There’s a meme floating around that says something like, “Don’t ever let a recipe tell you how much garlic to add. You measure that with your heart.” That’s pretty much how I cook. With that in mind, it only makes sense to grow a lot of garlic at home, saving us money at the store.
Growing Garlic
Fall is the time to plant garlic. The time is about four to eight weeks before the ground will probably freeze. This gives the garlic time to develop roots. Over the winter, it will go into dormancy.
Where to Plant Garlic
Ideally, you want a spot that gets full sun for 6-8 hours a day. Do the best you can with the space you have available. Start by digging a trench about a foot deep and several inches wide. Keep rows about a foot apart if you’re doing multiples. Add mulch or compost, then work that into the soil.
What you want to end up with is about nine inches of loose soil and compost in the trench. Adding fish meal or bonemeal to the mix is great as well. You can do all of this in a large container on your deck or patio if you don’t have a good spot in the yard.
How to Plant Garlic
A garlic bulb consists of several cloves. A few days before planting, break the bulb up into cloves and let them dry out a bit. Just set them on a plate or something and they’ll be fine. Plant them with the pointy end of the clove facing up and the flat side down.
Space them about 4-6 inches from one another. Cover them with a couple of inches of soil, so they end up about two inches from the surface. Then, cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch or straw. This provides insulation and keeps the ground from freezing for as long as possible.
Garlic in the Spring
Once the snow melts and the ground starts to thaw, rake away the straw or mulch over your bed of garlic. Keep an eye on the shoots that come up and cut off any flowers. Garlic is hungry, and adding a pellet fertilizer can help it grow. Do what you can to keep the area weeded to remove any competitors for nutrients. Water the bed once or twice a week if it seems to get dry in May or June.
Harvesting Garlic
Garlic is typically harvested from June through August. Look for yellowing leaves, as that will indicate when the garlic is ready. Dig up one bulb and check. It should be full-grown and have papery skin. It should look ready for the kitchen. If it is, you’re ready to rock and roll. Gently dig up the rest of the bulbs. Try not to damage them with your trowel or other garden tool.
Storing Garlic
Once harvested, let the bulbs cure in a dark, airy place for a couple of weeks. Tie them in bunches and just hang them up. If you cook with garlic, you’ll recognize when it’s fully dry, as the bulb will feel like it’s going to crack apart easily, and the paper skin will be dried out. This can take up to about six weeks or so.
Trim the roots off and cut the stem so it’s about an inch long. Keep the garlic bulbs in a dry, cool place, and they’ll be fine for several months. Don’t forget to keep a few set aside for planting next fall.
