Garlic

Selection and Planting

Garlic Varieties

Garlic comes in two main varieties: hardneck and softneck.  While they are both garlic and the differences in taste between them is minimal, they grow in slightly different ways.

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic is probably what you’re most familiar with.  It is essentially the only garlic you find in grocery stores and is known for large numbers of cloves within a bulb.  Many consider the taste to be subpar when compared to hardneck varieties, but that is highly subjective and ignoring the large number of variations within the softneck community.  One definitive fact is that softneck garlic stores for longer than nearly all varieties of hardneck garlic.  So if shelf life is key to you (and drying your harvest for garlic powder is out of the question), then look into softneck.

Softneck garlic is grown primarily in warmer climates but is able to be grown in many places, including Rose Tree Garden.  When purchasing softneck garlic, do so from a reputable seed garlic supplier and DO NOT use the garlic found in the grocery store.  This is because what you are buying in the stores is adapted for growing in California and China (the two main suppliers of softneck garlic) and not Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck garlic is considered by many garlic enthusiasts to be the best tasting variety, but as with most produce, anything grown in your garden will taste better than what’s in grocery stores.  Hardneck is differentiated by softneck in how the bulbs are formed.  Hardneck bulbs consist of a central stalk with a ring of cloves formed around it.  This usually results in fewer cloves per bulb but those cloves are usually substantially larger.

Many garlic growers enjoy the byproduct of hardneck varieties known as the scape.  This is the flower of the plant that forms as the garlic bulb matures.  The scape must be removed to encourage the plant to focus energy into the bulb.  This is a good thing though because scapes have a mild garlic flavor and can be used in a variety of dishes.

Hardneck garlic is grown in northern climates and has some difficulty being grown in areas that don’t experience proper winters.  This is good for us because Rose Tree Garden experiences cold enough temperatures to allow hardneck garlic to grow properly.  Just like with softneck, hardneck varieties should be purchased at reputable seed garlic sellers to ensure the garlic will grow well in the gardens.

For new gardeners we recommend starting with a hardneck variety known as German Extra Hardy

Planting

Garlic planting in Rose Tree Garden is unlike anything you will plant.  Garlic has a chilling requirement meaning it has to be planted in soil that experiences cold temperatures (<40 degrees F) for 3-4 months.  While planting in the spring is possible, it will not result in full-sized heads of garlic.

The Delaware County Parks Department tills the Rose Tree Garden beds every year.  If you planted garlic in your plots, this process may displace, damage, or even destroy the cloves and your subsequent harvest.  Because of this, we recommend a different approach that is generally not encouraged by garden enthusiasts: transplanting.  Letting your garden undergo the required chilling within small pots (~3 inches in diameter) protects them from the tilling but still allows them to develop properly over the winter.

In late October to early November,  take a collection of 3 inch pots and use a moderate amount of force to pack organic potting soil into the bottom 1/3 of the pot.  Carefully separate your cloves from your seed garlic (do not do this until you are ready to plant) and place one into the center of each pot pointy side up.  Do not use any clove that has a damaged outer wrapper.  Pour organic potting soil on top of the bulb and gently, but firmly pack it around the bulb until it is completely covered and the soil reaches the top of the pot.  Water well and place the pots next to each other in a shady area.  If available, shred up fall leaves and place them on top of and around the pots (no deeper than 6 inches).  This will help limit temperature fluctuations throughout the winter.  Periodically check the moisture of the pots throughout the winter.

In mid March, uncover the pots so the garlic can begin preparing for transplanting.  You will likely see the garlic poking above the soil.  This is to be expected and will continue as the weather warms up.  You can move them into an area with partial sun, but try to keep the pots from warming up too much.

As soon as the garden lease begins, you need to transplant the garlic into the ground.  It is critical to do this early as the garlic will begin growing very quickly as the temperature increases.  Remove all weeds and protect the area from new weed pressure.  Gently remove the garlic from the pots and place them in the ground at a spacing of 8 inches.  Garlic requires constant moisture so place a layer of mulch a couple inches thick over the planting area.

Growing Garlic

Pests

No insect pests are known to attack garlic at Rose Tree Garden

Diseases

Garlic is susceptible to various types of rot.  This is most commonly caused by damage to the bulbs below ground.  Take care when working around your garlic.  Other ways to prevent garlic disease are as follows.

  1. Healthy seeds:  Only plant healthy cloves that have a completely intact outer wrapper.  If transplanting your garlic, do not plant any garlic that has not begun sprouting, not begun developing roots, or is showing signs of rotting.
  2. Crop rotation: A number of plant diseases come from a slow buildup in the soil over a period of time.  Crop rotation (not growing plants in the same place every year) will keep the amount of soil disease low.  Every year, move your plants to a different part of your garden.

Watering

Garlic requires consistent moisture throughout its growing season.  Mulch is critical in maintaining this moisture at the soil line.  Regularly check the moisture levels of the plant through the help of the Rose Tree Garden Weather Data.  Water your plants when the soil moisture decreases or the garden has not received at least 1″ of rainfall in the past week.

When watering, be sure to avoid overhead sprinkling as this increases the likelihood of soil-borne diseases spreading to the plant.  Water slowly at the base of the plant over a period of an hour to encourage deep root growth.  Long and infrequent watering encourages the plant to focus on root development which will enable it to survive through periods of drought. 

Weed Control

Keep area around plants clear of weeds to prevent competition.  Because of the required layer of mulch on top of garlic plants, you may have weed by hand.  Reduce the weed pressure by following our Weed Prevention suggestions.

Harvesting

The easiest way to determine if your garlic is ready to harvest is by looking at the leaves beginning in mid June.  On plants with mature bulbs, the bottom 1/3 of the leaves will be brown while the top half is still green.  When you see this, carefully dig up one plant and check the results.  If you see a tiny bulb, wait a week and check another bulb.  If you see a full sized bulb, dig up one or two more and check to see if they look the same.  If so, begin harvesting plants starting with those with the thickest stems and working towards the ones with smaller stems.  Some plants may need more time so don’t be afraid to wait.

You want to be attentive around this time because it is possible for garlic to be overripe.  When this happens, the cloves expand so much that they begin breaking open their outer wrappers.  If you experience this you must use the cloves immediately or dry them for storage.

Garlic Harvesting Flow Chart

Curing and Storage

While garlic can be consumed the moment it is harvested, storing it for longer than a week will require a curing.

In order to cure the bulbs, remove all excess dirt but do not remove the leaves or roots.  Bundle 4-5 plants together and hang the plants up by their leaves in a warm and dry place and ensure there is adequate ventilation.  Leave them there for 3-4 weeks until the stems are thoroughly dry and the skin has tightened around the bulbs. 

If you would rather not hang up the garlic, it is possible to lay them on hardware cloth (with or without the stem and leaves) over top of a fan.  Leave them there to dry for 3-4 weeks until the skin has tightened around the bulb.

Trim the roots and stem about an inch above the bulb and store in a cool, dark area around 40-45 degrees F.  Do not keep them in the refrigerator.  Hardneck varieties will store 4-6 months while softneck will store up to a year.  Refer to the guidance by your seed garlic supplier for how long your specific variety will be stored.  If you are unable to store the garlic as the optimal temperature, all varieties will last into the fall when it is time to plant the next years cloves.