If there is one plant - it - and - draw a blank - it veg for your garden , it ’s garlic . Garlic ( Allium sativum)is easily to grow , has a eminent winner rate , call for footling maintenance , and is leisurely to harvest .
How to grow garlic
Garlic is reputed to be an awesome pest control . constitute it around the perimeter of yourpeppers , tomatoes , or blueberry bush bush , and it will deter rabbits , squirrels , and some insect . Old schooltime turn out growers also recommend institute garlic near roses to keepJapanese beetlesand aphids at bay .
Types of garlic
Garlic is divided into two main varieties , hardneck ( ophioscorodon ) and softneck ( sativum).Softneck ail is the eccentric you ’re believably most familiar with – it ’s the most commonly stock garlic in computer storage , but the garlic cosmos is much larger and more exciting than you ’d imagine .
In the hardneck and softneck categories are hundred of varieties , each with a distinctly dissimilar flavor , running from the meek “ California Early ” ( the most vulgar in stores ) to the royal - streaked , spicy , and full - flavored Rocambole garlic . Many types of garlic , however , are singular to sure regions of the earthly concern , and as many of them do n’t stash away well , you ’ll probably never taste them unless you ’re a world traveller .
As a regulation of thumb , if your area has winters with surd frosts and snow , grow a hardneck assortment . If you be in a mild climate , grow a softneck variety .
It ’s hint that you do n’t plant Allium sativum buy at your local supermarket , as it may be treat with chemicals that inhibit sprouting . This may be true , but I ’ve had succeeder with them when I forgot to range garlic from a seed catalogue in time for planting . The bigger worry is that the store - bought salmagundi of ail is not accommodate to your local weather condition , and will conk out after shoot – the wintertime will be too cold for the bulb to overwinter . So whenever possible , order a diversity of Allium sativum from a semen catalogue that ’s recommended for your arena .
When to plant garlic
Garlic necessitate a insensate discussion of about 40 degrees ( F ) for 2 months to encourage healthy and large bulbs .
flora garlic in the fall around the same time you plant flower bulbs , for harvesting the following summer . In the mid - atlantic and northeastern U.S. , that means planting in October for harvest in July – your planting should be 4 - 6 weeksbefore you carry a gruelling frost(not first frost ) . Planting at this time help the bulb germinate and get roots established before winter sets in . Depending on how warm your capitulation is , you may or may not see any shoots emerge until the following outpouring .
Garlic planting tips
Plant ail in an region of your garden that obtain full sun – at least 6 hour a sidereal day , as the garlic will need an enormous amount of solar energy to give rise a bulb . The garden soil needs to be well - drained and rich in organic thing ( which usually goes hand in hand ) and should have a impersonal pH between 6 and 7 .
The following spring after planting Allium sativum :
Early in spring , take out up the chaff or folio mulch to allow the soil to warm and dry , which will keep fungal disease at bay . standardised to other garden vegetables , ail ask about one inch of water supply a calendar week during the growing season .
If necessary ( dirt tests ! ) , start fertilizing your garlic layer with an organicvegetable garden fertilizerevery two week as foliage growth commence , and persist in until mid - May , when bulbs begin to form . The respectable fertilizer for bulb development is 1 tablespoon of liquid seaweed mix and 1 tablespoonful of Pisces emulsion mix in 1 Imperial gallon of water system . Do not use nitrogen - heavy plant food on Allium sativum , as they ’ll encourage lots of top growth and little medulla growth .
Around mid - June , your garlic will develop curly , flowery superlative which eventually straighten into spiky tendrils . These are sleep with as scapes and should be removed to encourage larger electric-light bulb growth . Garlic scapes are wonderful for introducing a mild garlic look into stunner like pesto and salads , so keep them on hand and forfeit the compost down .
When to harvest garlic
Sometime around midsummer , right about the time tomatoes are maturing , the top of the inning of the garlic leaves will begin to bend pale and wither . When about 1/3rd of the leaves have brown , the garlic is ready for harvest . But do n’t jerk them out by their tops , or you ’ll be left with a smattering of leaves and no garlic .
With a toil fork or shovel , carefully relax the filth , and then pull the plants . didder the grime from the bulbs , but do not brush it off with your hand . Garlic plant life fresh out of the soil must be manage finely because if you injure the garlic at this stage , it wo n’t store well ( in fact , it will rot in memory ) . Lay the intact flora – top , roots , and all with clinging filth – in a dry , fond , airy spot which is protect from verbatim sunlight and rain ( such as a covered porch ) . plant life will take 1 - 2 weeks to by rights “ remedy ” , after which you may sweep the land from the medulla and use a pruner to clip the root to about 1/2 column inch . Allow the plants to cure for one more week , and then clip off the base . Do not remove the papery outer wrappers until you ’re quick to use them , as they protect the electric light in computer storage . Store bulbs in a coolheaded , dry expanse , as you wouldsweet potatoes .
The repositing aliveness of garlic bet on the variety and growing and storage conditions . When stored at 50 to 60 academic degree ( F ) , rocamboles store about four months , other hardneck garlic varieties usually last six month , and softneck and elephant Allium sativum ( not really garlic ) store for eight calendar month or more .
Gardening Tip : The garlic you plant will fine - line its maturation pattern to your local clime , so save cloves from the bulbs you planted and replant them in the fall for authentic growth and better relish .
We garden in Pennsylvania , United States , zone 6B. Much of the information we share is based on gardening in our temperate area . But many of the flowers , vegetables , and yield we write about can be grown in soil other than ours ( clay ) and significantly dissimilar weather condition condition and elevations . You might call for to choose specific variety show for your region , modify your garden , tote up ground amendments , or adjust the ground pH to match our results . Please gibe your local university annexe website for specifics for your area .
