We recommend if you haven’t planted garlic you should start with a small bed so you can maintain it properly and enjoy early success. So many of us get excited with a new hobby or our garden but we fail because we get ahead of our abilities or the time necessary to manage the crop properly. One good thing about garlic is that so far whitetail deer don’t bother it, so there is no need for a fence.

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Soil Preparation

Garlic likes loose deep soil 5-8 inches with a good amount of organic material incorporated.  It is a heavy feeder so we recommended a few inches of compost, mushroom soil or similar be worked within the top 3-4 inches.  We currently at planting time are using Fertrell (organic) 4-2-4 Super N at planting time (fall) to supply the garlic with some nutrients to get the roots established before winter sets in.  We also recommend you do a soil test and provide the proper amount of lime to your bed. Your County Extension Service should be able to help you find a soil test kit.  It’s not expensive and the results are worth it. Garlic likes a neutral PH.

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Clove Size

Larger cloves on average will yield one larger heads of garlic at harvest. So when breaking your garlic hears apart use the larger ones at planting time and set aside the smaller ones for other uses.  Certainly these smaller ones can be eaten, dehydrated into garlic power, shared with friends or planted separately. If planting separately these can be harvested in early spring and used like a spring onion.

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One has to remember that much of what we receive from our hard work is relying on Mother Nature and outcomes on the size of your garlic will vary from year to year. So be thankful when you get a high percentage of large garlic and not discouraged in those less successful years. Be attentive to your crop, this is probably the most any of us can do to ensure a high degree of success.

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When do we plant?

Here in the northeast and in northern latitudes many growers are planting in mid-October. Planting should be done about 6 weeks before the ground freezes so that the garlic establishes a good root system before going dormant the rest of the winter.

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Spacing

We are currently planting in 30” raised beds, with four rows to the bed with a minimum of 6” spacing but not more than 9”.  We stager the rows within the bed to provide uniform spacing. (Visually think how “5” appears on a pair of dice).  You may want to plant in a single linear row but provide the same spacing within the row 6 to 9 inches.  Plant the clove with the root side down and cover with at least an inch of soil.

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Mulching

Garlic will survive the winter at a higher rate if you cover it with some mulch. This insulates the garlic from the winter winds and also lessens the freeze/thawing action that can heave the cloves out of the ground. Apply a thick layer of 4” deep – straw, chopped leaves or grass clippings. Stay away from hay as it likely contains a large amount of weed seeds.  Using hay may require you to weed more in than you like come spring.

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