HOW TO GROW, HARVEST & STORE YOUR GARLIC

When to plant your garlic: 

For those in northern climates, plant your garlic in October. Those in southern climates may plant theirs in November through December. If you live in a really warm region where winter temperatures stay above 30-40ºF you should vernalize (cold treat) your garlic seed before planting. To vernalize your seed, put bulbs in a cold chamber at around 4°C (40ºF) and 80% humidity for 30 to 40 days. Do not freeze your garlic seed.

Selecting your site: 

When selecting a site for planting garlic, make sure it has not had onions or other alliums growing there in the previous season, and, ideally, not for at least three years. For optimum bulb size, choose a site with full sun and moist, well-drained, nutrient-rich, loose soil, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Work the soil about ten inches deep, adding organic matter and perhaps even sand to improve drainage.

Preparing your garlic for planting: 

Gently remove the outer skin from the bulb and separate the individual cloves, taking care not to damage them. Leave in place the thin papery skin that covers each clove. For optimum bulb size, choose the largest cloves for planting and use the smaller ones for cooking or preserving. 

Planting your garlic cloves: 

Plant the individual cloves in your prepared loose, fertile soil so the tips are about two inches beneath the surface of the soil and the cloves are six to seven inches apart. If planting in rows, you can space your cloves 4 inches apart. If you're tight on space, you can plant the cloves closer together, but know that your bulbs will inevitably be smaller. It helps to add a layer of mulch atop your soil after planting to safeguard the bulbs, conserve moisture, and prevent the growth of weeds. 

Water your garlic: 

Water the garlic every 5 to 7 days throughout the growing season. When you see the soil get dry and dusty, that means it's time to water. Garlic plants don't need to be water during the fall and winter. Garlic prefers hotter and drier conditions as it matures. If you water the garlic less frequently near the end of the growing season, it will dry out a bit and its flavor will be better. Of course, the amount of water your garlic needs depends on your area's climate, so keep a close eye on your soil. 

Fertilize as necessary: 

If the garlic shoots look yellowish or limp in the middle of the growing season, you can dress the plants with fertilizer to help them perk up. 

Weed your garlic: 

Keep the garlic bed weeded so that the garlic doesn't have to compete with other plants for nutrients and water. 

Break off flower shoots in the spring: 

In early to mid-spring you will see scapes (stems) appear. For optimum bulb size take off your garlic scapes when they curl up, before the straighten out again. 

Harvesting your garlic: 

You'll know it's time to harvest your garlic when the majority of the bottom leaves have turned brown, which usually happens by mid to late summer. You may also know when it’s time to harvest when the outer wrapper turns papery. Before you harvest your whole crop, pull one or two up and check if the outer wrapper is still glossy or if it looks papery. If the outer wrapper is still glossy, wait a bit longer. If it’s papery, harvest your crop. If you harvest to soon, your garlic will shrivel up when curing. You may still eat the garlic but it will not have quite the taste and storage life will be short. If you have waited to long, you will have hardly or no wrappers left. You can still eat and plant your garlic, but you will not have that beautiful looking bulb, and storage life will be shorter as well with no wrappers.

Curing your harvested garlic

There are many ways to cure garlic. Some prefer hanging them in bundles. Others cut the roots and stem and put them one or two layers deep on a shelf or mesh screen with a fan plowing air on them, etc. Simply do it the way is easiest for you. Only keep in mind to have enough airflow, especially in high humidity climates, otherwise the bulbs might root. Keep your garlic in an area out of direct sunlight or garlic cloves might turn green at the tip. Choose an area with 70 to 80 degrees and if you have the option with not to high humidity. It takes about two to three weeks to cure garlic. You may want to take one layer off after curing to reveal that clean, beautiful-looking bulb.

Storing your garlic for long keep: 

After curing store garlic in a cool (60 to 65 degrees), dimly lit place with air circulation. You don’t want to put your garlic in an airtight container or it will begin to rot.

RELAX AND ENJOY THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR