Hello, welcome. Thank you so much for being here!
Today I’m sharing a simple, beginner’s guide for planting your own garlic.
You don’t need to be an expert gardener to follow this tutorial! In fact, it may be the easiest gardening tutorial you’ve come across in terms of the care and attention these plants need after planting.
Why plant your own garlic?
The ease of planting my own garlic drew me first to the idea. A close second came from using garden space that would otherwise remain empty throughout winter. Since this is my first year planting my own garlic, I can only share other benefits that I’ve heard in relation to flavor and deliciousness. I can’t wait to experience that for myself next year!
How to choose a garlic variety?
Selecting a garlic variety primarily depends on where you live – specifically your garden zone. There are two types of garlic to choose from: hardneck or softneck varieties. Hardneck varieties are heartier and may be a better choice for cooler zones and climates. Softneck varieties typically thrive in a more moderate climate.
There are also physical differences between the two varieties. Hardneck varieties have a stiff stalk through the center of the garlic head that typically larger cloves develop around. Softneck varieties do not have that stalk at the center of their garlic head and usually form many smaller sized cloves that are well protected by their wrappings and, thus, may lead to better long-term storage.
A cool feature for hardneck varieties is the development of scapes during the spring. These are flavorful shoots that the garlic heads develops from the stalk that can be harvested and consumed before you harvest your mature head of garlic.
I chose a german extra hardy hardneck variety for planting this year for its hardiness and development of garlic scapes.
I purchased one and a half pounds of garlic, which led to me planting exactly 50 individual cloves.
How to Plant Garlic
1. Separate your garlic heads into individual cloves, making sure to keep that crinkly protective layer around each clove.
2. Roughly trace out your rows. I used a stick.
3. Within those rows, careful depress holes for your cloves to fit inside – about 1-1 1/2 inches deep. I spaced my cloves 2-4 inches apart.
4. When planting your garlic, make sure the base of the clove is facing down while the thinner, wispy tip points upward. See photos for reference.
5. Cover rows with remaining dirt.
6. Before frost hits, cover your rows of garlic with a layer of mulch or straw to protect your plants.
7. Leave your plants alone! Winter will come, your plants will go dormant to be reawakened for spring.
You can expect a harvest of mature garlic from late spring to mid summer!
