By the time November rolls around here in the North, our gardens have been cleared out, neatened up and prepped for a long winter rest. Something else you can do in preparation (or longing) for spring is to plant hardneck garlic bulbs before the ground freezes over. Hardneck garlic requires a "sleep" period of sorts after setting it's roots in order to be able to produce in the spring.
Plant your garlic in fertile soil by putting a few inches of compost or an organic granular fertilizer to the beds. Make sure your area has been fully tilled before mapping out your garlic rows. They'll need to be 2 feet apart.
Cut the necks off your garlic bulbs before breaking the outer skin to reveal the cloves inside.
Dig down 4-6 inches deep for each row.
Place your cloves flat end down, pointed tip up. The cloves should be planted 6 inches apart and at least 2 inches of soil above the clove.
Cover loosely with the soil you dug out to create the row.
Cover with some sort of mulch, like straw, grass clippings or chopped up leaves to prevent weeds, as garlic does not like competing with other growth.
Ta-da! You're done! It really is that simple, and you'll be able to harvest your garlic as soon as late July.
Get your Garlic HERE!
This year is my last for attempting to grow garlic. In Pine, AZ, 5500’ elevation in mountains, Zone 7b, I’ve NEVER been able to grow any garlic other than small heads. This year will plant later..Nov or Dec. it can be warm well into Nov … UGH
This was my first year growing garlic. I bought a half pound and planted nine per square foot. I did eight square feet. I covered with mulch and forgot about it. I enjoyed the garlic curls and saved a few to tell me when their done . They point up when you harvest them. I’m saving the biggest to plant this fall. I’m told after three years it adapts to your climate. Enjoy
I have been growing Garlic for 5+ years and each year it’s a little diffent, can you give some chooses on ways to use my garlic ?
I’m excited to have stumbled on to this website! I’ve only recently started gardening (at age 71!) and have recently acquired a greenhouse to start next year’s plants for my raised bed gardens and small landscape areas. I need so much expert advice, especially for the greenhouse, as I also want to raise perennials as well as veggies. Can’t wait to start my garlic bed using your instructions!
I bought some black garlic seeds. They are about the size of a half grain of rice. I never knew that garlic could be planted by seed and I know nothing about it. I have never tried black garlic before. Actually never even heard of it until this year. Still trying to find info on how to plant it.