How to grow Garlic:

Garlic crops should be planted around October 15th . Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the easiest vegetables to grow. It requires little space and can be planted in the fall after many other crops have been harvested. Although there are many types of garlic, they can be classified into two broad categories: hardneck and softneck. Each has its own characteristics.

Hardneck garlic, favored by gourmet chefs, has larger, more flavorful cloves of uniform size and does well in our climate. Hardneck garlic may be purple, purple striped, or white.  

Softneck garlic is most likely what you find in the supermarket. It typically has 10-40 smaller cloves, does better in warmer climates and has longer shelf life than the hardneck varieties.  Do not plant garlic from supermarkets which may be treated with an anti-sprouting agent.

 When determining how many bulbs to purchase, remember that each bulb has a number of individual cloves. Each clove will be planted to produce an entire bulb. Select a sunny spot for planting to ensure larger bulbs. Prepare your soil by blending in aged compost and/or sphagnum peat moss. Then plant each clove (with its skin intact) pointed end up 3-4 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart. Garlic will thrive in moist, well drained soil. Do not let it dry out during its life cycle. Mulch the garlic after it is planted. If cloves sprout during warm fall days, don’t be alarmed as those shoots can tolerate the cold winter temperatures.

 Garlic needs consistent moisture throughout the winter to develop market-sized bulbs. Apply one inch of water per week during dry periods through mid-June to ensure good bulb formation. Stop watering after this period to encourage maturation and discourage bulb diseases.

 Hardneck varieties will develop a flower, known as a scape. Scapes should be cut off when they appear in order to make the bulbs larger. These edible stems can be used like scallions or green onions!

 Harvest when the garlic leaves start to turn brown, generally in summer.Carefully lift each bulb out of the soil. Then cure your harvest on a screen or newspaper in a warm, shaded and well-ventilated location for 2-3 weeks at which point your garlic will be dried (“cured”). Then cut off the leaves leaving about 2 inches of stem and store bulbs in a cool place in paper bags until used.