Fresh garlic is a staple in many kitchens, and good cooks know that a hint of garlic can enhance many dishes. The pungent bulbs are incredibly easy to grow and homegrown garlic will be far better and keep longer than what is sold in the supermarket.
Fall is the best time to plant garlic. Garlic cloves may be planted in well-drained soil from about the time of the first frost up until November. It is harvested in the summer after the bottom half of the leaves have begun to turn brown.
To plant garlic, break apart the bulbs into individual cloves. To grow larger garlic bulbs, plant only the largest cloves. Plant the cloves about two inches deep and four to six inches apart in rich soil. The roots will start to grow over winter, but you won’t see any top growth until spring. Give your garlic a blanket of mulch to protect the bulbs from heaving out of the soil over winter and to help keep down weeds.
Young garlic can be mistaken for grass when it begins to sprout, but a quick pinch of the leaves will release their aroma and eliminate any mistakes when weeding the patch.
There are many varieties of garlic available to choose from, but two main types; soft neck and hard neck. The soft neck varieties have a soft stem that makes them easy to braid.
Soft neck garlic bulbs have larger cloves on their outside layer with smaller cloves towards the center of the bulb. Soft neck garlic generally stores well, up to nine months.
Hard neck garlic has a stiff central stalk with fewer but larger cloves. It tends to be more winter hardy than soft neck varieties but doesn’t store as well, typically only five to six months. Hard neck garlic is a bit easier to peel than the soft neck varieties.
If you enjoy garlic, try planting some this fall. You’ll be glad you did!
As Charlie Sheen says, this article is “WN!INIGN”
Mike, I love yr emails,but I’m in a quandary. I love Hyacinths but I live in zone 9 & the weather is very unpredictable these days. The nights r 50-60F but the days r in the high 70F. It is Nov 26 & I don’t know WHAT to do. I know t5hat hyacinths R “cold weather” plants but I don’t know When 2 plant the bulbs. They have been in my fridge 4 a yr now, so I know they R cold enough, but WHEN do I plant them?
M.E.
I’d plant them now, I think they’ll be fine.
Hi Mike
I planted garlic in December since we had and still have a very mild winter this year. Because of the warm weather my garlic has already sprouted since late January. I had cut the sprouts once but they continue to grow.
Should I just allow the sprouts to grow or cut them off? We had a few days of below freezing temps at which time I put about 2 inches of mulch on top of the soil but I did not cover the sprouts. Today we have 55 degree weather.
What shall I do? Thank you for any suggestions.
Denise,
I’m not sure, I don’t know how much cold garlic can tolerate once sprouted. I’m guessing that anything below 28 degrees will be problematic, but I’d just be inclined to let it grow. Has a lot to do with where you live.
how much are the seeds, or what ever it grows out of, garlic, and ginger
We have some hydrangeas brushless. The blue ones. Do we cut the dead flowers off now or leave them on.
Jacqueline,
I’d cut them off. Right now in the nursery we are cutting back all of our hydrangeas since it is the end of the season.
Where can I purchase garlic to plant? Thank you
I got mine In the gro store…. Growing great.