08/24/2022
When your garlic arrives, I recommend that you open it and examine the bulbs, but then pack them back up in the paper bag and then store them in a dark, cool, dry place. Be sure not to break up the bulbs into cloves, as that will cause them to sprout before you want them to.
Garlic prefers well draining soil, so if you know your soil is muddy/clay, consider mixing in some peat or sand. Garlic is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so if you know your soil is deficient in nitrogen, amend for that. Once October rolls around, you can plant them pretty much whenever you like, but we want the ground to be cool to limit the growth before winter. We target 10/20-10/30. Don't worry if you do have some green growth in the fall, it will go dormant and try again in the spring. We do soak our cloves in vodka for about an hour prior to planting to (hopefully) kill any germs, bacteria and other ickiness. Don't plant cloves that don't look right - waxy, smelly, tinged with off colors, pits or tiny bugs are all keys to garlic that won't thrive.
We have good luck doing our bulbs 6" apart in rows that are staggered at 9" apart, we do 3 rows per bed. We don't recommend planting in containers, though if you intend to do that, Google might have some helpful pointers for you. Plant them pointy tip up, to a depth of at least 2" from the top of the garlic to the surface of the ground. We strive for a depth of an entire index finger. No need to water in the fall, but we do recommend covering with straw or leaves - a nice thick layer like 6".
In the spring, you'll see growth in March (yay!) keep the straw/mulch on, the garlic will grow right up through it. We fertilize with blood meal for Nitrogen in May. We don't tend to water our garlic at all, if you find that the tips of the majority of your leaves are yellowing, you can water, but not too much! In June, your scapes will appear. Harvest them after they curl 360 degrees and eat them they are TO DIE FOR! Cutting the scape signals the garlic to invest all its energy in the bulb/cloves, versus focusing on the bulbils that would have formed at the top of the scape.
Harvest the bulbs in July when 1/2 of the leaves are yellow and dry. Keep them out of the sun, even 20 minutes in direct sun can discolor the bulbs (though the concern here is mostly cosmetic). Cure in a dark and very well ventilated space for about 3 weeks until the necks are white (no longer green) and the skins are papery and dry. We use box fans for the entire 3 weeks to ensure a complete cure. Store them in root cellar conditions, reserving the biggest bulbs for planting. Garlic stored in ideal conditions should do great for 3-4 months. I had MANY pounds that were looking good going into the new year.
If you have a lot of garlic and want to preserve some, consider dehydrating into power. Freezing cloves works, but they flavor the whole freezer, and get really mushy. Canning garlic is generally not safe as it can be ripe for growing botulism unless pickled.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
