Preparing your soil prior to planting garlic

☐    Garlic can grow and survive in harsh growing environments, but you can grow large, healthy bulbs with big cloves when you take a little time to create ideal growing conditions.

☐    Good cultivation – soil should be worked a depth of 18 inches, clay will benefit with deeper preparation to help the soil avoid compaction around the roots.

☐    Amend the soil with lots of organic matter if / when possible.

☐    Garlic grows best in areas with full sun, ample water, and weed removal. 

☐    If you live in an area that is prone to heavy rains, it is important to prepare for good soil drainage prior to planting. 

Amending your soil

☐    Work in ample compost to boost soils organic matter and help with drainage.  A standard household compost of grass clippings, vegetable peelings, and leaves work well.

☐    If compost is unavailable, you can purchase textured compost manures from a local nursery or farm store to work into your soil.

☐    If your garden area is heavy with clay, mix with organic materials (bark, sawdust, manure, leaf, compost, peat moss) thoroughly. – this is a process that may need to be repeated for several years, depending on texture of clay.

☐    If your soil is acidic, you can add lime. 

☐    Plants use nutrients in the soil.  When you add fertilizer, the soil breaks down the nutrients that the plant will then absorb to grow.  Balance is key when it comes to fertilizer.

Fertilizer

☐    Plants use nutrients in the soil.  When you add fertilizer, the soil breaks down the nutrients that the plant will then absorb to grow.  Balance is key when it comes to fertilizer.

☐    Before planting, work a couple tablespoons of a 5-10-10 complete fertilizer, such as bone meal or fish meal into the soil several inches below where the base of the garlic will rest.

☐    Adding nitrogen fertilizer in the early spring, such as blood meal (which can be added to irrigation water) or chicken manure pellets.  Nitrogen will help the garlic bulb development.

☐    Always follow label directions when adding any fertilizers. 

☐    Finish adding all the needed fertilizers by early May. 

pre-Soak instructions (Optional)

☐    This step is optional.  The first bath will treat for fungus and bacteria.  The second bath will stimulate root growth.

☐    Garlic bulbs should be separated into individual cloves prior to soaking.  Leave as many of the outer papers on the cloves as possible, some will come off during soaking and that is okay.

☐    Add separated garlic cloves to a mesh bag (such as an onion or orange bag) for easy saturation and removal of each bath.  The same soaking solutions can be used for multiple varieties.  We suggest soaking only 1 variety of garlic at a time.

•    BATH #1:  Mix 1 gallon water with 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 pint vodka (or rubbing alcohol).  Soak cloves for 10-15 minutes.

•    BATH #2:  Place the same mesh bag of cloves from the first solution into: 1 gallon water mixed with 1 tablespoon liquid seaweed.  Soak cloves for 5-10 minutes.

•    Remove from second bath and plant immediately.

Suggested Garlic planting / spacing

☐    Space rows 12-16 inches apart.

☐    Within each row, plant cloves 6 inches apart.

☐    Plant cloves 3 inches deep (root side down, pointed end up).

☐    Closer spacing reduces the chance for large bulbs.

☐    Leave enough room between rows to weed, water, much, and harvest.

Mulch

☐    Mulch will not be required in every garden.  If you decide to mulch, it should be between 2-6 inches, and should have some “fluff” to help trap insulating air.  It is common to use straw, hay, grass clippings, or leaves.

☐    Mulching is used for a variety of reasons:

•    Helping with temperature moderation

•    Moisture retention

•    Soil amendment

•    Weed control / suppression

☐    Some areas with high wind will lay chicken wire over the mulch to keep it from blowing away, this also helps discourage deer and other animals from disturbing the mulch.

☐    Add mulch after planting, and (possibly) remove mulch in the spring.  While mulch can insulate the soil during cold, it can also slow the warming of soil in the spring and could possibly trap moisture which may cause bulbs to mold.

Water

☐    The best yielding garlic is produced when the plants are grown in soil that is never allowed to fully dry and has moisture to the depth of the roots.   There should be plenty of water for healthy growth and bulb development, but not so much that the soil becomes saturated.

☐    If the soil is dry at time of planting, water immediately so that the root system has enough moisture to begin root development.

☐    As harvest approaches, discontinue watering to allow ground and roots time to dry (approximately 2-3 weeks prior to harvest).

•    Watering will change depending on your climate and growing environment.

Weeding

☐    Weeds become problematic for garlic when they have deep root systems and high foliage that shades the garlic leaves.  Weeds should be removed to allow maximum sun exposure and plenty of space for bulb development.

Staining

☐    Garlic grows well in organic soils, but the color tends to sometimes stain the skin.

☐    Reddish soils can also stain skins.

☐    Stains tend to increase when garlic is harvested while soil is wet or moist.

☐    Stains are normal and do not affect garlic bulbs or garlic cloves.