1 of 8

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 3

If your area gets plenty of rain and snow and very cold winters, then grow your garlic in higher beds. Plant the cloves 4 in. (101mm) deep 6 in. (15cm) apart making sure that the root end is sitting on the bottom, mulch heavily to protect from sub-zero temperatures. Garlic will of course grow in flat ground but raised beds help the plant to fend off disease, which can attach when the bulb sits in water for too long.

General Care

Garlic likes a slightly moist but not wet soil, wet soil encourages disease such as fungus and blight but too little moisture will cause the bulb to dry out and it will not expand. One way of determining the moisture content of the soil is to push your hand down into the root zone and feel the soil at that depth. If your hand comes out dry, it's time to water; if it is muddy and the soil sticks to your hand, it's too wet. In that situation, remove some of the mulch from around the plant, this will allow the soil dry out a little. Do not water during the week before you intend to harvest the crop, as it is easier to pull or dig out garlic from fairly dry soil than it is from wet soil, plus garlic will store better if it is not too wet.

There are few things in nature that give garlic problems because this plant kills or repels most insects, fungi, and many other predators that attack other plants. Therefore it isn't necessary to give protection to the garlic like you would give to other more venerable crops.

Harvesting

The time to harvest will depend on which part of the country you live and the variety of garlic you are growing. Since spring warms up from the south to the north, southern growers will harvest earlier than northern growers. You should remember that it is heat and sun, which causes garlic to mature. A long cool spring will delay growth. Generally speaking, if you planted your cloves in September and you have one of the earlier maturing varieties and the weather has been warm, then by mid-May they should be ready to lift. Northern growers may find that they have to wait a few more weeks.

Hardneck garlic's will send up a stalk or scape as it is correctly called a month or two before harvest time. Softneck garlic's do not unless they are stressed by adverse growing conditions. Garlic leaves signal by turning brown and dying that they have matured. The outermost leaves die first and then the rest die from the ground up. In Softneck varieties the time to harvest is when the outer leaves have all died down and only the top six leaves

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to grow garlic?
We want to hear your view. Write now!