Softneck Garlic
Fall is prime time for planting garlic. Fall-planted garlic cloves will produce a new bulb by the next summer.
Because garlic requires a cold period to properly produce, garlic cloves should be planted six to eight weeks before the ground is expected to freeze. This will give the cloves time to produce roots and to begin growing shoots before the ground freezes. Growth will resume come spring.
Garlic can be planted in the spring; however, if this is done, the cloves should be stored in a refrigerator for at least eight weeks prior to planting. This will ensure they have been properly chilled. While you can get good yields from spring-planted garlic, they tend to not yield as reliably as fall-planted garlic.
Garlic is a bulb and is made up of a collection of cloves. It has no seeds.To grow a crop, it is usually best to buy cloves from a garden center or catalog, but it's also possible to bring some home from a farmers market, choosing the largest and healthiest looking bulbs. Garlic sold in grocery stores is usually treated to prevent it from sprouting, so it's not a good choice for planting.
Don't divide bulbs into individual cloves until right before planting. Choose the largest cloves, making sure to discard cloves that are diseased, small, soft, or otherwise damaged to get the best yields.
Break up garlic bulbs. Plant about 1.5 inches deep in well-drained, fertile soil with full sun. Garlic does best in soils with an abundance of organic matter. Amend soils with compost or well-rotted organic matter. In addition to adding organic matter, apply 2 to 3 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet before planting. Plant cloves 4 to 6 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.
Don't worry about which direction the cloves are laying in the row. Shoots grow up and roots grow down; they straighten themselves out.
Garlic is a poor competitor; weed control is critical to a successful garlic harvest. A 4- to 6-inch layer of weed-free straw or other organic mulch can be added to help control weeds. It will also help moderate soil temperatures.
If it gets too cold, less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit, you may wish to throw leaves or straw over the plants to protect them until it gets warmer.
Fertilize the plants at the beginning of March and again about mid-May.
A garden plot is not necessary for homegrown garlic. Cloves can be planted in pots or containers that are 4 to 6 inches deep. Use well-drained, loose potting soil and fertilize once a month. Leaves will emerge in several weeks and grow throughout the winter.
