{"id":2328,"date":"2019-06-06T09:33:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T09:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2328"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:15:32","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:15:32","slug":"14-simple-instructions-on-planting-harvesting-garlic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-simple-instructions-on-planting-harvesting-garlic\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Simple Instructions on Planting & Harvesting Garlic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Garlic is one of those vegetables that offers many benefits. It is not just for seasoning foods, you can use it to relieve ailments, including a toothache. When it comes to planting garlic, you need to start mid-fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garlic can handle a frost. They can be planted in the spring, but it\u2019s best to start in the fall and winter, so by the time spring rolls around, the leaves will have bloomed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good time to plant garlic is about four to six weeks before the first frost. You want to plant them before the ground freezes. They are easy to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The garlic cloves that you purchase from the grocery store aren\u2019t that fresh and are mushy. The good thing about planting garlic is that since has a bad odor, you won\u2019t have to worry about too many rodents taking out the bulbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garlic is like a pest repellant because of the bad odor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Purchase the garlic cloves from a local nursery or through the mail. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Buy a few packets of garlic cloves, so that you have enough when you plant them. If you plan on having a large area, you\u2019ll need many cloves. They are inexpensive, so you can buy a large number of garlic cloves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not a good idea to buy the cloves from the grocery store because they are most likely unsuited for your area. The grocery store cloves are made and treated to last longer on the shelf. This will make it harder to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some nurseries have vegetables that have already been started and all you have to do is transfer them to the ground. You\u2019ll need to buy a large amount, depending on how large you want your garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The garlic will continue to grow after you pick the first batch. Just pick them quickly when they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Break apart the bulbs a few days before planting them. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you keep the papery husk on the cloves. You don\u2019t want to plant the whole cloves. They will grow much better if they are broken apart. Take your time when breaking the bulbs apart. Since the papery husks are on each one, they may start to fall off if you\u2019re not careful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place the cloves in a cool, dry place in the house. Don\u2019t store them in the refrigerator. Some people like to store the bulbs in the refrigerator to keep them cool, but that\u2019s not a good idea when you have food that you\u2019re putting in your mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bulbs may be clean, but it\u2019s not a good idea to take that chance. Another thing to remember is to use gloves when you break them apart. You don\u2019t want the smell to linger on your skin since garlic is strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Place the high-quality soil onto the area you want to plant the garlic cloves. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can place some soil into a flower pot as well. Use a small to medium size flower pot. Fill the flower pot halfway to the top. You don\u2019t want the cloves all the way down at the bottom. If you just use ground dirt, the garlic cloves won\u2019t grow the way you want them to. The leaves will turn yellow quicker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are growing vegetables, you need to treat them right. They\u2019ll need the right soil, so that the roots can become strong. You want good garlic once they are finished growing. Without good soil, it will take them much longer to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will wonder why your garlic isn\u2019t growing. Garlic is low demanding and doesn\u2019t need that much care like other vegetables, but will if you don\u2019t use the right soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Dig a hole two inches deep into the soil. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Place the cloves two to four inches apart. The cloves should be in an upright position with the pointed end facing up and the root facing down. Depending on how big you want your garden to be, they will need to be planted in rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you space them in rows, they need to be 10 to 14 inches apart. You don\u2019t want to space them too close together because they will grow on top of one another. In a flowerpot, you don\u2019t need to put too many in the pot, but if you plan on having a large garden, you\u2019ll need many flower pots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cover the bulbs completely after planting. You don\u2019t want to give birds and squirrels an easy way to dig up the bulbs. They probably won\u2019t mess with them because of the smell. It will keep them away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Water the garden to moisten the garden. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can add plant food as well. plant food will give it the nutrients it needs so that it can grow strong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant food also helps it to grow fast. Water alone is fine, but plant food gives the garden that extra kick. Plant food only needs to be applied one time every 60 days or more often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depends on what kind of plant food you get. The garlic cloves don\u2019t need to be watered too often. You just need to make sure that the soil doesn\u2019t get dry. In the winter, the ground will be cold and dry, so you will need to keep the soil moist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Add straw mulch in the Northern area. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It should be applied heavily to keep from overwintering. Mulch needs to be applied to the Southern area gardeners\u2019 plants as well. It needs to be removed in the spring though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the last frost is a good time to remove the mulch. Mulch keeps the soil moist, which will help you from needing to water it all of the time. In the wintertime, you don\u2019t want to be outside messing in cold water. Just touch the mulch to see if it\u2019s dry. If it\u2019s still moist, then there is no need to water it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the last frost comes and you are getting rid of the mulch, you have to take your time when removing it. You don\u2019t want to dig up the bulbs and ruin your chances of having fresh garlic. Place the mulch in the trash. You don\u2019t want to reuse the same mulch again when the fall arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Harvest the garlic once the tops tend to fall over and have a yellowish color. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They shouldn\u2019t be completely dry when you harvest them. Slowly and gently lift the bulb to see if it is ready. You will know that they are ready to harvest when the head of the garlic is divided into clumps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The skin on the outside covering will be papery, thick, and dry. If it\u2019s not ready put it back. If you harvest too early, the covering around the bulb will be thin and disintegrate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, you wait too late to harvest the garlic, the skin and bulbs will split apart, which will cause the cloves to become exposed. They won\u2019t store too well when this happens. You can ruin the entire crop of garlic by not harvesting on time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dig the bulb up. Don\u2019t pull it out. Your hard work would have been for nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Use a garden fork to dig the bulbs out when harvesting.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lift them out carefully and brush the soil off of them. Hang them upside down in bunches of four in a shady, airy place. This process is called curing. This is done for two weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to be careful when handling the garlic bulbs. If they get bruised, it won\u2019t store well. You will know that the bulbs are finished curing when the root of the cloves are hard and can break apart easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire bulb is dry also. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place. Don\u2019t put them in the refrigerator. The bulbs can be stored for several months. The basement is a bad place to store the bulbs, especially if it\u2019s a moist area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more you allow the bulbs to dry, their flavor will increase. Save the largest crop of garlic bulbs, so that you can replant them the next season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Choose Your Variety of Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes time to plant your garlic, you have to make a selection between hardneck and softneck varieties. Hardneck garlic has a solid central stock featuring a single layer of cloves. Softneck varieties have no defined neck, with swirling layers of cloves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hard neck type is what you typically find in grocery stores and Italian restaurants across America. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t create some variety in your garden and plant both hardneck and softneck garlic \u2013 but remember to label your planting rows to avoid confusion when harvesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plant hardneck varieties, look out for the flowers that bud from the bulbs in the late weeks of spring. This buds, known as “scapes,” have a milder garlic flavor that works well in pesto recipes \u2013 harvest the buds as they start to flower, and give it a try. Avoid trying to grow garlic you buy at the grocery store, as seedbanks treat it so it won’t sprout.
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10. Test the Soil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you plant your bulbs in the ground, visit your local nursery with a soil sample. The nursery will analyze the sample and give you a report on the mineral composition and pH levels of the soil in your garden. This report is valuable information, and you can make adjustments to your fertilizing schedule to compensate for any mineral deficiencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pH is also a critical part of your soil report. Garlic likes to grow in reasonably neutral spoils with a reading of between 6.0 to 7.0. If your soil is not in this range, you can expect slow growth and low yields in your crop. Use oyster shell powder to adjust your pH if it’s under the average, and bring it up to the optimal range for nutrient absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil is a vital component of the growing process, and if you don’t have all of the nutrients in place, and the right pH, your garlic will fail to grow.
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11. Watch Out for Pests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic might grow under the surface of the ground, but that doesn’t mean that it does not get any pests. Fortunately, the allicin found in garlic is a natural defense chemical that prevents plenty of diseases and pests from ever getting desperate enough to eat your garlic. However, for those growers who are growing larger crops of the bulbous herb, you can expect to have to deal with pests at some stage of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulb mites \u2013 You’ll find these round off-white color pests clumped around the roots of the garlic bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaf miners \u2013 These pests lay eggs in the leaf tissue, when the larvae hatch, then burrow into the leaves, resulting in bumps in the leaf structure. Run the blades through your fingers to feel the bumps. Squish the lumps to kill the bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wheat curl mites \u2013 Infestations with this pest mostly go unnoticed. However, severe infestations may cause problems with foliage, resulting in stunted growth that twists the leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nematode \u2013 These bugs are the most severe garlic pest in your garden. The worms burrow into the bulbs and the leaves, destroying your garlic crop in a matter of weeks. This bug can survive without water and may live in the soil for many years, infesting future plants.
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12. Take Care of Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bugs are not the only thing growers need to worry about during the course of the season. There are numerous diseases affecting garlic bulbs that can ruin your harvest. Out of all of the pathogens, the most concerning is; “white rot.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

White rot is a fungal infection of the roots of the bulb, causing it to develop problems with absorbing nutrients from the ground. As the fungi spread, the condition worsens, and the bulb loses all ability to feed itself, rotting from the inside out. As a result, when you pull the bulb and crack it open, you’ll see the signs of rot on the inside starting to spread toward the outer edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plant, do develop rot, then it’s best if you rotate your crop to another part of the garden and tend to the soil in the former growing site to eliminate the infection. With the right care, you can rehabilitate the ground in a few seasons and kill off the fungus.
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13. Planting Garlic in Containers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best way to prevent disease and pests from invading your garlic crop \u2013 is to plant and grow indoors. Garlic bulbs require warmth and a bit of light to grow, along with watering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, they make the ideal indoor herb for indoor gardens. If you don’t want an entire crop of garlic, and six to eight bulbs will last you the whole year, then plant your garlic in a window sill garden, and let it grow indoors, away from pests and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting your container is straightforward. Garlic likes to spread roots, but you only need around 18-inches of depth for the roots to reach maturity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, an 18×12-inch container is sufficient to plant 6 to 8-bulbs. Instead of buying a premade unit, rehabilitate an old barrel or wooden crate to house your garden. Keep the container off of the ground, and no bugs will find their way onto your plants.
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14. How to Store Your Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After harvesting your garlic, you’ll need to store it to preserve it for the rest of the year until the following season. If you are growing indoors, then you have the benefit of creating a perennial garden that will keep producing fresh garlic bulbs all year long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, after pulling your bulbs from the earth, we recommend you avoid rinsing the excess dirt off of the bulb \u2013 slightly shake it off instead. Store your garlic in temperatures between 60 to 65 degrees, with moderate humidity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storing in a cold root cellar is the best strategy, as the warmer weather will dry out the bulbs and turn the cloves hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storing garlic in the crisper of the fridge removes the humidity and heat issues. However, it’s important to note that if you take the garlic out of the refrigerator and leave it a room temperature for a few days, the bulbs will start to sprout.
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