One of the simplest crops to raise is garlic. Most regions of the United States plant their garlic in the fall. Many of the summer crops will have been harvested by then, so there will be some open garden area. Once the garlic you planted last fall is harvested, you won’t be able to plant anything else in that bed until late summer of next year.
To get the most out of your planting of garlic, it’s important to plant it at the correct depth. Depending on where you live, you may need to protect your garlic from extreme weather. In other cases, individuals wrap the cloves with mulch or straw before planting them on the ground.
Choosing a Garlic Variety for Your Garden
To get the best results when re-planting garlic from your own harvest, select the largest and best heads available. If you decide to buy, be sure to get planting garlic. A sprout inhibitor may have been used to keep the garlic from sprouting in the vegetable area of a supermarket.
Garlic comes in a variety of forms.
Varieties of hardneck garlic
develop a strong stem that extends from the bulb’s core. A stronger flavor and a greater variety of flavors can be found among the hardneck varietals. Because of their toughness, they’re ideal for places with harsh winters. Bulb storage life is lower for hardneck types after harvested.
Varieties of softneck Garlic
Make sure the stem isn’t too stiff in the middle. The following is a list of common varieties of garlic that can be found at most grocery stores. Flavor-wise, it’s on the modest side. If you want to grow garlic braided, softneck garlic is the finest option for mild-winter climates.
Garlic from Elephants
Garlic-like appearance and the fact that it belongs to the Allium genus lends credence to this claim Garlic is linked to leeks, although it isn’t “real” garlic.
Optimal Period to Plant
The time of your garlic planting depends largely on the weather in your area. A fall planting of garlic is necessary for warm climates since the temperature warms up so quickly in April. In chilly climates, planting in the fall is preferable. In the first place, a prolonged period of dormancy allows the garlic to develop strong roots. Second, it’s possible that the garden is still too damp or snowy to plant anything in the early spring.
The Best Garlic Types
Hardneck and softneck kinds of garlic are equally effective in the production of high-quality bulbils. Even though hardnecks have a larger clove, some claim they have a richer flavor. Longer items can be stored in a softneck. Here are a few options to consider:
- Carpathian from Poland is peppery.
- Chesnok Red has won several awards for its flavor in blind tastings.
- This herb, known as Georgian Crystal, is gentle enough to eat uncooked.
- It is a fantastic choice for hot climates because it is a Siskiyou Purple.
The Importance of Garlic’s Depth
Because planting depth is a method of regulating soil temperatures, the depth of your garlic plantings is important. When planting in the fall, it is best to place the cloves deeper so that the leaves aren’t exposed to freezing temperatures. While southern climates tend to grow more shallowly, those in northern climates tend to grow more profoundly, on average.
Hardneck vs. Softneck – Does Depth Make a Difference?
When it comes to planting garlic, you have two options: hardneck or softneck. They have different characteristics: the first is tall, while the second is more delicate and wispy. Larger, more robust hardneck cloves may necessitate a little deeper planting depth in order to avoid the clove becoming exposed as the soil compacts. However, in the vast majority of cases, this is just a few millimeters.
Planting at a Depth
Garlic can be planted as shallowly as one and a half to two inches deep. Simply laying the clove on top of the soil is all that is required in desert areas. After that, six to eight inches of fresh straw is spread over the cloves. This method of planting ensures a clean crop and makes harvesting the cloves a breeze.
Intensive Sowing
Cloves need to be protected from extreme weather in cold climates. Six inches of garlic is commonly planted in Michigan, for example. Organic mulch can also be used to cover it. Garlic is commonly planted three to four inches deep in locations that are cold but do not experience particularly harsh winters. Mold can grow if plants are planted too deep.
The process of gathering and processing garlic
In order to know when to harvest garlic, you have to figure out when it is ready. The cloves will be too tiny and undeveloped if you harvest them too early (certainly usable but not as big and plump as possible). Leaving the heads to dry too long might cause the cloves to separate, resulting in a looser and less stable head (not a disaster, but the cloves will be more sensitive to decay and drying out so they won’t keep as long).
Garlic is normally ready for harvesting by the end of July, though this can vary depending on your location and the time of year. What to look for can be seen in the slideshow below, which includes images from my own garden. You’ll also notice that the heads need to be properly cured.
