Growing your own garlic is easy and there are many more varieties available for home gardeners than you will find in the supermarket. Garlic is best planted in the fall, right around the time tulip bulbs are planted, in mid-October.
You may be confused about the various types of garlic. Here is a simple lesson. There are two types of garlic – hardneck and softneck. Hardnecks are further divided into purple stripe, porcelain and rocambole. Softnecks are divided into artichoke and silverskin. Softnecks last longer in storage, mature faster and are more productive than hardnecks. However, softneck cloves are harder to peel than hardnecks. Hardnecks offer more color and flavor variety than softnecks.
Some varieties do better in cooler or warmer climates than others, but we are fortunate to be able to grow any of the types of garlic in Wisconsin. The unusual thing about garlic is that a certain type can adapt to the conditions where the gardener is trying to grow it in about three years by replanting the cloves yearly.
You will find good descriptions of garlic offerings in mail order catalogs. The best thing to do is try several varieties to find out what grows best in your garden and what flavors you like.
Garlic grows best in full sun in well-drained soil amended with lots of organic matter. To grow garlic, plant the cloves, the sections of the bulb. Each clove produces a new bulb. Place the cloves in a hole or furrow with the flat end down and the pointed end up, with the tip about two inches beneath the soil line. Fill the hole with soil and top it with 6” of mulch like straw, pine needles or dried grass clippings.
The garlic starts to grow in the fall. You’ll see shoots coming up through the mulch in four to eight weeks, depending on the variety of garlic and the weather. The garlic stops growing over the winter and starts up again in spring. Leave the mulch in place in the spring to thwart weeds and conserve moisture.
Make sure the garlic gets about one inch of water per week either from rain or the hose from when it starts growing in spring until about June 1 when the leaves begin to yellow. Stop watering then to allow the bulbs to firm up.
If you’ve planted hardneck garlic, it will sprout a flowery stalk called a “scape” in spring. Remove the scape to encourage more vigorous bulb production and use it to flavor pesto, dip or soup.
When between half and three quarters of the leaves turn yellow-brown, in late June or early July, it’s time to harvest. Dig up the bulbs carefully and put them in a shady spot to dry and cure for four to six weeks. Softneck stems can be braided and hung to dry. When it is thoroughly dry, trim the roots, being careful not to knock off the outer skin. Cut the stalks about 1½” above the bulb and store in a mesh bag recycled from onions or oranges.
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