Ever wondered how to plant garlic? Planting garlic is surprisingly easy, even a newbie gardener can do it! It’s one of the major additions to our garden line up this year because we use so much of it in our food, we wanted to grow as much of it as possible. You will not regret adding this to your garden!
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How To Plant Garlic
Garlic is so easy and straight forward to plant, all you need is a garden pot with well-drained soil, compost, a stick or finger to dig the holes, and garlic- lots of garlic.
Can You Plant Garlic From The Grocery Store?
Yes! Absolutely you can plant garlic from the grocery store, in fact, a huge chunk of the garlic we’ve planted is from bulk bags of garlic at the grocery store. Bear in mind that it may have been grown in a much milder climate than where you live and that it may have been chemically treated so that it won’t sprout- we’ve never had this problem.
Do You Peel Garlic Before Planting?
You do not need to peel the garlic cloves before planting, just break apart the bulb into individual cloves and plant.
Preparing Your Plot For Planting:
Where To Plant Garlic
Garlic shouldn’t be planted in a place that has already had garlic or another member of the onion family. Make sure your plot is well-drained and doesn’t pool water or this can cause the roots to rot or become diseased. Check out these tips for growing garlic.
Soil Preparation For Planting Garlic
Before planting garlic clear your bed of weeds, and removed any stones from the top 6 inches of soil. Work in several inches of well-rotted compost into the topsoil. Raised beds work really well for growing garlic, but you absolutely can do it in the ground.
When To Plant Garlic:
How To Plant Garlic In The Spring
Garlic can be planted in the spring around the same time as onion sets when the soil can be worked.
How To Plant Garlic In The Fall:
Plant cloves in mid-autumn in a sunny location. In the north, you’ll want to cover your garlic with 6 inches of mulch to protect them over the winter. Mulching will help to keep the garlic roots from being pushed out of the soil as the ground freezes and thaws. A lighter layer of mulch in more southern areas can help to control weeds over the winter. The garlic may start to grow late in the fall or early in the spring.
How To Plant Garlic From A Bulb
Gently break apart the bulb of garlic into individual pieces, don’t bother peeling them. Using a stick or a finger make a 2-inch hole in the soil. Insert a clove of garlic root side down into the hole and cover back over 1-2 inches of soil. Continue until you are out of bulbs, leaving around 4-inches between the rows. Firm the soil around the bulbs and water if the bed is dry.
Spring Care
When leaves begin to grow, begin feeding the plants to help encourage more growth. Use a teaspoon or two of a high-nitrogen fertilizer the decomposes slowly such as a blood meal and work it into the soil near each plant. Use a thin layer of mulch to help retain moisture and keep any weeds under control.
Some varieties will bloom in late spring, make sure you cut off these shoots. This will make the plant focus all of its energy on the garlic bulb. In June garlic will stop growing leaves and begin to form the bulb. Remove any mulch around your garlic at this point and stop watering. Garlic will store better if you allow the soil around the garlic bulbs dry out.
When & How To Harvest Garlic
Garlic can be harvested once the leaves have turned brown, this usually happens in mid-July to early August depending on your climate. You can harvest garlic by gently digging up the garlic bulbs, be careful not to bruise them while you are digging. If the bulbs are left in the ground for too long the cloves can separate causing it not to store well.
Lay the bulbs out in a shady place for 2-3 weeks with good air circulation (if you are expecting rain make sure you bring them in). When the roots become brittle rub them off of the bulbs.
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