Seeds

Garlic is a wonderful crop that supplies many households with a staple seasoning year-round. Its pungent flavor is the foundation of many cuisines around the globe. Garlic is a comparatively easy crop to grow, with few pest and disease problems. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, garlic has spread through the world and there are hundreds of named garlic varieties that are the result of breeding for local taste, weather, and farming conditions. We are pleased to be growing so many varieties for our friends at Open Table and look forward to more garlic harvests in years to come.

There are two broad categories of garlic plants- Hardneck and softneck. Hardneck garlic has a hard central stalk that grows tall and stiff. This hard central stem produces garlic scapes in the early spring, or garlic bulbils in the summer if the scape is not harvested. Typically hardneck garlics have only a few very large cloves surrounding the core plant stem. The cloves have loose paper skins, making them easy to peel. However, the ease of peeling makes them have a shorter lifespan in storage. 

Softneck garlic doesn’t produce a scape, and has lots of smaller cloves clustered together. The soft stems allow this type of garlic to be braided into the classic garlic braids often seen in restaurants and at farmers markets. Softneck garlic cloves have more papery skins that do not peel as easily as hardneck garlic. While more inconvenient in the kitchen, the tight skins allow for more prolonged storage life.

Growing garlic is unique in that the seed cloves are planted in the fall the year before harvesting. In a garden succession plan, garlic can be conveniently planted after many of the heat-loving summer crops have been removed. At Aurelia’s garden, we aim to plant in early November, allowing several weeks for the garlic to set roots before the ground freezes for the winter. The garden bed to be planted should be well amended with compost before planting as garlic plants are heavy feeders. Seed cloves should be placed 6” apart in rows that are 6-12” apart, and buried 2-4” deep with the pointed end up. After planting, a thick layer of mulch such as hay or dry shredded leaves. In the spring, mulch can gently be pulled away from the young garlic to give it ample room to grow. For hardneck varieties, scapes can be harvested when they begin to curl over and form a flower head.

All garlic should be pulled in the spring or early summer when the bottom leaves begin to dry and brown. The freshly harvested garlic can be enjoyed immediately, but for long term storage the garlic should be dried in a warm,  well-ventilated space out of direct sunlight. Do not remove the long, leafy stalks until after the garlic is cured. When the outer wrappings have thoroughly dried and the roots are completely dessicated, the garlic stems can be trimmed away and the loose outer paper can be brushed away. Garlic should be stored in a cool, dry location and checked regularly for quality.

When choosing a variety of garlic to grow, it is important to know how cold and harsh your winters can be. Typically, hardneck garlics can withstand harsher winters than softneck garlic varieties. Aurelia’s Garden, in growing zone 5, has successfully grown both hard and softneck garlic. Knowing the disease pressure is also useful. While a fairly hardy crop, garlic is still susceptible to various rots, and good management practices can prevent the loss of a crop ( see Diseases of Garlic: Various Pests for more details).

Photos by Carrie Wager