How do you plant garlic from a clove

And it is certainly good that it grows so well, because we use it in just about everything! From salsa and pasta sauce, to homemade garlic bread and countless other dishes, we use our homegrown garlic in something nearly every day.

In fact, we even use it to help battle pests naturally outside as well, including a few cloves in our homemade hot pepper spray.

The Ease of Growing Garlic

So what does it take to grow a great crop of garlic? Actually, that may be the best part of all. Garlic is one of the easiest crops to plant and grow in the garden. It naturally repels most pests, and requires little maintenance. It also rarely needs watering or fertilizing.

With that in mind, here is a look at how to plant your own incredible crop this fall, including a short video tutorial near the end as well.

The best time to plant hardneck garlic in the Midwest and Northern states is in the early fall. Here in Ohio, we always plant our crop within the first few weeks of September.

That allows a month or two of cool weather growth for it to become established. It then goes dormant for the winter, and comes back to life in the spring. It is then usually ready for harvesting by late June or the first week of July.

Preparing The Garlic Seed For Planting – Soaking The Seed.

Each single clove of a garlic bulb is an individual seed. Once planted, it will then grow into a full bulb.

We select the largest of our bulbs that we harvest in June to become our “seed” in the fall. Quite simply, the larger the clove, the bigger the mature bulbs will be when you harvest. We grow a variety of garlic called Siberian hardneck. Not only does it grow well, it is excellent for overwinter storage. Product Link : Siberian Hardneck Garlic Cloves

To prepare the cloves for planting, separate each clove carefully. Always be sure to keep as much of the papery skin in tact as possible. The skin serves as a protective layer for the garlic, and keeps it from rotting until it sprouts.

A Little Secret – Pre-Soaking The Bulbs

To help promote sprouting and health, soak your bulbs overnight before planting. Fill a quart jar with water and add in a teaspoon of baking soda. Stir and then drop in the cloves to let them soak.

This soaking not only helps the garlic sprout, but also helps prevent ground rot. Fall can be a wet time in many areas of the country, and a little extra protection against overly wet soils can go a long way for garlic.

Preparing The Soil

Like most vegetables, garlic grows best in fertile, loose soil. Prior to planting, work in generous amounts of compost to help amend the soil.

Compost is the perfect partner for growing garlic. Not only will it help energize the soil with nutrients, it also helps to loosen the dirt to allow for good bulb growth. And just like with all root crops, loose soil can make a big difference between full sized produce, or stunted vegetables.

How To Plant Garlic

Garlic can be planted in traditional rows, raised beds or raised rows. The key is spacing. Bulbs should be spaced 4″ apart within rows and 4″ between rows.

Begin by digging a trench 3 to 4 inches deep. Fill the bottom of the trench with about an inch of compost. As you plant, push each bulb gently down into the compost layer.

We then add in a teaspoon of worm castings around every bulb as we plant. It provide a great source of ready-to-use nutrients for the bulb. Ever since doing this a few years back, our bulbs have been simply amazing! It really is a great little secret to better bulb production.

Plant Up

When planting garlic, make sure to keep the pointy end of each garlic clove up, and the flat end down. The point tip is the sprouting end, and will allow for quick sprouting through the soil.

Finish by covering up with the cloves with remaining soil. Do not press the soil firm, simply cover by spreading the soil to fill the entire trench level with the surrounding soil.

We place a light 1″ covering of straw over our crop right after it is planted. This protects the ground from weeds seeds blowing in, but still allows the garlic to sprout. Once you have put on your light coat of mulch, water the crop in to help the bulbs and mulch settle in.

Mulching For Weed Control & Winter Protection –

Once the crop has sprouted in the fall, we add a few more inches of additional straw mulch to help protect the crop through winter. You can also use shredded leaves as well, but whatever you do, mulch the crop!

One of the biggest secrets to growing mulch is to keep it from competing with weeds. Weeds compete for nutrients, and a weedy patch will keep yields of your garlic lower, and the bulbs you harvest smaller.

Garlic is a fairly drought resistant crop. Normal rainfall will usually keep it growing well. If you do experience extremely dry conditions for more than 10 to 14 days in the fall, water the crop to help it along.

Spring Maintenance –

As spring arrives, the garlic crop will come out of dormancy and continue to grow. We usually add a bit more mulch to suppress weeds in the early spring. But other than that, the only maintenance required before harvesting is to keep the weeds out.

So how do you know when garlic is ready for harvesting? Depending on where you live, the harvest times can vary a bit. You will begin to see the tops of the crop begin to brown off in early summer. As soon as two-thirds of the garlic tops have browned off, the crop is ready to harvest and cure.

For us here in east-central Ohio, that is usually the first few weeks of July. It can certainly vary from late June to late July depending on your climate.

Once the garlic is harvested, it needs to cure for a few weeks to dry out and be ready for storage. One thing you do not want to do is wash your crop off! Allow the dirt around the cloves to dry off naturally – water can prematurely rot the crop as it dries.

We hang our crop up in the barn and let it air out. Usually within a few weeks, we can cut the heads off with a bit of the stem and they are ready to store.

Here is to planting and growing your own amazing crop of garlic this fall. Happy Gardening! Jim and Mary.

How to plant garlic before winter. Winter garlic

Autumn has come, the gardening season is coming to an end, but the trouble is not getting any smaller. One of them is the planting of winter garlic, which has its own characteristics.

In order to get a rich harvest, it is necessary to carefully select the varieties of garlic that can be grown in the conditions of the region.

The most common and suitable for our conditions are varieties:

- Bogatyr. It has a large bulb (weight up to 85 g) with 5-7 cloves. The shape is rounded flat. nine0003

- Komsomolets. The shape of the fruit is round-flat, weight - up to 30 grams. The head of garlic Komsomolets can have from 6 to 13 teeth.

The fundamental difference between winter garlic and spring garlic is that winter garlic is planted in autumn, and spring garlic is planted in spring.

Winter garlic produces large heads with large cloves, but is less stored, although there are many techniques to help preserve it. Spring garlic forms small heads that are perfectly stored until the new harvest. In addition, winter garlic shoots, i.e. forms air bulbs, with which, along with teeth, this culture can be propagated, but does not form spring bulbs. nine0003

Over time, even the best variety degenerates, so in the summer it is necessary to leave a few air bulbs on the garlic arrow (which we break out) to improve the variety. Next year they will form large single teeth - this will be the planting material. Before planting, they can be soaked for 2-3 hours in one of the preparations: Immunocytofit, Rizoplan, or in a warm solution of potassium permanganate. In addition to improving the variety, this is a good way to save seeds. Bulbs and single-tooths are planted simultaneously with the main planting material. nine0003

Divide the garlic into cloves before planting so that the lower part where the roots form does not dry out. The teeth are sorted by size, paying attention to the bottom: there should not be a dead part of the old bottom. It, like a cork, prevents germination and the formation of roots, so it is removed. Large heads grow only from the largest teeth, so only the outer teeth should be taken for planting.

It is better to plant garlic before winter after certain crops. These include annual vegetables with a short growing season and no common pests and diseases: pumpkin, legumes. It is undesirable to plant garlic before winter after root crops, which greatly deplete the soil. In the place where onions and garlic grow, re-sowing is possible only after three to four years. Likes to grow next to strawberries. Before planting garlic in the fall, the site must rest. A place is selected that has been empty for at least a month. If this is not possible, green manure plants can be used, which will quickly help restore the composition of the soil

The place should be sunny, there should be no fences, shady trees nearby. You should not choose a site in a hollow, water will drain there, and garlic does not like stagnant moisture. The bed must be made high.

Garlic prefers to grow in a non-acidic soil rich in useful elements. Before planting, it is necessary to dig up the soil on a shovel bayonet, this will enrich the soil well with oxygen, dig out weeds with roots. Under digging, it is desirable to add humus, potash and phosphorus fertilizers. Very good to add ash. nine0003

The main question that every gardener decides on his own: "when it is possible and necessary to plant garlic before winter." The fact is that there is no exact date, it is necessary to focus on weather conditions. Planting garlic too early in the fall will cause the plant to take root and sprout green shoots that will freeze out with the onset of cold weather. From the moment of planting, at least two to three weeks must pass before the first frost, so that the cloves have time to take root and strengthen. Usually this is the period in ours from late September to mid-October. nine0003

What kind of teeth to take for planting?

Cloves should only be taken from healthy bulbs, otherwise they may not sprout at all, and if they sprout, they will produce a crop infected with diseases, which is likely to die during storage.

Cloves should only be taken from large heads - a cloves taken from a large head is potentially ready to form another large head. In addition, only external teeth should be taken, because. internal teeth will give a smaller yield.

Charts for planting garlic with cloves

We all know from childhood how to plant garlic - row by row and at a fixed distance from each other. Since ancient times, there was only one way to plant it - the usual single-tier planting, which is recommended in a variety of gardening books. However, there are other recommendations as well. For example, specialists from the Volgograd State Agricultural Academy recommend switching from a classic single-tier to a two-tier landing.

Option one - classic single-tier planting of garlic in rows. nine0003

The cloves are planted in rows in grooves at a distance of about 14 cm between large cloves, 8 cm between small cloves and 25 cm between rows. Planting depth is calculated in such a way that about three to four centimeters of soil remain from the top. The larger the teeth, the deeper they are planted. Don't force them into the ground. The distance between the bulbs during sowing is 1-2 cm, the embedment depth is 2-3 cm. The bed is mulched with humus or compost. From above, you can put cut perennials or raspberry branches for snow retention, and remove in the spring. nine0003

Option two - two-tier planting of garlic in rows.

With this planting, two cloves of garlic are planted in one nest: the first - to a depth of 13-14 cm, and the second - to a depth of 6-7 cm. The distance between rows and between cloves in a row is 15 cm. . Odd rows of garlic are planted to a depth of 6 cm with a distance between cloves in a row of 15 cm. The distance between odd rows is also 15 cm. so that in relation to the teeth of odd rows they are staggered. The distance between the teeth in even rows is also 15 cm.

Both new methods (the second and the third) allow more rational use of the area and obtain almost twice as much yield per unit area compared to traditional planting. In addition, when planting in two tiers, it is more likely to save part of the crop during a harsh and little snowy winter, if we are talking about winter garlic. This technology of planting garlic is patented by the developers, so enthusiastic gardeners can completely try it out on one of the garlic ridges.

Experiments were carried out by specialists of the Volgograd State Agricultural Academy on light-chestnut soil of the Volgograd region. Before planting, the soil was dug up to a depth of 20 cm and organic fertilizers were applied at the rate of 10 kg/m². nine0003

A special device has been developed for the mechanization of planting garlic with strict observance of all distances and depths of planting cloves. It is made of wood in the form of a square with a side of 1.05 m and with many pins. By installing the necessary pins of different lengths and the appropriate displacement of the structure, garlic can be planted in different patterns. Thanks to the device, it was not necessary to manually make a hole for planting each clove: one click on the soil with the structure - and a whole series of holes is ready, and it is already possible to plant. You can do it easier and get by with a pair of ordinary rails: install pins 13 cm long on the first, and 6 cm on the second.

Garlic germination in all spring planting schemes was almost 100%. In April, seedlings were fed with azofoska at the rate of 7 g/m² per horizon. During the growing season of garlic, six irrigations were given in addition to natural precipitation, after each irrigation the soil was loosened. The largest yield (4.4 kg/m²) of acceptable bulb size (40 g) with a relatively low consumption of planting material (0.54 kg/m²) was obtained when planting according to scheme 3. The increase in yield compared to control plantings was 62.7% . When planting according to scheme 2, we got less productivity - 3.7 kg of garlic per 1 m², i.e. compared with the control beds, the yield increase was only 38.2%. This is due to the fact that the plants in the same nest oppressed each other. nine0003

cultivation, planting, care in the open field

There are 2 varieties of garlic: winter and spring (1). You can tell them apart by the bulbs.

Winter garlic. It has an even number of cloves in the head - from 4 to 10. They are large and arranged in a circle. And in the center there is always a stem - the rest of the stem. The problem with winter garlic is that it does not store well.

Spring garlic. Its teeth are arranged in a spiral, and they are of different sizes - larger on the outside, smaller closer to the center. And there are many more - up to 30 pieces. And there is no stem in the center. This variety of garlic is perfectly stored - it can easily lie for a whole year until the next harvest. nine0003

Winter garlic is planted before winter, spring - in the spring, respectively, their care has differences.

Cultivation of garlic

Garlic is a rather unpretentious crop; in many gardeners it grows almost without care and gives good yields. But still, he has one requirement - the soil must be pedigree. Therefore, before planting on the site, fertilizers must be applied (calculation per 1 sq. M):

• humus - 1/2 bucket;
• rotted sawdust of deciduous trees - 1/2 bucket; nine0084
• ash - 5 glasses;
• fluffy lime - 5 cups.

Fertilizers should be mixed, spread evenly over the area and dug up by 10 cm. And he does not like urea and potassium chloride.

Place for garlic should be sunny - this is a light-loving crop.

Planting garlic

The timing of planting garlic depends on its variety. nine0003

Winter garlic. It is traditionally planted 2 to 3 weeks before the onset of hard frosts, in late September - early October (2), when the soil temperature drops below 15 °C.

Planting pattern is as follows:

• row spacing - 25 cm;
• in a row - 10 - 15 cm;
• planting depth - 8 - 10 cm.

Spring garlic. It is planted in the spring, no later than the end of April (3). He is not afraid of frosts, therefore, the earlier you plant, the more likely it is that the crop will have time to ripen - this is especially true in regions with a short summer. The optimum soil temperature is 5-6 °C. nine0003

Planting pattern:

• row spacing - 25 - 30 cm;
• in a row - 8 - 10 cm;
• planting depth - 2 cm.

The cloves are planted at a depth of 3 - 4 cm, and when they begin to take root, they themselves go deep into the soil by 6 - 8 cm (4).

Outdoor garlic care

Watering. It should be regular, but up to a certain point:

• in April-May - once a week: 10 liters per 1 sq. m
• in June-July - 1 time in 2 weeks: 10 liters per 1 sq. m; nine0084
• No watering since August.

In rainy summers, garlic does not need to be watered.

Top dressing. As a rule, in fertile areas of this crop, it is enough that they are applied to the soil before planting. On poor soils, it is useful to additionally feed it with phosphorus and potassium - fertilizers must be applied between the rows 2 weeks after planting the cloves:

• double superphosphate - 30 g (2 tablespoons) per 1 sq. m;
• potassium sulfate - 20 g (1 tablespoon) per 1 sq. m.

- Winter garlic is important to cover in the winter - mulch with humus, compost or peat in a layer of about 5 cm, - advises agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova. - This should be done in late autumn, at the end of November. The mulch will help keep the bulbs from freezing if the winter turns out to be snowless and the frosts are severe. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, the mulch must be removed so that the cloves in the soil do not get wet.

“Caring for spring garlic also has its tricks,” continues Svetlana Mikhailova. - It happens that in the cold summer, the ripening of the bulbs slows down, and they may not have time to ripen before the autumn frosts. In this case, in mid-August, you can collect the leaves in a bunch and tie them in a knot - then they will stop growing, the plants will direct all their forces to the ripening of the bulb. nine0003

Garlic harvesting

Garlic harvesting time also depends on the variety.

Winter garlic. It is usually harvested at the end of July. There are three signs that it is already ripe:

• the covering skin begins to crack on the inflorescences, and the bulbs are exposed, but this only applies to arrow varieties - yes, garlic arrows usually break out (5), but you can always leave a couple of plants with inflorescences to use as beacons;
• lower leaves turn yellow; nine0084
• The outer, covering scales of the bulb become dry - this can be seen if you dig up one plant.

Spring garlic. It is removed later - around the end of August. Most varieties of this group do not form arrows, so yellowing of the leaves and lodging of the tops can serve as a visual signal for harvesting.

– It is better to dig up garlic with a pitchfork – this way there is less chance of damaging the bulb, recommends agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova. - You need to dig in dry weather. After harvesting, the garlic, together with the tops, is removed to dry - for about a week it should lie under a canopy. nine0003

After drying, the roots and stems of the bulbs are cut off, leaving a stump of about 10 cm (if the garlic is to be stored in braids, the stems are not cut off).

Garlic storage rules

There are many ways to store garlic, but practice shows that almost all of them are unreliable. The best way is to braid the plants in the same way as you do with onions.

But there are nuances:

• garlic stalks are hard and brittle, it is difficult to braid them, so you need to weave straw or twine there; nine0084
• Spit should be stored at a temperature of 1 - 2 °C - onions are stored at room temperature, and garlic dries quickly in heat.

Large heads are stored longer, so the small heads should be eaten first.

Popular questions and answers

agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova answered our questions about growing garlic.

Should garlic cloves be peeled before planting?

No way! Covering scales - reliable protection of teeth from mechanical damage, diseases and pests. Peeled cloves will rot rather than germinate. nine0003

Should winter garlic be watered after planting?

No. It will be enough for him to take root in the autumn rains. Over watering can cause tooth decay.

Can winter garlic be planted in spring?

It makes no sense. For winter varieties, it is important that there are low temperatures after planting. And the spring is too warm. If planted in April, the bulbs will grow inferior and will not be stored. And besides, underdeveloped teeth cannot be used for planting - they form roots very slowly and freeze out in winter. nine0003

Is it possible to plant spring garlic before winter?

It is possible, but spring varieties, when planted in autumn, take root worse and often freeze, therefore they will yield much less than winter varieties.

Why does winter garlic turn yellow in spring?

There may be 4 reasons:

- cold spring - in such a situation, the leaves begin to grow, and the roots cannot yet extract nutrients from the soil;
- lack or excess of moisture in the soil;
- acidic soil;
- Fusarium disease. nine0003

Sources

1. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 - 416 p.
2. Pantielev Ya.Kh. ABC vegetable grower // M .: Kolos, 1992 - 383 p.
3. Group of authors ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 - 208 p.
4. Shuin K.A., Zakraevskaya N.K., Ippolitova N.

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