by Devin Twedt

Created on: October 10, 2010

Growing great garlic in your home garden is not difficult.  Garlic (Allium Sativum) belongs to the lily family and like lilies is a very trouble free crop.  It is resistant to insects, disease, and performs well in poor growing conditions.  Following a few simple steps, you can easily produce a year-round supply of this deliciously pungent vegetable for your kitchen.

Selecting Your Seed

Garlic seed is simply heads of garlic saved from last year’s harvest.  Once you have made your initial purchase of seed, you can save some heads each year for the next planting.  Supermarket garlic is not recommended due to it being dull varieties (almost always Early Cali White, or Late Cali White), and it has often been sprayed with anti-sprouting agents that could impede growth in your garden. 

The best source for quality seed is your local farmers market.  There you can usually find a wide selection of varieties that have been grown in your specific climate, thus it is well-adapted to your environment.  If farmers markets are not an option, there are many online garlic stores, (such as Filaree Farms, Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, etc.)  Farmers markets are considerably cheaper than online.

There are hundreds of varieties available.  The largest distinction is between softnecks and hardnecks.  Softnecks will store longer into the winter, but hardnecks are prized for better flavor.  Among hardnecks there are subcategories such as rocamboles, purple stripe, and porcelains.  Trying a few different types will ensure you find a variety that performs well in your climate, and suits your taste.  Generally speaking, hardnecks require a colder winter to do well.

The largest factor when choosing seed is size.  Garlic planted from cloves will be an exact genetic clone of the head it is planted from, so large seed will equal larger heads harvested.

Preparing Ground

Loose well-drained soil is optimal for garlic, but it will perform fine in heavier clay soils.  Spread one to three inches of compost over bed before tilling.  A rich soil is appreciated by garlic so a cover crop or green manure preceding it is a good option.  Leeks, onions, and garlic are all alliums, so plantings should be rotated to new areas to reduce diseases.

Planting

Planting time will vary by climate.  In cold northern climates, the end of October to mid November is ideal.  Check with your local extension service

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>