It’s October and where I live, that means it’s Garlic Planting Time!
Who doesn’t love garlic!? Whether you’re trying to repel vampires, boost your immune system, or make your dinner delicious, garlic is there to save the day. Are you one of those who reads a recipe that states “two cloves garlic” and think “sure! Five cloves it is!” I know I am! Everything is better with garlic and so that means we go through a fair amount of garlic heads in a year!
It’s pretty easy to grow so why not plant it in the fall and have it ready mid spring!? You can easily plant and store all you need for the year! Don’t forget to set aside enough to plant next fall for the following year!
What kind of garlic to plant? First you’ll need to decide if you want to grow a hardneck or softneck variety. Are you looking to harvest oh-so-sought-after garlic scapes? Then go for the hardneck variety. They also are hardier and do better in colder climates (though I grew them here in zone 8a and it turned out fine) Hardneck garlic has a rich flavor and large cloves that are easier to peal.
Softneck garlic won’t have the tasty garlic scapes but are a better variety for long term storage. When stored properly they can last 6 months or more. They seem to also mature sooner than the hardneck. They have a milder flavor and are lovely braided hanging in the pantry.
After you’ve picked your variety you can head to the seed catalogs or online to order. There are truly tons of places you can order from but I’ll tell ya, I just went to the produce isle at the grocery store and got some organic heads of garlic.
Open up your garlic heads and separate the cloves. Chose the biggest cloves and leave the paper in tact. Head out to the garden and pick a nice sunny spot with good drainage. You will want an area that gets 6 hours of sun. Garlic is a heavy feeder so it needs lots of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Adding compost and organic material to the soil at the time of planting isn’t a bad idea. I like to add in some bone and blood meal when planting.
Loosen up the dirt and plant shallowly, root side down, 4-6 inches apart and cover with just and inch or two of soil. Your garlic may not come up until the spring or.. you may see some green before winter really gets going. In that case, I like to mulch them well with leaves to protect them from the cold. If it’s going to snow, I will definitely make sure I’ve insulated them with leaves or straw. Whatever you’ve got will work.
In the spring, be on the look out for those scapes and make sure you harvest them before they start to flower to make sure you get the biggest cloves possible out of your garlic. I already cannot wait for the garlic scape pesto I will be making in the spring!
Go plant your garlic, enjoy this beautiful fall weather and
Happy Homesteading!