Originating in Central Asia over 5,000 years ago, we’d be hard-pressed to think of a crop that has made its way around the world the way garlic has. It’s been featured prominently in dishes from ancient China to Medieval Europe and has worked its way into cuisines of the Americas since the Columbian Exchange of the late 15th century.
Fun, flavourful and easy to grow, few crops are as satisfying to grow as garlic. Here are our tips for planting garlic:
- Adjust your expectations. The majority of the garlic crop is planted in the fall because it is supremely advantageous to do so. Fall planting will allow the plant to put down roots and explode out of the ground in the spring, allowing a head start to the growing season and ultimately bigger bulbs. (But if you do plant in the spring, worry not! You’re garlic will still grow and be delicious. Besides, April is National Garlic Month, and Garlic Day is April 19th, so you’ll be able to celebrate along with everyone else.)
- Seed selection. Generally, we suggest that you don’t bother with “seed” garlic. Instead, go to a farmers’ market and get your hands on the biggest, most impressive garlic bulbs you can find. With one caveat: Softneck garlic fares better with spring planting versus hardneck types, which depend more on the cold weather exposure of fall planting. If possible, confirm which type you are getting. Break the bulbs apart and select the biggest, healthiest cloves for planting. The difference between hardneck and softneck is in the name, where hardneck produces a hard stem (“scape”), whereas softneck has a soft stem. Otherwise, softneck has smaller and more numerous cloves with a milder flavour. In addition to tolerating a wider range of climates, softneck garlic also tends to last better in storage.
- Chill. Hardneck cloves require cold exposure (vernalization) to produce bulbs, and softneck varieties will benefit from the process. Skipping vernalization will result in single cloves, which can be replanted in the fall to seed future crops or harvested as green garlic. Planting early enough in the spring will allow for vernalization, provided temperatures stay in the range of -3 to 0ºC for at least two weeks. Alternatively, you can put your garlic in the coldest refrigerator possible for at least two weeks before planting.
- Soil. As ever, soil type is the most important consideration after sunlight (we are assuming your veggie garden is in a sunny location). Garlic prefers well-drained soil with ample organic matter, so it is good to top-dress with a generous quantity of compost.
- Planting. After you have selected the best-looking cloves and prepared your soil, plant them pointy-side up about 2-inches deep, 4-6 inches apart in 12-18 inch row spacings.
- Mulch. Be sure to mulch generously to maintain moisture through the season and suppress weeds. We like straw for mulching vegetables. While it is not as attractive as bark mulch, it works well in the veggie garden as it creates a stable, matted surface and breaks down evenly. Depending on where you live, straw is also a more affordable option.
- Scapes. If you do end up with a hardneck variety, you have the benefit of harvesting scapes, which are produced in early July and form a pigtail-like shape. The scapes are considered a delicacy by garlic lovers for their mild flavour. Cut them before they flower to maximize the size of the bulb, and cook by either sauté, grill or ground into a pesto.
- Harvest. Your garlic in August, when the lower leaves start to yellow and fall over. Ideally, choose a dry day to avoid bringing up too much mud with the bulb. Bulbs should be fully formed, but don’t wait too long, as the papery bulb coating can start to decay. Brush the dirt off lightly but avoid cleaning them too thoroughly, as it can also damage the coating, which will reduce storage life.
- Cure. Your garlic before storage by hanging or laying it out in a shaded area with good airflow for at least a couple of weeks. Ben likes the northfacing porch on his house.
- Process. Some of your crop into garlic powder to maximize its utility in the kitchen! Peel and slice the cloves into thin wafers and throw them in the dehydrator, if you have one. Alternatively, you can use your oven on its lowest setting with the garlic wafers spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave the oven door slightly open so moisture can escape, and check after a few hours to see how they are doing. They should easily snap between your fingers. Once dried, grind into powder using a blender, mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container for up to one year. Sharing the harvest is often the most satisfying part of growing a veggie garden, and few crops are so well-received as homegrown garlic or garlic powder. With a tiny bit of time to spare, we urge you to make garlic your number one priority this spring.
