How to grow Garlic?
- Latin Family: Amaryllidaceae
- Latin Genus: Allium
- Ease of Growing: Easy
- Growing Type: Annual
Garlic is a fairly easy crop to grow and one of the most satisfying. The most important factor in growing good garlic is planting it at the right time.
While growing garlic is simple, it is very time consuming to allow the plants to grow, ripen, and cure. Those with short growing seasons may be able to grow garlic in the fall/winter, or at the very least harvest green garlic.
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Garlic History
Garlic has been prized as a culinary flavoring for at least 5000 years and was cultivated by almost every ancient civilization, from the Chinese, Indians, and Egyptians and on. It probably originated in Central Asia, but no longer occurs there as a wild plant.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 5.5 - 7.0
- PH Ideal (min/max): 6.0 - 6.2
Garlic will grow well enough on poor soil, but the bulbs won't get very big. For big beautiful bulbs it needs a light, rich, deep, well drained [loam] with lots of [organic matter]. Drainage is important for this over-wintering crop, as the roots may rot if they stay wet and cold for too long.
Garlic sends down roots 2 feet or more, so if the soil is at all heavy, or compacted, [double digging] and incorporating organic matter will help. Raised beds are also beneficial as they help to ensure good winter drainage.
Garlic does well following a recently incorporated summer [green manure] crop, as it benefits from the newly released nutrients. Wait at least two weeks for the crop to decompose a little, before planting the garlic.
How to care for Garlic?
Garlic is very hardy and its roots will continue to grow as long as the soil doesn't freeze. The tops will grow whenever the temperature is above 40 degrees F.
In summer garlic needs warm days (cool nights are fine) for good growth. Too much heat (above 95 degrees F) can hasten maturation, which isn't good as it means the plant has less time to store food and its bulbs will be smaller. Rain isn't good either while the bulbs are maturing.
Water
This is another critical factor in growing good garlic. The plants need a steady and constant supply of moisture when putting on leaf growth and bulbing up.
Fertilizer
Moderate nitrogen. Moderate phosphorous. Moderate potassium. Garlic isn't a very hungry plant, but it needs a steady supply of nutrients for best growth.
Seeds
Seed Viability:
Garlic doesn't produce viable seed, it is propagated vegetatively from the same cloves you use in cooking. You have to save some of the bulbs for re-planting at the appropriate time. These must be stored carefully, otherwise they may dry out or sprout prematurely. If you use the same strain for long enough, it will eventually adapt to your climate.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
Full sun
Conditions:Cold, Cool, Warm
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
The bulbs must be thoroughly dry before storing them. They should be stored in a cool dry place, with 60 to 70% humidity and good air circulation.
If the bulbs are to be used fairly quickly, they can be stored at 50 to 60˚ F.
Storage Req: Cool, Dry
Storage Temp: 50-60°F
Storage Length: days
The bulbs must be thoroughly dry before storing them. They should be stored in a cool dry place, with 60 to 70% humidity and good air circulation.
For long term storage (and for the bulbs that will be re-planted in fall) the bulbs should ideally be kept at 35 to 40˚ F. Store them in wooden boxes, mesh bags, or the traditional Garlic braids.
It is tempting to hang the attractive braids in the kitchen, but it is usually too warm and dry there. Often some of the bulbs will dry out before you get around to using them.
Storage Req: Cool, Dry
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: days
Problems
Bolting
This is undesirable because it diverts energy that could be used for enlarging the bulbs. If plants start to [bolt], cut off the flower stalks as they appear, and don’t let them flower. Some people say that bulbs that have bolted, store better (even if they are smaller).
Don’t throw the flower stalks away, eat them. In Asia they are highly prized as food and special varieties are grown to produce them.
Gophers
Gophers love Garlic and will eat it plant by plant, right down the row if given the opportunity.
Garlic Types
- Elephant
- Mix
- Asiatic & Turban
- Hardneck
- Softneck
This elephant-sized garlic is not just a bigger variety, it is actually a different species (it is really a variety of leek). The leaves and flower resemble a leek, but it produces a garlic-like bulb. Elephant Garlic is grown the same way as garlic.
Mix of different types of garlic.
These Hardneck varieties are the earliest to harvest, but have the shortest storage lives. Asiatics typically have 8 - 12 cloves per bulb, while Turban varieties have 6 large cloves. They also appear to do well in dry climates, like in the southwestern United States.
Hardnecks (Allium sativum ssp. ophioscorodon) are closer to wild garlic, with complex flavors. These are the garlics that some compare to wines with subtle differences that reflect the regional soil and weather patterns. One simple benefit to the cook is the way some of their skins slip off smoothly. Hardnecks do not store as long as softnecks—cure them, eat them within a few months, and get to know their distinctive flavors. Hardneck garlic can be identified by the hard flower stalk that often does a loop as it grows.
This is the garlic you’ll find in most grocery stores. These varieties often do well when planted in spring. The bulb has a mild flavor. A great virtue of the softneck garlic (Allium sativum ssp. sativum) is that it stores very well. Since the necks are (literally) soft, you can cut them nice and long for braiding. A braid of garlic makes a winning kitchen gift for friends and family!
Pests
- Leafhoppers
- Leafminers
- Slugs and snails
- Stink Bug
- Aphids
- Gophers
- Onion Maggot
- Thrips
Diseases
- Onion Smudge
- Rust
- Damping Off
- Downy Mildew
- Fusarium Bulb Rot
- Onion Leaf Blight
- Onion Neck Rot
- Onion Purple Blotch
Related Plants
Jicama
Celeriac / Celery Root
Radish
Salsify & Scorzo
Shallot
Rutabaga
Garlic
Finocchio
Leek
Turnip