Garlic is one of those crops that takes a little patience — and a little planning — but it’s worth it when you pull up those fragrant bulbs next summer. While it doesn’t require a lot of attention, it does take both time and space, especially if you dedicate an entire bed to it.
The good news? You don’t have to. Garlic can easily be interplanted with other vegetables in your fall garden. Tuck a few cloves between your lettuce, spinach, or carrots, and they’ll quietly grow through the winter while helping to deter pests along the way.
The other day, I was in the grocery store and noticed that the garlic on the shelf was from Spain — and I couldn’t help but wonder, why are we importing garlic when it’s so easy to grow right here at home?
Store-bought garlic can’t compare to the freshness and flavor of homegrown. When you grow your own, you know exactly how it was planted, fed, and harvested — no long trips across the ocean or months sitting in storage. Freshly dug garlic has a rich aroma and taste that elevates every dish, and there’s something satisfying about pulling a bulb from the soil that you planted months before. Plus, growing your own means you can experiment with different varieties that never make it to the grocery store shelves.
Tips on Growing Garlic:
- Choose Healthy Bulbs: Look for the biggest and healthiest garlic bulbs you can find. Make sure the cloves are firm, not soft. Visit your local garden nursery or farmer’s market. They will carry the best variety for your area.
- Pick the Right Type for Your Area: If you live in a warmer climate, like I do in the South, “soft-neck” garlic is recommended. It produces more but smaller bulbs and stores well. You can also braid the soft stems for storage. In cooler climates, “hard-neck” garlic is a better choice. It has fewer but larger cloves and offers garlic scapes, though it doesn’t store as long.
- Varieties: Garlic comes in many varieties. When deciding what to plant, consider storage, flavor, and bulb size. I chose the Early-California variety, a soft-neck garlic that’s easy to grow, medium-sized, mild-flavored, and stores excellently. It’s one of the most common varieties grown in the U.S.
- Use Planting Garlic, Not Store Garlic: While some people grow garlic from supermarket bulbs, they may have been treated with sprout inhibitors. Purchase garlic sold specifically for planting.
Planting Garlic:
- Location: Garlic needs full sun and well-drained, rich soil.
- Timing: Plant garlic in late fall, before the ground freezes. I like to plant mine before the first frost to give it time to develop roots before winter sets in. My plan is this weekend the end of October.
- Storage Tip: If you order your garlic early, don’t store it in the refrigerator or it will sprout. Keep it in a cool, dry place around 60-70°F with low humidity. I’m storing mine in my basement office, which stays cool, and I run a dehumidifier.
- Prepare the Soil: Amend your soil with plenty of compost before planting for good drainage and initial nutrients. I don’t add any organic all purpose fertilizer when I plant mine, but if you do, avoid high nitrogen fertilizers, which lead to lots of green growth but small bulbs. Remember on the package the three numbers. NPK . The first number is nitrogen, so don’t purchase a fertilizer where the first number is higher. Adding bone meal to the soil is also important as it provides phosphorus, which promotes root development.
- Planting Depth: Separate the cloves from the bulb but leave the outer skin intact to prevent rotting. Plant cloves flat side down, pointy side up, about 3-4 inches deep in loosened soil. Space them 6-8 inches apart. Mulch with straw or leaves to insulate them for the winter.
- Watering: Water gently after planting and continue watering every 5-6 days if it doesn’t rain until the garlic is established. Once winter sets in, you won’t need to water. In the spring, if it’s dry, water every 7-10 days. Garlic needs hot, dry summer weather to mature, so stop watering about a month before harvest, which for me will be around July.
Growing garlic requires patience, but with the right preparation and care, you’ll have plenty of garlic next summer!
Grab Your Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet Here
Happy Gardening!
Karen
P.S. Don’t forget to make this delicious garlic/chive herb butter for your holiday meals.
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