Stock your pantry with homegrown garlic and discover a world of unexpected flavor.
By growingyour own garlic, you’re able to explore the diverse flavors garlic has to offer.
Fall is the time for planting garlic in the garden.
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The bulbs will be ready for harvest early the following summer.
Hardneckgarlic varieties produce large, easy to peel bulbs that have dramatic and distinctive flavors.
This limits where hardneck garlic can be planted in the South.
Softneck varieties have a soft central stem that allows for easy braiding of the harvested plants.
These varieties store longer and tend to have a more subtle flavor than hardneck garlic.
Softneck garlic varieties perform well in warm climates because they do not require vernalization to initiate bulb formation.
They do not produce scapes and tend to have smaller, but more numerous cloves per bulb.
Talk with growers at local nurseries and farmers markets to find out what varieties do well in your area.
You may wish to try several varieties to compare flavors.
The tall slender foliage looks right at home just about anywhere in the garden.
The main consideration in siting garlic is soil.
Heavy clay soil can cause misshapen bulbs while poor drainage encourages rot.
Select a location with good drainage.
Plant cloves after the first light frost of fall, September through November, depending on your location.
Garlic cloves have a top and bottom!
Space cloves 6 to 8 inches apart.
Dig planting holes deep enough that the cloves can be covered by two inches of soil.
Thiswill keep the necks of the bulbs straight.
Cover the planting area with a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch and water well.
Strive to keep the soil moist but not too wet.
Overwatering can lead to poor bulb development and mold problems.
It is also important to manage weeds throughout the growing season.
This indicates it is time to fertilize plants.
One of two methods can be used to fertilize garlic, use the one that fits yourgardening style.
The first option is foliar-feeding plants with liquid fertilizer.
Foliar applications must be made every two weeks through mid-May, at which time the bulbs begin to form.
An alternate method is to make a single software of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal.
Refer to labelled utility rates for other slow-release fertilizers.
Continue to manage weeds around garlic plants to limit competition for nutrients and water.
When growing hardneck varieties, you will see scapes emerge from plants during this time.
Remove the scapes to promote larger bulbs.
Garlic scapes are edible and delicious.
Add them to any dish for a mild garlic flavor.
Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest when one half to three-quarters of the leaves turn yellow.
Lift the entire plant from the soil by hand or use a garden fork in compacted soils.
Brush soil off the bulbs, but do not wash them.
Once cured, bulbs will store for 6 to 8 months.
Braid similar varieties together and label them to keep track of different cultivars.
Garlic is easy to grow and takes up little space in the garden.
The main benefit of growing your own garlic is the ability to try new varieties.
Discover a whole new world of flavor by planting garlic in thegarden this fall.
