Growing Info

Garlic is one of the hottest crops in America these days, both among small farmers and backyard  gardeners. We receive a lot of orders from first time growers who want to experiment. We encourage experimenting but don’t recommend first time growers to start by planting a “cash crop” the first year. Start small and replant. After a season or two you will have both the experience and quantity necessary for a moneymaking enterprise.

 

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How much garlic should I buy?

1-5 pounds of seed garlic will produce enough garlic for the culinary needs of most families.

Most varieties will run about 7-10 bulbs per pound. It’s difficult to compute the number of pounds needed to plant small areas because plant spacing varies considerably. Pound per acre figures range from 700 to 2,000 pounds of actual cloves. We plant about a 1,000 pounds of cloves per acre, which requires about 1,200 pounds of bulbs.

We plant in beds with 6 rows per bed, 5in between rows. In each row, we space plants 9in. This grid planting allows for 8 plants per bed foot. Thus a twenty foot bed would fit 160 plants. That would take around 3 lbs of hardnecks, or 2 to 2 1/2 lbs of softnecks.

 

 

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Growing Instructions

Garlic is usually planted in early October in the north, and from November through January in the south. Northern growers should plant four to six weeks before the ground freezes in order to insure good root growth prior to winter. If your winters are too long and extreme then softneck garlics should be planted in the spring.

Break bulbs apart into individual cloves within a few days of planting and plant the root end down, about two inches deep. Mulch immediately. Remember big cloves yield big plants and bulbs, while small cloves yield small plants and bulbs.  Commercial growers do not use cloves that are significantly small than average.

Garlic likes rich, well-drained soil but will tolerate and adapt to many soil types.  It is difficult to grow garlic without rot problems in tight soils or clay soils with poor drainage. Hardneck garlics are fussier about soil nutrients and texture than are softnecks.

In the spring when garlic plants are experiencing most of their vegetative growth, water like any garden green. Nitrogen is appreciated at this stage of growth. When days lengthen and the temperature climbs (mid-May for us) garlic is finished growing green leaves and is ready to direct energy to its bulb. Small weak plants at this stage will produce small bulbs no matter what you do.

Hardneck garlics send up a flower stalk in early June. Before the stalk begins to turn woody, starts to uncoil, and begins to stand up straight, the stalk should be cut off 1/2 inch above the top plant leaf. This redirects the energy downward into the bulb.

Begin to taper water off a bit. As harvest approaches don’t keep the topsoil too wet for any length of time or bulbs may mold or stain.

 

 

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Harvesting

As harvest approaches plants begin to dry down from the lowest leaf up and from the leaf tips downward, one leaf at a time. We harvest when top 4 leaves are still 50% green. Bundle in-groups of five to ten plants and hang inside, out of direct sunlight and with good air circulation. Don’t leave freshly dug bulbs in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes or they may sunburn (literally cook). The plants and bulbs cure completely in 3 to 4 weeks in dry climates, but may need fans and heat sources in wet climates. Check clove wrappers inside bulb to make sure they are dry. When completely cured the neck may be cut about one-half inch above the bulb without any moisture being apparent. We trim the roots and necks to one-half inch length and store in netted onion bags or ventilated crates.

 

 

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Storing

Most garlics store well at room temperature. Temperatures of 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit will cause sprouting. Temperatures in the 30’s are OK for table stock but planting stock should not be stored very long at cold temperatures as they will begin sprouting.

               

The type of garlic is also a factor. Asiatic and Turbans are the shortest storing garlics. Rocamboles and Purple Stripes are the medium (6 months). Porcelains and Artichoke types store 8 to 10 months. Silverskins and Creoles will often store a full year.

               

Rocamboles have a tendency to dehydrate in storage if humidity is below 50%. We prefer 60% to 70%. Softnecks will do well at low or high humidity, but keep in mind that softnecks take longer to cure because they have layers of cloves. Big bulbs, in particular, tend to appear dry while retaining moisture in the bulb center, and they rot at high humidity unless fully cured. Humidity over 70% also causes swelling of root nodules in most garlic.

               

Bulbs will be reserved based on the date orders are received - first come, first served. We give our biggest bulbs to those who order first. The majority of bulk strains will continue to be at least two-inch diameter bulbs (XL size), but we will substitute smaller bulbs once the large bulbs are sold.