Family: Liliaceae
Genus and Species: Allium sativum, A. ophioscorodon, A. ampeloprasum
Climate
Garlic is grown in both cool and warm climates. In warmer locales, plant garlic in fall. It will grow throughout the cool fall and winter months. This allows the plants to mature then produce bulbs as the days lengthen in spring. In cooler climates garlic cloves are planted in the fall before the soil freezes. The garlic cloves remain dormant throughout the winter and are one of the first plants to come up in the spring.
Soil
Garlic likes deep, loose soil that is well drained and has plenty of organic matter. Growing garlic in a raised bed with good organic compost and soil that is 8-12 inches deep almost guarantees a good crop. Garlic does best when soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Garlic needs moderate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Spacing
Garlic plants do not use much horizontal space but they do not like to be crowded. Plant the garlic cloves in the prepared bed with 6 inches between each clove in all directions. Rows of garlic should be at least 2 feet apart.
Direct Seeding
Plant garlic cloves 2 inches deep. Use cloves that are of medium size for the best production. Garlic "germinates" best in soils that are cool: 55°. Garlic grows best in temperatures from 55°-75°.
Seeding For Transplants
Garlic is not normally grown for transplant.
Watering
Garlic does not need to be watered unless the ground is extremely dry. In dry climates, irrigation may be necessary. Over-watering your garlic will encourage rot and diseases. For most gardeners, covering the bed with straw mulch helps keep the soil moist enough for optimal yield.
Harvesting
Garlic is ready when the bottom two or three leaves have yellowed. Before this time, the garlic may send up a flowering shoot that should be clipped or folded over. Clipping the flower allows the plant to put its energy into the garlic clove and not into developing seeds. Garlic flowers are a wonderful taste treat and can be added to salads and scrambled eggs.
To harvest garlic, loosen the soil with a small shovel or fork and gently ease the clove out of the ground.
Post-Harvest Handling
Garlic is easy to plant and grow but the real work is preparing the garlic for storage. Garlic needs time to cure and is not ready to eat until it has gone through 1-2 weeks of drying. After harvesting, brush the dirt off the plants and bulbs and lay them on a screen or flat basket making sure that air can circulate around each plant. Cure the plants in a dry area in full sun or partial sun. Curing is complete when the skins are dry and the necks (the stems) are tight.
Storage
After the garlic is fully cured, you can cut the bulbs off from the rest of the plant. Clean them using a brush to remove the first few layers of skin. You can also braid soft-neck garlic in the same way that you French braid long hair. Store the garlic in a cool dry place. Cured garlic lasts for 5 to 8 months in ideal conditions.
Garlic is not sensitive to ethylene gas.
Diseases
Bacterial Soft Rots, Basal Rot, Black Mold, Blue Mold Rot, Botrytis Leafspot, Botrytis Bulb Rot, Downy Mildew, Pink Root, Purple Blotch and Stemphylium Leaf Blight, Rust, Sour Skin, White Rot
Pests
Bulb Mites, Maggots, Pea Leafminer, Thrips, Wheat Curl Mite
Comments
Garlic is easy to grow. Garlic will remain disease and pest free if grown in healthy, well drained soil.
References
Ashworth, S. 1991, Seed to seed, Decorah, Iowa: Seed Savers Publications.
Bradley, F. M. and Ellis, B. W.(Ed.). (1992), Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener, Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press.
Oregon State University, "Garlic, Commercial Vegetable Production Guide", Last modified 1999-01-02, Oregon State University, http://www.oregonstate.edu/Dept/NWREC/garlic.html, Accessed 2003-05-17.
Smith, E.C. (2000), The vegetable gardener's bible: discover Ed's high yield W-O-R-D system for all North American gardening regions., Storey Books: Pownal, VT.