GARLIC

Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Garlic

Preparing Soil:
Garlic can be planted both in the ground and in raised garden beds. Garlic, like other vegetables, thrives best in fertile, loose soil. Work in plenty of compost before planting to help improve the soil.

Autumn is also a crucial time for those who plant in spring. This is the time to prepare your soil so that it’s at its maximum growing potential come March and April.

Compost is the ideal companion for growing garlic. Not only will it enrich the soil with nutrients, but it will also loosen the soil to promote healthy bulb growth. And just as with all root crops, loose soil can make a significant difference between having full-sized produce while harvesting, or ending up with stunted veggies.

Some gardeners will spread two or three inches of manure on their plot along with wood ashes, greensand, or another source of potassium. Bone meal or phosphate rock is also helpful in supplying phosphorus, a mineral crucial to good garlic stands.

Adding kelp meal or a good organic fish fertilizer helps ensure you have an abundance of the nutrients garlic needs. Spreading manure in the fall gives it time to mellow ahead of spring. Too much nitrogen will encourage top growth rather than bulb growth. Everything, as always should be in balance.

Preparing Garlic for Planting
Choose the biggest cloves to plant, as they will produce the biggest heads.

Before planting bulbs, soak them overnight to enhance sprouting and overall health. To do this, add a teaspoon of baking soda to a quart jar of water. After stirring, add the cloves and let them soak.

This soaking not only promotes garlic sprouting but also prevents ground rot. Many parts of the country can get heavy rainfall in the fall, so garlic can benefit greatly from a little extra defense against excessively soggy and wet soils.

There is no need to peel garlic cloves before planting them. Try to keep the skins intact, even if some of the papery outer layer does.