Fall is the best time to plant garlic for a summer harvest. Both the softneck and hardneck types of garlic can be planted now. The softneck varieties are found in most grocery stores. They have a mild flavor and store very well. Two recommended softneck varieties for our climate are “California Early” and “California Late.” “California Early” grows rapidly, can be harvested early, and does not have a hot, biting flavor. “California Late” has a stronger flavor, does better in warmer climates and is better for making garlic braids. Hardneck garlic has more complex, distinctive flavors but does not store as well.
Garlic is in the Allium family along with onions, leeks and shallots. To prevent disease it is important to rotate your Allium crops, and not plant them in the same spot each year.
Garlic likes loose, well-drained soil. Mix in compost before planting to provide nitrogen. During the growing season, add more nitrogen by side-dressing or by applying fish emulsion. Do not add nitrogen closer than 60 days before harvest.
Choose the varieties you prefer to eat and purchase whole bulbs. Break the bulb into cloves, leaving the peels on. It is best to plant the cloves soon after breaking the bulb apart. Plant the largest cloves to get the largest bulbs at harvest time. Planting small cloves will result in small bulbs. Plant the clove with the blunt end down and cover with two inches of soil. Plant the cloves 4-6 inches apart in rows that are spaced one to two feet apart. Mulch the planted cloves with compost, leaves or straw. Mulching controls weeds and helps moderate soil moisture. Remove the mulch in the spring. Garlic likes high soil moisture, but do not saturate the soil. Normal winter rains should provide enough moisture; irrigate in winter if rainfall amounts are low. Be prepared to irrigate when warmer weather dries out the soil between March and June if spring rainfall is limited.
As hardneck garlic grows it will develop leaves along with a curly flower stalk which is called a scape. Cutting the scapes in summer when they begin to curl down will result in larger bulbs. For both hardneck and softneck garlic, stop watering when the tips of the leaves begin to turn brown. As the leaves dry further and the tops fall over, periodically check the bulb size by digging around the stalk or digging up a bulb.
Plant Sale!!! The Master Gardeners will hold their Fall 2021 Plant Sale on October 30, from 9am to 1pm at the Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, Durham). Along with the Plant Sale, there will be two free workshops: “Gardening with Natives” at 10am, and “Berry and Grape Gardening” at 11am. No registration is required for these workshops; Covid safety protocols will be followed.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
Garlic is a species in the onion genus Allium, and therefore related to onions, shallots, leeks, and chives. It is flavorful, nutritious, and easy to grow.
You can purchase a variety of different ‘seed' garlic from online seed sources or catalogues. But you can also plant the garlic you have in your pantry that you may have purchased from a grocery store.
Several garlic varieties grow well in our climate. “California Early White” is a mild-tasting variety developed for the garlic industry, known as Gilroy garlic. “Susanville” is an improved selection of the “California Early.” “Chesnok Red” is a medium hardneck garlic with purple stripes. “Inchelium Red” is a softneck garlic that tastes mild at harvest time but increases in flavor during storage, gaining a touch of spicy heat.
Garlic is the last crop of the year, planted in late fall at least two weeks from first frost (mid-October through the end of November in our area). It is harvested in early summer (June or July).
As with most edible crops, it helps to prepare the soil before planting, by amending it with compost so that it is loose and rich in organic matter. Break the garlic head into individual cloves. Make sure to retain the root and the papery covering on each clove. Choose the largest cloves to plant because they will yield larger garlic bulbs. Each small clove of garlic will grow into a bulb.
Plant the cloves four to six inches apart and one to two inches deep with the root side down and the tip up. Fertilize once after planting and again in the spring when the weather is warmer; choose a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen because garlic plants are heavy feeders. Water lightly; too much water can cause the bulb to rot. Soon you should see green stems or scapes appear. A few of these can be cut off to add to soups or sautés over the winter. Beginning in May, reduce watering until the garlic tops turn yellow.
Harvesting
The garlic bulbs will be ready to harvest in June or July, depending upon the weather: heat will speed them up and cold will slow them down. When most of the stems are turning yellow and brown it is time to harvest. Gently lift the bulbs from the soil with your hands or small tools, being careful not to damage the bulbs. Avoid pulling them out by the stem because that can cause the stem to break off from the bulb.
Curing garlic
Let the harvested garlic dry intact outdoors in a warm shady place. When the outer skin of the bulb looks papery, brush off the dirt and clip the roots. Braid the stems while they are still flexible if you wish, or simply cut the stems off.
Store garlic in an area that is cool and dry. The ideal storage temperature is 55-70 degrees. Remember to set a bulb aside to plant the following fall.
Planting garlic is easy to do in your vegetable garden or in containers on your patio. You will be rewarded with the addition of the wonderful flavor that is waiting in every bulb.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.