Time to Plant Garlic 2020

Recently harvested garlic

The good word is out about home grown garlic. And the word is flavor. Flavor you say? Think about it, when you buy a garlic bulb at the supermarket for a recipe or sauce, what are you buying, what kind of flavor do you expect? 

If you answer that there's only a bin of garlic to choose from and it tastes, well ... like it always does. That's it, there’s your lack of flavor and variety - we’re given just one type of garlic to bring home to finish our favorite lasagna dish. Imagine if you could only buy one type of pepper or apple for the rest of your life…no jalapeno, are you kidding, no honeycrisp!!!

The only way you’ll have a wider selection of garlic, which means a broader range of taste and characteristics is to grow your own, and fall planting is the best time to plant.

I grow a lot of garlic for a home gardener. I plant about three pounds every fall. Depending on variety, one pound of garlic will grow and net anywhere from 40 to 70 bulbs. 

 

Here's how it works. Each clove on the planting stock bulb is planted, which nets you a full bulb when you harvest next spring. Keep this easy math in mind when you order online or purchase locally. Independent garden centers are now selling garlic planting stock, some stores have an awesome selection so call or run by and check out what they have.  

 

Garden retailers generally package garlic from one to three planting bulbs, very doable for small spaces. Also check local farmer’s markets for planting stock. Mail order availability sells quickly in the fall, get going.

For two reasons it’s best to start with quality planting stock from a garden center or online reputable garlic grower versus buying grocery store garlic that you eat, to plant. You don’t know if grocery store garlic is treated to prevent it from sprouting or how it was stored, plus it’s only one type, again, the whole point is to expand your garlic palate.

 

Fall Planted Softneck Garlic in May

Garlic originated from central Asia thousands of years ago in climates that are very close to Colorado. With fall planting we’re giving the cloves a full 8 to 9 months to grow and develop into nice, good sized bulbs. 

 

There’s nothing more satisfying to a gardener than fall planting garlic as the icing on the entire planting season. It should be doubly true this fall because our summer growing season was challenging with the extreme heat and early cold snap.

 

Hands down, garlic is one of the easiest crops (it's actually an herb) to plant, beginner gardeners should have a good result if the planting soil and conditions are fair to good.

Garlic is in the allium genus, same as onions. There are two subgroups of garlic, commonly called hardneck and softneck. You’ll want to plant some of both. Hardnecks have outstanding flavor, and are highly recommended for making salad dressings and pressed fresh over vegetables. They are also delicious when baked or eaten raw for health benefits.

 

Hardneck Flower Stalks - Scapes

 

Hardneck bulbs have fewer cloves and are very easy to peel (much appreciated by gourmet chefs, including yourself). Hardnecks have a much shorter shelf life than softnecks, ranging from 3 to 6 months or so after curing. Hardnecks also grow a flower stock (scape) in late spring. It's recommended to cut this off a couple of weeks before harvesting to promote growth to the bulb. I've written about this procedure in other blogs, click here. Also, don't toss the scapes, they are so flavorful to eat, read more here.

garlic chives grown from left over garlic cloves

Softnecks do not flower, which makes them easier for braiding and harvesting by commercial growers. This is probably why we don't have hardnecks available for purchase on grocery shelves. 

 

Softnecks have a longer storage than hardnecks, up to 9 or 10 months (this is the type you find in grocery stores). Softnecks can be mild in taste or have quite a bite. Just as hardneck you will be able to taste the differences the more you grow.  

 

There are many cloves on softneck bulbs, so when planting use the largest cloves. Save the smaller ones for cooking or plant them in a pot indoors and grow them like onion chives (snip off the greens to use in dishes).

When shopping for your bulbs, keep in mind that there are several variety options in both the hardneck and softneck groups. Check the descriptions when shopping local and try different ones, it's fun!

 

Keep in mind that what you plant this year can be planted again next year, so you don’t have to purchase planting stock each and every year unless you want to try new varieties.  

I plant in raised beds in a sunny location. Sun is important for growing garlic. You can plant cloves in part shade right now, just as long as after the winter solstice the area starts getting more sun, then full sun by the June to July harvest. You can tuck them through the landscape if you have good soil, sun and no competition from other plant roots. Just remember where they are planted so you can water them through the winter if moisture is scarce.

My soil is loose and well amended. Cloves don't like growing in heavy clay or icky soil. I add a balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 a few weeks before planting. Garlic isn’t a high nitrogen feeder, but they do need nitrogen. Too little nitrogen may produce yellow plants, less vigor and smaller bulbs.

Gather your materials prior to planting - bulbs, planting labels, trowel, and mulch. Remember that one bulb will grow from one planted clove so plan accordingly. 

I place the cloves on top of the soil spaced 4 to 6 inches apart with the rows 10 or 12 inches apart. Plant 2-3 inches deep. I take my trowel and create the planting hole, often the soil is so workable that I can just push it down into the soil. Be sure to label each row or group. OR you can dig a 3-inch trench and place the cloves 4 to 6 inches apart, then cover with soil.

 

Again, the largest cloves planted will produce the biggest bulbs.

 

See my video below for the visual.

After planting I place a 2-3 inch layer of mulch over the bed and water it well.  Through the winter I will renew the mulch and water once or twice a month if it’s been dry. If spring is very rainy I’ll remove the mulch so the growing bulbs won’t risk getting mold. 

This article is a revised from an earlier version. Feel free to search this blog for other garlic articles, it's one of my favorite herbs so I've written often on the topic. Click here for my Denver Post video on harvesting fall planted garlic in early summer.

"Shallots are for babies; Onions are for men; Garlic is for heroes."  
Author unknown