Bulb Envy
Domesticated over 5000 years ago and growing today on six continents, garlic has become a staple not only in world cuisine but also for medicinal uses. Cloning itself from just one clove, garlic is also one of the cheapest and easiest crops to grow.
Timing is everything. For regions that have ground freezes over the winter, garlic can either be planted in the late fall just before the first major freeze or in the early spring when the ground is just workable (about the time you would plant your beans), you may end up with smaller-than-spectacular bulbs. For those gardeners who live in warmer climates, garlic should be planted anywhere from late fall through midwinter. It seems contrary to the regular order, but the cold weather actually stimulates the clove buds. This can happen in early spring, but you will probably be left with smaller bulbs at the end of the growing season. The garlic will continue to grow very slowly over the winter meaning you get an extra long growing season for the bulbs that you won’t get planting in spring. The garlic will need 2-4 weeks before the ground experiences its major freeze for the winter in order to establish its starter roots. The freeze won’t kill the garlic, as it is a winter hardy crop, but without those starter roots, it will be as if you did your planting in the spring. On the other hand, if you plant too early and start getting lots of large green shoots, the leaves themselves will suffer frost damage.
Send in the clones
With your fall tilling probably finished by now, it is the perfect time to plant your garlic in order to get those large, full flavored bulbs next fall. It is important to make sure your soil is loose and well draining to prevent the garlic from rotting. Your cloves should be planted with the pointy end facing the sky (that is the part that wasn’t connected to the root or neck of the original plant) about 4-6 inches apart. If you have several rows of garlic, you will want to keep the rows at least 6 inches apart as garlic is a very poor competitor for resources.
It’s important to remember that the bulbs you will be getting are basically clones of the original clove that you planted instead of the result of breeding two plants together (I know, it’s been a long time since biology class, basically the bulbs you get, barring unforeseen mutations, will be copies of the original rather than bigger, smaller, or different flavors), so you will want to pick the most flavorful variety (Chinese varieties have more heat while hardneck varieties vary from mildly hot to sweet) and the healthiest, fullest cloves to plant. Try not to remove the cloves from their neck (or stem) until you are ready to stick them in the ground. The root needs to stay moist in order to grow, and after a few hours separated from the neck it will completely dry out.
Where did I bury that again?
After placing your cloves you will want to cover them with about 2/3 of an inch of soil. Covering this layer with an inch or two of mulch, compost or fertilizer to keep the garlic nourished and growing throughout the winter. If you are expecting a particularly cold and dry winter (how will you know? we like the Farmer’s Almanac there’s a link in our blogroll), adding a layer of straw or newspaper will help keep the moisture in the garlic bed.
If you are anything like me or have an overzealous gardener tilling your garden (also like me), by springtime you will have completely forgotten which rows you planted with fall crops, so take the time now to add a stake or distinctive stone or sign at the end of your rows to jog your memory.
Just a small amount of work this fall will give your neighbors bulb envy next year.
