templatedraft1p10growing

Into The Garlic Patch!
Basic planting and growing information.

We have seen many different growing practices over the years, and our own method has been (and continues to be) an evolution, adopting successes and discarding failures. Here are the basics:

Garlic likes rich, well drained soil. If standing water is a problem, raised beds can be the answer. Ph of between 6.5 and 7.0.
A cover of winter rye is sowed the autumn preceding rotation of patch into garlic production. We then grow 2 successions of buckwheat, turned under just as it flowers, as green manure.
Fertilizer- We use a crab/shrimp meal fertilizer (4-1-1), and apply approximately 1LB for every 10 square feet, approximately 30 days before planting.
October/November (in Kentucky), 6 weeks prior to hard frost, plant the largest cloves 4 to 6 inches apart in the row, with clove's root end down. Cover with 2 to 4 inches of soil. In Northern areas, mulch should be considered if snow cover is unlikely, as freezing and thawing can cause cloves to heave.
As green tops begin to appear, weed patrol should start. In conjunction with weeding, sidedress with fertilizer and/or compost. Garlic does not compete well with weeds because of its narrow leaf.
Hardneck garlics will begin to scape (put up flower stalk) approximately May 10th (earlier in the south, later in the north). Best bulbs result from removing scape ASAP and they are delicious raw or steamed! It is a fact that delayed removal of the scape means a smaller bulb. If, however, you are interested in the complete growing cycle of a garlic, it would be worth a couple of smaller bulbs to watch the progression of the "flower".
Garlic should be harvested once 25% of the leaves have begun to die back. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL TOPS DIE AND FALL OVER! Dig under each bulb with a spade, do not attempt to pull it out by the top. Lift and gently shake the dirt from the roots and immediately cover or move to shade to prevent "sunburn" which will result in greening of cloves and bitter flavor.
Cure garlic in a dry, shaded, airy location- we tie ours in bunches and hang in our old tobacco barn- for 3 weeks. If you can't or don't want to wait, garlic can be used any time. See our recipe for Green Garlic Soup!
Storage- Garlic will store the best if left whole (tops and roots on).

That's it! It's a very rewarding crop to grow, so don't be surprised if you get hooked!