How to Grow Garlic

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In most climates, growing your own garlic is not difficult. Although the growth period of each garlic crop is quite long, the end result you will get will be a lush crop to have enough garlic in reserve for the winter or to share with friends. Garlic can be grown in the garden or in a pot, and the time to harvest is from mid to late summer. Read Step 1 to learn how to grow and harvest garlic.

Table of Contents

Preparing to Plant Garlic

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Choose a variety of garlic to plant. You can choose garlic from the supermarket, but the chances of success are higher if you buy garlic cloves, or seeds from nurseries, where there are many varieties of garlic suitable for the climate where you live. Online stores will have many different types of garlic and you can choose the one you like. Some types of garlic are stronger, others are harder in the cold season, and many others.

Garlic sold at the market is often imported from other places, so you don’t necessarily need to use the type of garlic that is suitable for the climate or soil where you live.
Garlic sold at the market is often impregnated with chemicals to keep the garlic fresh for a long time. Chemically impregnated garlic is more difficult to grow than natural garlic.

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It is advisable to plant garlic in the fall or spring. If you live in a place with heavy snow, you should plant garlic in the fall. Garlic easily survives the winter, and growing garlic early will result in larger and more fragrant bulbs than spring planting. ^{[1] X Research Source} However, if you live in an area that doesn’t have a cold climate, you can plant garlic in early spring.

If you plan to plant garlic in the fall, plant it 6 to 8 weeks before the ground is completely frozen.
If you plan to plant garlic in the spring, plant early around February or March.

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Prepare the garlic field. Choose a location with lots of sun and a well-drained soil. Use a hoe or rake to dig the soil about 10 cm deep. Adding organic fertilizers will help garlic grow fast and healthy.

If you like, you can grow garlic in a pot. Choose a pot that is wide enough and deep enough to grow the garlic and add soil to the pot.

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Plant garlic cloves. Separate the garlic bulb into small cloves and keep the inner silk skin. Plant each garlic clove 5 cm deep in the soil and 10 cm apart. When planting, place the base on the ground and the top facing up – otherwise the garlic will grow in the wrong direction. Cover the garlic cloves with soil and pat the soil lightly.

Garlic Care

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Cover the garlic growing area well. If you plant garlic in the fall, you should cover the garlic growing area with 15 cm of straw to protect the garlic over the winter. In the spring, you can remove the straw.

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Cut off the garlic flowers in the spring. In early spring, you will see the garlic stalks sticking out of the ground. Cut off the garlic flowers, otherwise they will take away all the nutrients needed for the formation of the garlic bulbs and as a result, the garlic bulbs will be smaller.

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Water the garlic. During the garlic growing season, water the garlic every 3 to 5 days. When you see the soil becoming dry and dusty, it’s time to water it. You do not need to water in the fall and winter.

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Fertilize the soil if needed. If the garlic stalks are yellow or soft in the middle of the growing season, you can add fertilizer to make the garlic stronger. Keep the soil moist so the garlic doesn’t have to compete for nutrients and water with other plants. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Harvesting and Storing Garlic

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Harvest garlic when the leaves turn yellow and begin to wilt. At the end of the season, July or August, the garlic leaves will turn yellow and begin to wither. This is the time when you can harvest garlic.

Avoid harvesting garlic too late – garlic bulbs will shrivel and are not good to use.
Garlic harvested too early will not dry completely.

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Avoid cutting the stem of the garlic when pulling it out of the soil. Use a trowel to dig up the soil around the bulb and avoid breaking the garlic cloves from the stem. Shake off excess soil. You can keep both the stem and the tubers whole.

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Let the garlic dry for 2 weeks. Before use, garlic must be dried. During this time, the crust will dry out and the garlic will become firm. Store garlic in a cool, dry place to let it dry.

You can cut off the stem and just dry the tubers in a storage container. Make sure the garlic has enough air.
Another popular way to dry and preserve garlic is to keep the garlic stems intact, then braid them and hang them in a cool, dry place.

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Use garlic when the peel has dried and become “paper thin”. The garlic cloves should be firm, and easy to separate.

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Save the best garlic bulbs for the next crop. Choose a few large garlic bulbs to plant before winter or early spring. Choose the most beautiful bulbs to plant in the new season, the harvested garlic will be large and fragrant. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Advice

In temperate climates, garlic can be grown in winter.
It is not necessary to use lemon unless your soil is strongly acidic. The ideal pH for soil is between 5.5 and 6.7.
Rows of garlic plants should be spaced 30 cm apart.
For more detailed instructions, see more articles in the same category on how to grow garlic.

Warning

Fungal root rot diseases can damage garlic. Avoid over-watering.

Things you need

Tools for tilling
Tools for digging
One clove of fresh garlic (or more if needed)
Container and sandy soil if growing garlic in a container.

Steps