches apart to reduce competition. In mild climates, using a raised bed with straw mulch can further protect against ground freezes and promote a better garlic head development.

Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is crucial for maintaining soil health and preventing garlic diseases. After fall planting, avoid replanting garlic in the same bed to reduce the risk of fungal diseases. Use fish meal and chicken manure to enrich the soil with nutrients while ensuring a balanced soil pH for optimal garlic growth.

Garlic seed should be rotated to new areas each year, keeping the garlic leaves and garlic heads healthy and productive. In mild climates, rotating with softneck or hardneck varieties can further enhance garlic yields and prevent pest buildup.

Growing Garlic Indoors

Growing garlic indoors can be a rewarding way to enjoy fresh garlic year-round. Start by planting garlic seed or raw garlic cloves in a raised bed or deep container with well-drained soil. Use fish meal and blood meal to enrich the soil and maintain the proper soil pH for healthy garlic growth.

Ensure that the garlic leaves have access to sufficient light, as garlic grows best with ample exposure, and regularly water the garlic to keep the soil consistently moist. Indoors, you'll avoid issues like ground freezing and can harvest your garlic heads in early spring, even if it's mild climates outside.

Conclusion

Growing garlic is a fulfilling endeavor that allows you to enjoy fresh, flavorful garlic bulbs right from your garden. Whether you choose to grow hardneck garlic or softneck varieties, understanding the growth stages is crucial. From the emergence of green shoots to the development of flower stems and garlic scapes, each stage plays a role in the overall health of your plants.

By the time you harvest garlic, you'll appreciate the effort that goes into nurturing these plants, particularly when compared to the often inferior supermarket garlic. Proper care during the growing season ensures your garlic heads will be full of plump cloves encased in a protective layer of papery skin.

If you're dealing with heavy clay soil, it's essential to amend it for better drainage, allowing for robust growth and larger heads of garlic. Remember, while hardneck varieties may produce fewer cloves per bulb, they often yield larger and more flavorful results.

Growing garlic at home not only enriches your culinary experience with flavorful, fresh garlic but also offers a satisfying gardening challenge. By understanding the different garlic varieties, such as hardneck and softneck, and mastering techniques like proper soil preparation, planting, and monitoring growth, you can ensure a bountiful harvest.

Utilizing advanced methods such as companion planting and crop rotation will further enhance your garlic's health and yield. Whether you're growing garlic outdoors or indoors, following these guidelines will help you achieve a successful and rewarding garlic garden.

In just a few weeks after harvesting, with the right curing and storage techniques, your homegrown garlic will be ready to enhance your culinary creations, offering an intense flavor that surpasses anything you can find in stores. If you are looking for a quality online seed supplier, check out our website where you can buy garlic online.