The Ultimate Guide to Growing Garlic: Tips for Beginners
Garlic is a versatile and flavorful addition to any garden, offering a bounty of culinary and health benefits. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a complete beginner, growing garlic is a rewarding experience that can transform your cooking and your garden. The best part? It’s simple to grow, requires little maintenance, and thrives in a variety of climates. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow your own garlic—from preparing the soil to planting, nurturing, and harvesting your crop. Get ready to enjoy fresh, homegrown garlic that’s more flavorful and aromatic than anything you’ll find at the grocery store. Let’s dive in!
How to Store Garlic Seed Before Planting:
Remove garlic from the shipping box.
Store at room temperature with good ventilation.
DO NOT store in enclosed containers and DO NOT store in plastic.
DO NOT break garlic into separated cloves unless you are planting within 24-48 hours.
When to Plant your Garlic Seed:
Garlic should be planted in the fall, about 2-4 weeks before the ground begins to freeze for winter.
In Northern states, it is advised to mulch after planting to protect the cloves from severe weather conditions.
In most of North America, October is a good baseline for planting, if there is neither frozen ground nor high temperatures.
In very cold climates, garlic may need to be planted in September.
Climates with warm winters can delay planting until November or December.
Consider vernalization to enhance seed production.
Preparing your Soil:
Soil should be worked to a depth of 18 inches. Clay will benefit with deeper preparation to avoid soil compaction around the roots.
Amend soil with organic matter if/when possible.
Garlic grows best in areas with full sun, ample water, and weed removal.
If your area is prone to heavy rain, it is important to prepare for good soil drainage before planting.
Amending the Soil:
Work in ample compost to boost soil organic matter and help with drainage. Examples include grass clippings, vegetable peelings and leaves.
If compost is unavailable, you can purchase textures compost manures from a local nursery or farm store to work into the soil.
If your garden is heavy with clay, mix organic materials thoroughly.
If your soil is acidic, mix in lime.
Fertilizing your Garlic:
Plants use nutrients in the soil. When you add fertilizer, the soil breaks down the nutrients that the plant will absorb to grow. Balance is key with fertilizer.
Add phosphorus in the fall. Before planting, work a couple of tablespoons of a 5-10-10 complete fertilizer, such as bone meal or fish meal into the soil several inches below where the base of the garlic will rest.
Adding nitrogen fertilizer in the early spring, such as blood meal (which can be added to irrigation water) or chicken manure pellets. Nitrogen will help the garlic bulb development.
Always follow label directions when adding any fertilizer.
Finish adding all fertilizers by early May.
Pre-Soaking your Garlic (Optional):
The first bath will treat fungus and bacteria. The second bath will stimulate root growth.
Separate bulbs into individual cloves prior to soaking. Leave as many of the outer papers on the cloves as possible, some will come off during soaking. This is okay.
Soak only one type of garlic at a time.
Bath 1: Mix 1 gallon water with 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 pint vodka (or rubbing alcohol). Soak cloves for 5-10 minutes.
Bath 2: Mix 1 gallon water with 1 tablespoon liquid seaweed. Soak cloves for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the second bath and plant immediately.
Suggested Garlic Planting and Spacing:
Space rows 12-16 inches apart.
Within each row, plant cloves 6 inches apart.
Plant cloves 3 inches deep. (root side down, pointed end up)
Closer spacing reduces the chance for larger bulbs.
Leave enough room between rows for weeding, watering, mulching, and harvesting.
Mulching your Garlic:
Mulching is used for insulating the cloves, moisture retention, soil amendment, and weed control/suppression.
Mulch is not required in every garden. If you live in a cold area and choose to mulch, it should be between 2-6 inches, and should have some fluff to help trap insulating air. It is common to use straw, hay, grass clippings, or leaves.
Some areas with high wind will lay chicken wire over mulch to keep it from blowing away.
Add mulch after planting in the fall, and (possibly) remove mulch in the spring. Mulching can slow the warming of the soil in the spring and can trap moisture and cause the bulbs to mold.
Watering your Garlic:
The best yielding garlic is produced when the soil is never allowed to fully dry and has moisture depth of the roots. There should be plenty of water for healthy growth and bulb development, but not so much that the soil is saturated.
If the soil is dry at the time of planting, water immediately so that the root system has enough moisture to begin root development.
As harvest approaches, stop watering to allow ground and roots time to dry. (approximately 2-3 weeks prior to harvest)
Watering will change depending on your climate and growing environment.
Weeding your Garlic:
Weeds become problematic for garlic when they have deep root systems and high foliage that shades the garlic leaves.
Weeds should be removed to allow maximum sun exposure and plenty of space for bulb development.
Staining of your Garlic:
Stains are normal and do not affect the garlic bulbs or cloves.
Garlic grows well in organic soils, but the color tends to stain the skins.
Red soils can also stain garlic skins.
Stains can increase when garlic is harvested while soil is wet or moist.
With the right care and patience, you'll soon be enjoying a bountiful harvest of delicious, homegrown garlic that will elevate your meals and make your garden thrive—happy planting!