{"id":2263,"date":"2019-06-06T09:10:42","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T09:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2263"},"modified":"2020-01-22T08:16:55","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T08:16:55","slug":"14-organic-secrets-on-growing-great-garlic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-organic-secrets-on-growing-great-garlic\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Organic Secrets on Growing Great Garlic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When it comes to being healthy, everyone will prefer eating organic foods. Organic foods don\u2019t have chemicals and are better for your overall health. When it comes to growing great garlic, there are eight secrets you would want to know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you get great garlic, you\u2019ll want to try the same secrets on other vegetables. Organic garlic is easy to grow and doesn\u2019t have a lot of pests on it. In the middle of the summer, you can expect bunches of bulbs that will last several months once they become dried out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longer you let the bulbs dry out, you will have an intense flavor when you eat it. The secrets of growing garlic will surprise you because they are simple things that you may not have ever thought of doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may know some of the secrets, but some of them you may not. You can begin to enjoy fresh garlic in a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Choose the garlic of your choice. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic comes in soft neck and hard neck varieties. Most people use soft neck because it is the main type that are used in the kitchen when seasoning dishes. It is not a good idea to buy garlic cloves in the packages at the grocery store because they are made to have a long shelf life and won\u2019t grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is best to go to your local nursery or order them by mail. That way you know that your garlic will grow and you won\u2019t have any setbacks from buying garlic you know nothing about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you purchase your garlic, be sure to get as many packets as you\u2019ll need. You have to decide on how big you want your garden. If you just want a small garden, just purchase a few packets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is always a good idea to have more than not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Plant the garlic in the fall or early winter. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic needs between six to eight months to mature. The traditional time to plant garlic is during Winter Solstice, which is December 21. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other times to plant garlic is between October and December. It depends on what type of climate you have in your area. It is best to plant them before the first frost. It is no reason to plant garlic if the ground is already frozen. It would be better to wait until next fall before trying to plant again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though, garlic grows better in the cool months, they still need some heat to mature. A lot of the times the package of garlic will have when is the best time to plant them. You can even ask someone at your local nursery to be sure. You don\u2019t want to plant them too early or late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Don\u2019t separate the bulbs into cloves until you are ready to plant them. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the garlic arrives, they will be in bulbs. You don\u2019t plant the whole bulb. You have to break them apart. Some people say to break them apart right away and then wait a few days before planting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organic way is to wait until you are completely ready to plant them. You want your garlic cloves to be fresh when going into the ground. When you break the bulbs into cloves, each one of them should still the base still attached to it from the bulb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paper should still be on it as well. You\u2019ll need to take your time when you break them apart, so that everything stays in place. Don\u2019t use any utensils to break them apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just use your bare hands. You shouldn\u2019t have a difficult time taking them apart either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Plant the cloves in direct soil or in modules that are 1.5 to 2 inches with square cavities. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is best to start them in modules first and transfer them to the direct soil, but that is up to you. The reason modules are the best to start out with is if your area gets a lot of rain in the winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The garlic doesn\u2019t need too much water. They just need to stay moist. When you plant the garlic cloves in direct soil, place them in a sunny area. The garlic needs heat to grow, even though, it\u2019s in the winter. When you place them in modules, place them in the sun every day. You may want to take them in when it\u2019s rainy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you plant them in direct soil or modules, make sure you use free-draining soil. For modules that is fluffy compost and sandy, loamy soil for outdoor use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Plant the cloves no more than two inches deep in the soil when planting outside and below the soil when using modules. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you plant the cloves, the pointy end needs to be up. Cover the cloves completely with soil. When you dig the hole to put the cloves in, use a garden fork. The garden fork will be used also when your garlic is ready to be taken out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When putting the cloves in also, you don\u2019t want to bruise them. They won\u2019t do as well, if they\u2019re bruised. Take your time and place them in the soil gently. Once you plant the cloves, water them. Don\u2019t overwater them because garlic doesn\u2019t need too much water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add plant food to the soil after watering. Plant food will give the garlic the nutrients it needs as well in helping the roots to become strong. Plant food only need to be added every 60 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Mulch the garlic cloves to help keep the soil moist.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the winter, it can be difficult to mess in cold water, but by having mulch it will prevent you from having to water every day. When it comes to mulch, use straw, garden or mushroom compost. It will keep weeds and the cold from hurting the garlic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will still need to check often to see if the soil is dry. If it is, just water them with a watering pot. You may not want to get the water hose out because it may cause your pipes to freeze, especially if you live in an area where the temperatures become frigid. When the spring comes around, you\u2019ll need to remove the mulch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take your time when removing the mulch because you don\u2019t want to hurt the garlic. You may need to put down more soil since you may have picked up a lot of it when you removed the mulch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Arrange the garlic cloves in rows, but space them apart. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By spacing them apart, it becomes easier to weed them. It allows the garlic to be big. By putting them too close together, they will still grow, but they won\u2019t be as big. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Space them 12 inches apart and in rows of six to 12 inches. It doesn\u2019t matter how many rows you have. Press the garlic cloves gently down in the soil with your fingers. It is a good idea to have measuring tape with you, so that you are accurately spacing them. By spacing them also, it\u2019ll be easier for you to take them up when they are ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing allows you to see how each one individually is growing. By planting them too close together, you won\u2019t be able to see how well they are growing. You may be able to see one, but not the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Pests will stay away from your garlic because of the scent. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Birds and squirrels won\u2019t bother the garlic cloves either. The only thing you may have an issue with are small bugs who chew on the leaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bugs carry diseases, so when you see this, just cut the leaves off and trash it. You don\u2019t want to use the leaves as compost because the disease will transfer to your garlic. The bulbs won\u2019t become affected when bugs mess with the leaves. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to take up the garlic as soon they have matured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to leave them lying on the ground for too long. It may be a good idea to check them daily when they start to mature. There is no need to spray fungicide on the garlic since you won\u2019t have too much of an issue with pests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fungicide isn\u2019t good for your garlic and whoever will be consuming it since they are full of chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Diseases Affecting Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While some pests find the scent of garlic repulsive enough to stay away from your crops, pathogens do not care about the smell of garlic. Garlic has exposure to a variety of diseases that can slow the growth of your plant and rot the garlic bulbs from the inside out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common pathogen affecting garlic crops is \u201cwhite rot.\u201d This disease infects the roots of the plant, [preventing the bulb from drawing the nutrition it needs from the soil. As the condition progresses, the roots start to rot, and the garlic no longer can sustain its needs to grow, resulting in the death of the bulb. White rot also affects the foliage of the garlic, causing it to wilt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no fungicide available that can treat garlic bulbs for white rot, and if your garden contracts this disease, you may as well dig everything up and throw it away. White rot also stays active in the ground for many years and does not require any water to keep living. As a result, the pathogen will infect any crops planted in the affected beds.
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10. Irrigation and Watering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with the right soil and environmental conditions \u2013 learning the correct watering technique is possibly the most important part of growing garlic. Garlic does not like getting \u201cwet-feet,\u201d meaning that over-watering your bulbs will result in the onset of disease, like white rot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water your garlic crop once every three to four days. Garlic bulbs are reasonably efficient with using water, and they don\u2019t need very much of it to grow. Always ensure your soil drains well to prevent waterlogging and root rot in your plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garlic has a shallow roots system, and it does well under drip irrigation or sprinkler systems where you can control the amount of water you are feeding to your crop. If you lay a layer of mulch on top of the soil, you can further reduce watering to once or twice a week \u2014 mulch like hay and moss help to retain moisture by limiting the effects of evaporation.
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11. Recommended Varieties of Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic comes in softneck and hardneck varieties, with the difference between the two types being the bulbs. Hardneck garlic has long leaves, with a single layer of cloves surrounding a woody stem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Softneck varieties are loose, with multiple layers of bulbs. You can grow both types in your garden, and both types grow with the same vigor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most types of garlic will finish in 90-days, and if you are living in colder regions of the United States, then we recommend you go with softneck varieties, as they do better in colder weather. However, softneck varieties of garlic have a stronger flavor and more pungent aroma that hardneck types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common hardneck types of garlic include Duganski, Siberian, Korean Red, Music, and, German Red. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these varieties produce \u201cscapes\u201d at the end of the flowering stalk, that is also excellent for eating, with a milder flavor than the underground cloves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Softneck varieties of garlic include Inchelium Red, Silverskin California late and California Early.
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12. Planting Garlic in Containers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Planting garlic in containers is a great way to grow your crop. Planting in the ground puts you at risk of developing white rot, which can ruin the viability of your garden for years. By growing in containers, you remove the risk of contaminating any other veggies in your crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garlic does not need a big container to grow. The bulbs spread roots close to the surface of the soil, and you can use a container with a maximum depth of 18-inches for your bulbs. Try rehabilitating an old crate, and lining it with burlap to form your garden. We also like using material pots for our crops, because air flows readily through the sidewalls of the container. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The critical points for planting in containers are to ensure you have enough draining holes in your pot and don\u2019t overwater the plants. Place the container-garden in an area that receives no less than 6-hours of sunlight every day.
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13. Harvesting Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Harvest from your autumn or early winter plantings will most probably be ready in late July to August. In warmer climates in the southern hemisphere, harvest dates depend on the planting date. Typically, garlic takes nine months to mature, and you need to get it in the ground and rooted before the soil freezes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\u2019s close to harvest time, check your plants daily for signs of yellowing in the leaves. When they start to turn color and fall over, it\u2019s time to pull the bulbs. Start your harvest with a sample, don\u2019t rush into pulling everything up if you are not entirely satisfied they are ready yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pull a bulb out of the earth, if the head divides into cloves and the skin is dry, thick, with a papery texture, and crumbles easily. You know the bulbs have been in the ground too long if they start to split apart from each other.
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14. Storing and Curing Garlic Bulbs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After pulling your bulbs, it\u2019s time to prepare for processing or storing the garlic. We like to keep a few bulbs available for cooking in the kitchens vegetable drawer, and we send the rest to the root cellar to cure and remain ready for cooking at a moment\u2019s notice. Before we toss the bulbs in the root cellar, we throw them into a burlap sack to allow the garlic to breathe as it cures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave freshly pull garlic bulbs to mature for a week before you use it for cooking. When the crown feels hard, and you can easily crack away from the cloves, the garlic is ready for addition to your meals. You can mice a whole clove and leave it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5-days before it starts to turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure your root cellar reaches a maximum temperature of 40F to maintain your garlic in the ideal curing conditions.
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