October is a good time to plant garlic in your garden. Garlic is easy to grow but follow some simple steps to make sure you will get the biggest bulbs the following summer. First is to select the variety that is right for your growing region.

Hardneck garlic makes the biggest bulbs if grown in colder winter regions. 

Georgian Fire is one of our favorite hardneck garlics that is great for salsa and is known for having a strong spicy flavor with a creamy finish.

Another amazing and unique hardneck garlic suitable for cooler climate growing conditions is Spanish Roja - a spicy and sweet heirloom garlic that goes great with a variety of soups or stews. 

Softnecks are more suited to mild winter climates.

The crowd-pleasing elephant garlic is an exceptional choice for warmer climates. Not a true garlic, elephant garlic is actually a leek and has an amazing cooked or roasted flavor. 

Another planting tip is to plant the biggest cloves, they will produce the biggest bulbs. Don’t toss out the smaller cloves–grow them to use as garlic scallions.

Next, don’t plant them too close together, give them at least 6” between cloves. Gophers love garlic, so use gopher baskets or gopher wire to protect from hungry pests.

Keep your garlic bed well weeded, garlic does not like to compete with other plants. Add a layer of mulch to your garlic bed and you’re done!