How to Grow Garlic

Did you know that growing garlic is easy and inexpensive? This guide from Mytour will walk you through the process of growing garlic, including selecting the right variety, caring for the plants, harvesting, and storing them.

Understand the best planting time for garlic in your area. Generally, the ideal time to plant garlic is in mid-fall or early spring.

• Garlic grows well in many climates. However, regions with high temperatures, humidity, or frequent rainfall are not ideal for garlic to thrive.

Choose a planting location and prepare the soil. Garlic requires full sunlight but can also tolerate partial shade as long as the shaded period is not too long during the day or throughout the growing season. The soil must be well-tilled and loose. The best type is a sandy loam soil.

• Before adding any nutrients to the soil, you should know what nutrients are already present. If your soil hasn't been tested before, contact the agricultural extension office to get a soil sample kit.
• Ensure the soil drains well. Clay soil is not suitable for growing garlic.
• Use compost and manure to enrich the soil before planting garlic.

Find fresh garlic bulbs. Garlic is grown from cloves, which can be considered as seeds for this purpose. Therefore, before planting garlic, you need to purchase fresh garlic. You can buy garlic at a store, or better yet, at a local farmers' market or produce stand. Choosing high-quality, fresh garlic is crucial. If possible, choose organic garlic to avoid chemically treated bulbs.

• Choose large cloves of garlic. Avoid cloves that are beginning to soften.
• Each garlic clove will grow into a separate garlic plant, so keep this in mind when determining how many bulbs you need to purchase.
• If you have sprouted garlic at home, that's great.
• Nurseries also provide garlic bulbs for planting. Visit a nursery if you’re looking for a special variety or want more information about local growing conditions.
• Online seed shops or mail-order services also offer various types of garlic with detailed planting instructions for each variety.

Separate the cloves from the fresh garlic bulb. Be careful not to break the cloves at the base where they connect to the bulb. If the base is damaged, the clove will not sprout.

• Plant the larger cloves. Smaller cloves will take up less space in the planting tray, but they will also yield smaller garlic bulbs.

Press each garlic clove into the soil. Position the pointed end of the clove facing upwards and plant it about 5 cm deep into the soil.

• Space the cloves about 20 cm apart to allow for optimal growth.

Use mulch to cover the garlic shoots that have just been planted. Suitable mulches include dry grass, dry leaves, straw, well-composted manure, or completely decayed weeds.

Apply fertilizer or spread compost over the garlic shoots. Garlic plants need a balanced fertilizer when they are first planted.

• Fertilize again in the spring if you planted garlic in the fall, or fertilize in the fall if planting in the spring.

Water the plants when necessary. Newly planted garlic needs moisture for root development. However, avoid overwatering as excess moisture can stunt garlic growth or cause rot, especially during cold months.

• Water thoroughly once a week if there is no rain. Only water garlic when the soil is dry; avoid overwatering as garlic does not thrive in wet soil.
• Gradually reduce watering as the weather warms. Garlic needs a dry and warm summer to grow healthy bulbs.

Be mindful of pests. Insects, mice, and other creatures might come to eat the garlic or nest among the plants. Pay attention to the following pests:

• Aphids seem to be particularly fond of garlic leaves and flower buds. However, they are easy to control—simply use your fingers to rub them off and kill them.
• Many gardeners plant garlic near rose bushes to deter aphids; the roses help repel these pests.
• Mice and other small animals sometimes make nests under the mulch. If you live in an area with mice, consider switching to plastic mulch or garden fabric instead of organic covers.

Using flower scapes. As garlic plants grow, long green stalks known as flower scapes will emerge. These can be removed and eaten if desired. The most flavorful part of the scape is the tender top section.

• This could potentially harm the bulbs, so it's best not to remove all scapes from every garlic plant.
• Wear gloves when removing scapes, or the garlic smell will linger on your hands for days.

Watch for signs that garlic is ready to harvest. You can harvest garlic when you can feel the individual cloves within the bulb, and the leaves of the plant start turning yellow or brown.

• Harvest when the flower scapes begin to dry out. Otherwise, the garlic bulbs may 'split' and separate into individual cloves.
• Start harvesting in late summer. In many areas, harvesting may continue into fall.
• In warmer climates, garlic may be ready to harvest earlier.

Use a spade or garden fork to loosen the soil around each garlic bulb. Carefully lift the garlic bulbs from the ground. If using a garden fork, be cautious not to damage the bulbs beneath the soil.

• Be gentle when digging to avoid bruising or damaging the garlic cloves.
• The garlic plants should be left unwashed and hung to cure for two weeks. The ideal curing temperature is 26.7°C. After curing, the outer skins of the garlic will peel off, leaving the inner skins. Trim the roots and tops, and store the garlic in a cool, dry place.
• Washing garlic will extend the curing process and may lead to rotting. If not properly cured, garlic will spoil quickly when stored in a cupboard.

Store garlic in a cool, dry place indoors. Dried garlic can be kept in special garlic storage jars, often made from clay. You can also separate the individual cloves if needed.

Bunch or braid garlic into a cluster. You can keep the dried garlic leaves to braid or twist into a cord and hang the garlic in your kitchen for both convenience and decoration.

Preserve garlic in oil or vinegar. Garlic cloves can be stored in oil or vinegar. However, to avoid bacterial growth, you should refrigerate it or consume it quickly.

• WARNING: Take extreme care when preparing garlic-infused oils or storing garlic in oil. Never store garlic in oil at room temperature. The garlic-oil mixture kept at room temperature can create an ideal environment for the botulism toxin to develop (low acidity, no free oxygen, and warm temperature). The same risk applies to roasted garlic stored in oil.

• Large garlic cloves usually yield bulbs of similar size.
• Save one or two bulbs after harvesting to separate into cloves and plant them in the fall for next year's crop.
• Mix loamy soil with sand to plant garlic. It's highly effective!
• Garlic is very cold-hardy. You can plant garlic in the fall, leave it in the ground through winter, and harvest it in late summer the following year.
• While it's entirely possible to plant garlic from store-bought bulbs or those from farmer's markets, you may want to try growing different garlic varieties. Check out nurseries or online stores for a wider range of options, including varieties with unique colors.
• If you only harvest small garlic bulbs, don't be discouraged. You can use them to grow more garlic!
• Harvest garlic when the lower leaves turn brown, leaving 5-6 leaves. These leaves will dry and form a thin protective skin around the garlic, extending its shelf life.
• If space is limited, consider growing garlic in water to sprout new shoots. Look online for methods to grow garlic in water.

• Do not leave garlic bulbs lying on the ground. They will begin to separate.
• Do not freeze garlic bulbs. They will become mushy and unsuitable for later use.

• Garlic cloves
• Fertilizer, well-decomposed manure, or compost
• Dry grass, straw, or fully decomposed hay (mulch layer)
• Watering tools
• Shovel or garden fork