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Growing great garlic is rather easy once a few basic steps are followed. A bountiful crop, like any other garden vegetable or herb, depends first and foremost on the quality of the soil and the location of the bed.

Garlic, a member of the allium family, enjoys and even thrives in soil which is rich in organic material, is located in a sunny plot, neither too wet or too dry. For the home gardener, raised beds are a good option, although the cloves can be planted in containers or in garden rows.

There are two basic types of garlic, hardneck and softneck, both of which require the same basic growing requirements. Hardneck garlics bulbs form around a central core stem. During the growing season, they form a curled stock which forms from the center of the plant, called the scape. These can be cut off while they are still curled and provide an extra bonus. They can be used in many dishes. The cut-off stock redirects the plants energy into forming a larger bulb.

Softneck garlic has more cloves with the larger ones more on the outside of the bulb. In general this is the type found in many supermarkets because of a longer shelf life. In general, the softneck varieties grow better in warmer climates, while the hardneck does better in the cooler, northern climates. Some claim the softneck variety is easier to grow.

I have had great luck in my raised beds, northern garden with the hardneck varieties. Although many sources claim, the softneck varieties last longer, my hardneck variety will last all year until a new crop is ready for harvest. I also find that the hardneck has just as much flavor and perhaps more than the softneck.

I obtained my hardneck variety from an old abandoned farm where they grew wild on a hillside. After several years, they tamed down and I now plant about 1,000 cloves every year in the autumn. They are very garlicky tasting with a tad of heat. I have plenty for personal use, garlic to give away as a present and sell some to customers.

In general, I begin planting after our first frost which is in early October most years, using the largest cloves from the mid summer harvest. Keep the bulbs together until it is planting time and then separate them into individual cloves. This prevents the fragile root system from drying out. There are many kitchen uses for the smaller cloves.

Garlic, like most other garden plants, likes to be in a different garden bed every year. From my own experience in my garden situation, garlic seems to do best where bush bean grew

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