“There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and garlic.” Louis Diat
Those who know me have often heard me list the items in my kitchen that I will never be without-wine, olive oil, cheese, and garlic. Of course the list is much longer than that but those are the very basics that ensure that if my girls were ever on a game show and offered a million dollars to name three things in their mother’s kitchen, they would win. And then we would all promptly move to the south of France!
As a staple in my kitchen, I thought it time that I try my hand at growing my own. My first attempt came in at a solid C+, which I am very ok with and super happy to be cooking with what I harvested right from the back yard. I will share the outline of the process I used but know that there are whole books and some great videos on this topic that can give a much more detailed step by step directions.
First attempt at growing garlic from my little potager
First, a another little history lesson. Garlic is one of the oldest known food flavoring and seasoning plants that managed to weave its way into culinary traditions of many civilizations across the world. Its history is long and convoluted. Originally from Central Asia, it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for over 5,000 years. Gladiators ate garlic prior to battle and Egyptian slaves purportedly consumed it to give them strength to build the pyramids.
The crusaders brought back garlic to Europe. Later Spanish, French, and Portuguese settlers introduced garlic into the Americas. Garlic consumption in the United States has tripled since the 1990’s, with more people discovering the delightful properties of this bulb. Worldwide there are over 2.5 million acres in garlic cultivation! Mama mia, that's a lot of garlic!
Now, the fun part, how to grow this lovely, fragrant, necessary bulb all by yourself. I used a number of different resources to get started that were all helpful and while each offered a unique point of view, the basics were pretty consistent.
Garlic is an easy-to-grow crop that requires little to no care, and if you set aside a head or two from each harvest for planting the next season, you’ll never have to buy garlic again.
Because garlic grows throughout the winter, it is a great crop for keeping your garden in production year-round. Also, heads of garlic can last for a long time when properly cured and stored, so they can be used in the kitchen and enjoyed for months longer than many other vegetables from the garden.
Garlic is planted in the fall and overwinters until harvest time in early summer
STEP 1
Choosing Your Variety
Choose the variety of garlic you would like to grow. Softneck and hardneck varieties of garlic are so named because of their stalks. While softneck garlic has pliable stalks that can be braided for storage and an attractive display, hardneck garlic stalks are woody, stiff and not suitable for braiding.
While softneck garlic (Allium sativum sativum) usually has all-white bulbs, hardneck garlic (Allium sativum ophioscorodon) is more likely to have hues of pink and purple. Hardneck garlic is also known to have more intense flavor than softneck varieties. Softneck garlic lasts longer in storage than hardneck. Including the curing period (more on curing later) softneck can last for six months or even longer, while hardneck typically lasts from three to four months. Hardneck garlic also grows a flower stem called a scape — and garlic scapes are like a bonus crop.
When sourcing the garlic cloves (“seeds”) for planting, your regular grocery store garlic is probably not suited to growing in your region so first look to your local farmers and growers. A farmers market or farm stand that carries locally grown garlic is a great source for seed garlic that will produce well where you live.
Step 2
When to Plant
October is the most popular month to plant garlic, but depending on where you live, you could plant sooner or later.
In the North, late September or October are the best times to plant garlic cloves. It should be done at least two weeks before the first frost of the season, and must be done before the ground freezes.
In the South, October is an ideal time but you could wait until November, December or even January. However, it’s best to err on the side of planting early than late.
Step 3
How to Plant
Garlic can be grown either in-ground or in a raised garden bed. Either way, garlic will grow best and produce the biggest heads when planted in soil that drains readily and is rich in organic matter.
But do not add fertilizer at planting time, as it may stimulate vigorous growth early on that will be damaged when winter weather sets in.
Set aside the largest and healthiest garlic cloves each year to grow and repeat the cycle season after season
Cloves should always be planted with the pointed side up and the root-end down, just like when planting flower bulbs.
Either immediately upon planting or soon before frost is expected, protect the garlic with a generous application of mulch.
Loose straw makes for a great, fluffy, insulating mulch, should be applied in a 6-inch layer. Alternatively, 4 inches of shredded leaves are just as effective. In warmer climates where the ground doesn’t freeze, all that’s needed is 2 inches of organic mulch to block weeds and retain moisture. Water deep but infrequently.
STEP 4
How/When to Harvest
In Southern climates, fall-planted garlic may be ready to be pulled up as soon as May or June. In the North, harvest time will likely be around the middle of July or as last as mid-August.
When garlic is approaching maturity, the leaves running up the stalk turn yellow then brown, starting at the bottom of the plant and moving up. The leaves begin to lose their vigor and start to flop over. This is a good sign that your garlic is approaching maturity.
Yanking the bulbs out of the soil forcefully may damage the plant. Before trying to pull up garlic, carefully loosen the soil around it with a trowel of a garden fork. Then the bulb should come out of the ground with ease.
When garlic comes out of the ground, do not remove the stalk or roots. Garlic needs to be cured for storage first, or it will have a very short shelf-life.
Curing
After the garlic has been pulled up, shake off the loose dirt, but do not rinse or scrub the garlic. Keep the entire plant intact at this stage and don’t let it get wet. If it is a warm, dry day, the garlic will benefit from a few hours outdoors to dry out, but it’s best to avoid high temperatures over 90 F, bright sunlight, and if it’s wet out, it’s best to get the garlic indoors straightaway.
In a house or well-ventilated garage and out of direct sunlight, garlic plants can be placed on wire racks or hung, roots up. They should be spaced out to allow airflow so it dries quickly and does not get moldy. (Run a fan if you can.)
Garlic can be cured by laying it flat and spacing it out in a well-ventilated area. This process prepares the bulbs for storage and improves the taste. Leave the entire plant intact for curing.
It can also be very loosely bundled together and hung to dry making sure to leave enough space between each plant.
After 10-14 days, the outer skin of each head of garlic should be dry and papery. At this point, the stalks can be cut off and composted. In the case of softneck garlic, the stalks may be left on for braiding.
Garlic deteriorates faster once a clove has been broken off from the head, so it’s best to keep heads whole until cloves are needed.
Garlic should be kept in a dry, dark place to discourage sprouting. A garlic keeper jar, with holes for ventilation, or a paper bag works well. Never put garlic in a plastic bag or an air-tight container, as trapped moisture will cause mold.
At room temperature — assuming the room is relatively dry — garlic will last one or two months, if not longer. At cooler temperatures, down to 40° Fahrenheit, garlic will last its longest. Storing at a relative humidity of 60 to 70% with good airflow is ideal to prevent the accumulation of moisture.
If you set aside your largest bulbs each year and plant the largest cloves, you can repeat the cycle indefinitely and your garlic will continue to improve.
Happy planting!
Sources:
grayduckgarlic.com
southernexposure.com
vegetablefacts.net
joegardner.com
oldworldgardenfarms.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdCfCFILkc