Garlic Growing Guidelines

Garlic sub-varieties are classified into two types: hardneck and softneck. Softneck garlic grows better in warm regions, but hardneck garlic is preferred by northern producers. Softneck garlic keeps and carries easier than hardneck garlic, has a richer taste, and yields bigger cloves in general. Try elephant garlic for a softer garlic flavor—really it’s more strongly related to leeks rather than pure garlic.

When producing garlic, the usage of fertilizer might be useful. As you transplant your garlic in the autumn, incorporate a slow-release biofertilizer combination into the soil. When the foliage begins to sprout in the springtime, feed the soil around your crops with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer combination.

One of the most crucial aspects of producing garlic successfully is starting with nutrient-rich soil. It should also be wet yet well-draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. After planting, spread a covering of mulch on top of the soil to protect the bulbs, retain moisture, and discourage weed development.

True to its easy-going nature, garlic doesn’t have a ton of water requirements. It generally likes its soil moist and should receive around an inch of water per week, with a slight increase if the weather is especially warm. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the first part of the growing season, but allow the soil to go dry for two or three weeks before harvesting if conditions are too wet near harvest time, mold can grow.

While it may seem strange for a plant that grows mainly underground, garlic adores sunshine. Plant your garlic in a location that receives full sunshine for at least 6 – 8 hours every day to give it the best chance of success.

Garlic is an extremely resilient plant that thrives throughout the cooler winter months. That stated, seed your garlic around a month before the first hard cold in the fall. Furthermore, garlic has no specific humidity needs.

When the bulk of the bottom leaves has turned brown, it’s harvest time for your garlic. This normally happens around mid to late summer, although you may be able to do it in the spring as well. To check ripeness, dig out a test bulb or two the garlic has to be well-wrapped but again not split.
Stick a garden fork directly down into the dirt approximately 15 to 20 cm away from the plant to collect. The fork should be angled such that it goes beneath the bulb and raises out of the soil. Pulling the bulb out by its foliage risks tearing the bulb off. Garlic bruises readily, so exercise caution.
Garlic that has been harvested prefers to be kept at cool temperatures, as low as 0 degrees celsius. Softneck varieties can live for up to 8 months. Within two or four months, hardneck cultivars may dry out, sprout, or become mushy. Hardnecks can occasionally live for seven or eight months without deterioration if kept at 0 degrees celsius.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-quart olive oil

Servings

1 person

Prepping time

5 min

Cooking time

15 min