How to Grow Garlic: Plant, Care & Harvest Your Own Garlic at Home

Hi Jude, I think the main thing is that you do not want to divide the bulb too early as the cloves will deteriorate once they're not attached to the root plate. Don't break apart until one or two days before planting. Crack open on the day of planting whenever possible. 

Hi Tracy,

You can certainly still plant your garlic, but you want to get it in soil as soon as possible so it can begin growing roots and become established before the hot weather truly sets in. It is best to plant garlic in the fall, but a spring planting in milder climates like yours is possible. And if all goes well you will be able to enjoy the garlic scapes this summer. Just know that the bulbs you harvest will not be as large as they would be if planted in the fall. Only time will tell if your garlic will produce, but it's worth a try and you'll know that those farm grown bulbs you bought last summer didn't go to waste.

Dear Dorrine,

Thanks for the note! As you've discovered, some varieties of garlic will flower and create bulbils, especially if the garlic scapes aren't cut and harvested. Garlic isn't propagated through seed; it can be grown from bulbs or bulbils. There are pros and cons to planting bulbils: they may be more resistant to rot, but they can take three years to grow a full size head of garlic. Sounds like a great year for you to experiment! 

—The Editors

Garlic needs to be planted outside in fall so it can have it's dormancy period (this only works in areas that actually get cold in winter, of course!). If it doesn't get that, it won't grow nearly as large.

Hi Gwyn-

While not ideal, not all is lost! Cure the garlic as outlined in the article (you need to cure it a bit longer to ensure it is completely dry) and then store it as mentioned. You will want to use it quickly, as the garlic may not store through the winter with the extra moisture that the washing introduced. We can assure you that your garlic will still be delicious!

Yes! In your zone, if you plant in October (vs winter), it will overwinter and be up in March and April. Garlic needs the cold stratification. Cover in some light mulch but not too deep or it will get soggy.

That is a great tip! Thanks for sharing!

Don't know if anyone will see this as it's been quite a while since the post, but...I'm thinking of freezing my garlic and have looked up some "Google" info on how to. Wondering if you've (anyone) tried this method.

First, we're not sure if your friend cured the garlic properly which increases storage life. At this point, you can see what happens! Place garlic in a cool (47-65ºF) dry area such as an unheated room. Do not store garlic in plastic or airtight containers or garlic will mold, rot or try to grow. Almost all garlic will last 5 to 7 months under good conditions.

Hi Peggy,

Since garlic is typically planted in the fall and harvested between June and August, it would be best to leave your unharvested garlic undisturbed at this point in the season. Our best advice is to treat last year's garlic as if you planted it in the fall. You can harvest the garlic scapes for a number of recipes—just remember garlic is typically ready about 3 weeks after you remove the scapes, so don't do it too early. Then as the harvest date approaches, pull up a bulb or two to see what transpired underneath the soil since last summer—the hope being that you have lots of garlic to enjoy!

Hi Nancy, I'm in the same zone as you and planted at the same time. The raised bed I planted in is 12" off the ground. Started to see the stalks poke through the mulch around late February/early March and they've exploded in growth; they're really thick stalks and seem to average about 2-2.5' in height. I wonder if some insect or animal got to your cloves? Sounds like you and I planted the same way, so maybe another environmental factor contributed to your loss. Best of luck next season.

Pat, Not sure about in your area, but it has been an unusual fall here in central Ontario. Very wet and not too cold. The leaves will have the tips frosted off, but shouldn't be too detrimental to their growth next spring. The bulbs will not likely size out as large as normal.

It's not really clear what your question is, Tom. Not sure what a dried "bloom" is; do you mean bulb? If so, it's past its prime, esp if it was in the ground through the hot summer. The others may be similarly shot (dried). Pull one up and see. It also occurs to me that because you just discovered these (you did not plant them), that they are wild onions. They send up green shoots...and multiply by the dozens. Or it could be wild garlic: Both have thin, green, waxy leaves: those of wild garlic are round and hollow, while those of wild onion are flat and solid. Leaves of wild garlic are hollow and branch off the main stem. Leaves of wild onion are flat, not hollow, and emerge from the base of the plant. Either way, you can eat them, greens and bulb. Pull one or two up; the onions would have a small white bulb; the garlic should show cloves. Hope this helps.

Your pesto recipe sounds amazing! I’m going to give this a try though I suspect it won’t be as delicious as yours. Thanks for the recipe!

Were they ok to eat though? I’ve been so busy and a little lazy and now it’s min October and I haven’t dug mine up. The tops died back long ago. I just dug one up and the paper has completely gone, but the cloves seem fine. Can I still dig them up and roast them or freeze them?

I'm not sure what the numerous leaves are -- usually garlic has one stem, but many leaves that form off of that, upwards along the stalk. Sometimes multiples shoots may form if the bulb or shoots were exposed to temperatures that were too cold (around 10 degrees F or below) in early spring. If yours have cold damage, I'm not sure what that means for the harvest. In colder climates, spring planting usually yields smaller bulbs, versus fall planting, so you might not get bulbs as plump as you might expect anyway. Depending on weather and bulb variety, the harvest time may vary. In general, when the leaves of the plant are about 1/3 to 1/2 brown, the bulbs are usually ready. Check a bulb or two; if the cloves fill the skin, your crop is likely ready.

I plant with seeds?

I want to know more about garlic

The greens that are poking up with be frozen and die back but that should not affect the bulbs long term. Mulch more! Several inches—6!—is not too much. You can use fallen leaves; the mulch doesn't have to be fancy (storebought).

Am a Ugandan in tropical claiment and my land is not far from the crossing of equetor.... Some season tend to be hot in some years and some time the rain normalises to it's normal meaning that some time a need to irrigate arises.but the soil is black and firtile for serial crops and legumes. Then also coffee and some fruits works better only that today coffee is not dependable due to some deseases which affected the production. I need to start a new crop which accoding to me ,garlic can work fompr me... Please advise. Thank you!

Your garlic may get a chill sooner than "normal" without its skin but there is no reason to think it will not grow into nice heads.

Spread a few inches of mulch over your garlic. Presumably, if you get a reasonable facsimile of winter (not familiar with usual conditions), your garlic will do just fine. When spring comes in, push off the mulch.

Do the same for the onions.

Set it into the container and put the container outside, buried in soil to rim level, if possible. If it's not buried, and there is a freezing rain in Jan or Feb, the bulbs might freeze and never sprout. You can water it; it won't now if the water came from you or the sky. You can skip the fertilizer until spring. Just get the container outdoors, in the ground, if possible. If you try to grow it indoors, it might 1) rot 2) dry up.

Thanks for the message.After harvesting,it is advised to cure the bulbs in a shade for 2 weeks,also the bulbs are supposed to hang them top down.Now,how and what simple tools are used in hanging the bulbs and what are the side effects if I fail to hang the bulbs/garlic?

Sometimes garlic can get the same pests as onions do, such as the onion maggot, which, in larval stage, is a white tapered maggot about 1/4 inch long. The adult looks sort of like a small gray housefly. Perhaps that was the pest you saw? Usually, they aren't a serious pest of garlic, but you can discourage them by rotating crops, using row covers, and cleaning up plant debris in fall.

If by "seeds" you mean the bulbils at the top of the stem (that sort of look like mini bulbs) and often referred to as seeds, then yes, you can plant them in fall or spring. If you plant in spring, they will need to have a cold treatment first (place in a breathable bag in the fridge for a few weeks).

If you mean true seeds, you can save the true seeds, but they may not produce plants that are like the parent; the cloves or bulbils are what will be true to type. Not all garlic produces seeds, and those that do produce flowers, may not produce viable seed. If your seed heads are developing, but not mature, then you’ll need to sacrifice harvesting the bulb to let the seed head mature for seeds (which are harvested around October or so), or you can sever the seed stalk (scape) at the base of the plant and place it in water in a sunny location in the hope that it may still mature. It’s best to remove the bulbils early on from the scape (both bulbils and flowers will form at the top of the flower scape) to encourage better seed development from the flowers. The harvested seeds need a cold treatment before they are sown; you can place them in the refrigerator for a month or so over winter. When you sow the seeds in spring, it is likely that the germination rate will be very low for that first generation; successive generations improve. Also, that first round tends to produce problem plants, such as weaker or misshapen, but there’s also the possibility of some with desirable characteristics that you can go on to save further seed or cloves. Garlic is fussy, and has evolved so that it reproduces by cloves or bulbils more often than by seed, so propagating it this way may be a challenge, but could also be a fun experiment! Good luck!

It depends. If the cloves are soft and dried out, of course, they are of no value. Often garlic heads "sprout" or send up greens. Some say that the individual cloves in the head can be planted. Depending on the cloves' condition, you might have success—but plant a few from this year's harvest (or buy a couple of heads at a farmer's market) to know that you will have  crop next year.

It all sounds ambitious and delicious, Reg! Thank you for sharing so many ideas.

It's hard to tell what you have without pictures. Often rot comes from drainage issues but it sounds like this wasn't the cause. Also, rot can happen with excessive watering after leaf development stops. Unfortunately, if you have rot, you want to pull it all or the disease spreads. And you have to avoid this soil next season. This page might help you diagnose what's going on and what to do about it.  http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/garlicdiseases.pdf

Hardneck types of garlic usually produce a flower stalk that will produce small bulblets. These are called “topsetting” garlic varieties.  You can still eat these small bulbs! 

Your first instinct is probably the wisest: You aren't supposed to plant store bought—better to say, actually, that it often has been treated so as not to grow. You know how sometimes an onion, if left sitting around will send up greens? These are edible. Well, even store-bought garlic does the same thing if you wait long enough, and this is what it sounds like yours did. Transplanting will do nothing but weaken it; it would have to start (whatever it's doing) all over again. Put it outdoors, if you like. But consider it purely as an experiment. In the fall, get a locally grown fresh garlic head at a farmer's market and plant its cloves in a pot or in the soil. Just give it some winter and it should be ready to harvest in summer. For details, see above.

Scapes are a good sign. Cut them off to use in cooking (or just discard; the point is, if you leave the scape on, it will use the energy that would have gone into the head). Wait until the greens/foliage dies back then uproot it to see if the clove you planted produced a head.

For edible garlic (not the ornamental type), some gardeners like to trim off the scapes for eating just as they finish curling in their first loop, before the flower bud develops and opens. This way, the plant focuses on bulb growth rather than using that energy for producing flowers and seeds. But other gardeners prefer to let their garlic flower. Since yours are blooming, the scapes are likely too tough now for eating; you can remove the flower scape (not leaves) now, or just leave them be. As to harvesting the bulbs, you can dig them up when the lower 3 to 5 leaves are turning brown--the upper ones will still be green. Don't wait until all leaves are brown. If you aren't sure about timing, gently dig up a bulb to check on its size. Hope this helps!

Based on information given on this site, You need to let it grow to maturity in July / August, before digging it up. Let it dry a bit, and replant the cloves. See some of the other comments and replies.

Although it's best to plant in fall, sometimes the bulbs do sprout in storage over winter. Plant these in spring as soon as the ground can be worked. The bulbs may not be as large, and they may not develop cloves, but they can still be tasty.

type ????

Do not cut the sprouts/foliage off of your garlic. If you are experiencing wintry weather, throw on a bit of mulch, enough to cover. Harvest is not until July, when the slender foliage dies back. BUT before that happens, you will see a long, round stem grow out of the foliage and on the end of it, after the stem forms a curl, a "scape." The pointed scape is the plant's flower bud, and it will take energy from the bulb under the ground if left on, so cut it off, along with several inches to a foot of the stem (cut the stem off where it curls). You can use the scape in cooking, as you would, garlic cloves.

Goodness! If your garlic is behaving like the wild garlic weed, then the advice for controlling is likely . . . just what you have been doing. Hand pulling (preferably after a rain, so the soil is soft, and you can better pull up all of the plant without leaving the bulbs) and digging with a trowel or shovel, especially in fall/winter/early spring before new bulbs form in spring. Fortunately, they are shallow-rooted, but you must make sure to dig up all the bulbs. Do not let the plants form scapes. If the plants are in the lawn, keep up with mowing, which may eventually weaken the plants and will prevent scapes from developing.

Idk about New York, but my garlic grew great in a five gallon bucket with my jalepeño plant, as well as one in a smaller container by itself.

But seriously. If you aren't sure if you have gotten them com then are still spreading you might just put in a bed for them so they can't spread any further. Since they are shallow rooted you wouldn't have to dig down too deep to put your wood down to make them a permanent bed. Then you don't have to worry with them spreading any further and they have their own home. Just a thought. I can't get garlic to grow for me for some reason. I have tried several times. And it never works out. I'm gonna try again in October. We live in Tennessee. Good luck.

Once you have placed the bulb in the bed in fall, then water the bed immediately if it is dry, before putting on the mulch. (Do not put on mulch if you live in an exceptionally wet climate.) Then over winter, with the mulch on, you can usually skip watering. In spring, when the leaves start to grow, then the garlic will like consistent water (but not too much, or it will rot), until a few weeks before harvest, at which point the watering should be stopped.

It's not unusual for garlic to send up shoots like that. Leave it alone; just toss on a couple inches of mulch—fallen leaves are enough. The garlic will be fine. It's just as eager as we are to get on with the next growing season!

In Maine, it is probably not a good time to plant garlic now. Usually, recommendations are for around October 1 for the northern tip of the state, to around October 15 in the central section, and November 1 at the very southwest corner of the state. For further advice for your area, you might contact your county's https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-ser...">Cooperative Extension. 

In areas that get a hard frost, you can plant garlic as early as 6 to 8 weeks before the first expected fall frost date, before the ground freezes. The aim is to give a long enough period before the ground freezes for the plant to develop good roots, but not enough time to for it to form top growth before freezing temperatures set in.

Thank you for your feedback! We have revised the text so that it is clearer. Some gardeners prefer to plant 1 month before the ground freezes, but one can plant as early as 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost--depending on your local climate. The aim is to give enough time for the plant to establish and develop roots, but not so much time that it will sprout. Depending on location, some gardeners plant in September in very cold regions, but more often it is around mid-October to mid-November. You can find specific recommendations for your area based on your frost date by going to https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates">this page and typing in your zip code.

As to days to harvest--it will depend on whether you plant in fall or spring. The "90" number listed is once the plant starts to sprout. But if planted in the fall, the garlic will rest for a while until spring. Some garlic can take more than 150 days to mature after sprouting. If you plant in fall, however, those figures would change to something like 225-240 days, to include the dormant period.

Hope this helps!

I have planted garlic about two acres.now i want spry on garlic leaves to grow it better my garlic is less weak. Now if i gave it some pertalizer it swell up and will be going wrong . So please give information about to spry on garlic. And what type of spry can i prepar in home for garlic growing well

If you keep the garlic sprouts mulched (add more if the sprouts pop through it) they should be ok. You do not say where you are, so we can not comment on the weather, but you can get a 7-day forecast here by plugging in your zip code: https://www.almanac.com/weather/forecast

I think you Garlic should be just fine. The frost will likely kill the leaves and then your garlic will be forced to wait till spring. I had some of my garlic lose all the leaves in summer and in fall but I harvested it just fine. This weather is really crazy around Canada too, but the cold season is a week away.

It sounds fine to us, assuming it's loose, good-draining soil. Garlic likes compost (which you have mixed in) and especially likes raised gardens to avoid wet feet.

You are planting cloves (not the full bulb). Water the garlic cloves if they are dry. Just be careful not to allow water to collect around the roots because this can cause rot.

Hi Fanny,

Yes, uncured garlic is edible, but does not keep for as long. If you store it in sealed containers in the fridge, the garlic will last up to 2 weeks longer.

Hi Regina, For the sake of all reading this, we really do recommend planting garlic in the fall versus spring. Garlic require a natural dormant period that includes cold temperatures. When you plant in the fall, the garlic starts growing roots until the temperatures freeze and then waits until spring to continue growing. This allows the garlic plants to get a head start on root growth and then explode out of the ground once temperatures warm up in spring.

If you plant in the spring, the seeds you find are usually for softneck garlic as softneck does not need as much (or any) cold exposure like hardneck garlic. However, if you plant in the spring again, it must be very early—as the soil is workable and long before you would consider planting any other garden crops. When you plant garlic so late in the spring, it will often just form rounds which are single clove bulbs. These rounds are perfectly good to eat and can be replanted in fall. They will usually form good sized bulbs with multiple cloves the next summer. If you leave the garlic in the ground, just note it will almost always be smaller than fall-planted garlic and will sometimes not form cloves. 

Hi Jeff,

After many years of replanting from the same string of bulbs, they begin to get smaller sometimes. Yes, it would help to purchase new bulbs of garlic for planting this fall, but since gardening is an experiment, try planting some cloves from the small bulbs from this year's harvest as well. You never know for sure, the bulbs might end up huge next year, but with a backup of newly purchased garlic as well. We hope this helps!

Hi Dianne,

You've done everything right so far but if you're still worried, cut another 2 to 3 inches of stem from each bulb. The best insurance of preventing rot is to keep the drying area moisture free: Try a dehumidifier. An alternative to quickly dry the garlic is to use a solar dehydrator. 

You can harvest your garlic when there is only about 5 or 6 green leaves left, and 3 or 4 leaves have turned brown. It sounds like your garlic has reached that point. If you wait too long, then the bulb may separate. Don't pull on the leaves as you harvest--you want them intact. Hang bulbs in a dry, shaded, well-ventilated area; let them cure for about 4 to 6 weeks. Then store in a cool, dry location.

You can save the true seeds, but they may not produce plants that are like the parent; the cloves or bulbils are what will be true to type. Not all garlic produces seeds, and those that do produce flowers, may not produce viable seed. If your seed heads are developing, but not mature, then you'll need to sacrifice harvesting the bulb to let the seed head mature for seeds (which are harvested around October or so), or you can sever the seed stalk (scape) at the base of the plant and place it in water in a sunny location in the hope that it may still mature. It's best to remove the bulbils early on from the flower head to encourage better seed development. The harvested seeds need a cold treatment before they are sown; you can place them in the refrigerator for a month or so over winter. When you sow the seeds in spring, it is likely that the germination rate will be very low for that first generation; successive generations improve. Also, that first round tends to produce problem plants, such as weaker or misshapen, but there's also the possibility of some with desirable characteristics that you can go on to save further seed or cloves. Garlic is fussy, and has evolved so that it reproduces by cloves or bulbils more often than by seed, so propagating it this way may be a challenge, but could also be a fun experiment! Good luck!

Hi Jeff,

You won't harm the garlic plants by pulling the scapes out again. There is a way to pull out the garlic scapes to prevent them from growing back. Pull them straight up so that the entire scape comes out. Simply breaking or pulling them out at an angle will break the scape and leave part intact, contained within the stem. That can grow back.

This is typical of elephant garlic. Left in the garden a little longer, they may have developed sections, but not guaranteed. 

Congrats on the growing garlic shoots! Please read the page above for the best time to plant outside and how to know when to harvest. In terms of growing garlic inside: Yes, you can grow garlic, however, you won’t get a head of garlic. The plant will grow greens that can be clipped as seasoning or garnish.

Do you mean Spanish Roja? That is a rocambole type of garlic, good for northern gardens, that produces bulbils up top, that sort of look like mini-cloves. That's normal for that type of garlic. You can plant each rocambole bulbil in fall; it may take about 2 years (3 for other types) to produce a full garlic bulb; that first spring after fall planting, you may get a bulb with a few cloves, instead of a round (which is just one clove) that other types tend to produce; you can replant this next fall to grow a second year for a fuller bulb. Spanish Roja has a very thin paper coating; that is normal, but it means that it does not store as long. You can plant sprouted bulbils (or cloves) in fall, but as they are sprouting at this early date, I'm not sure how they will do over the summer. 

You can harvest garlic scapes before they form flowers and bulbils, although the seeds in the bulbils are edible, too. Some harvest just when the scape forms its first curlicue, harvesting around late May and June; these are tender and can be chopped in salads. Other gardeners wait until the scape is tall and then cut them at the base; you don't want to wait too long, though, or it will become woody. The more mature scapes are cooked, such as by sauteeing, or pickled. The scape is usually ready about a month or so before the bulb, so leave the bulb to continue growing after harvesting the scape.

The heads should last if properly stored. The article above as well as the following blog post give a few tips on how to do that. Hope this helps!
http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/gardening/planting-...

Hardnecks will produce scapes; softnecks will not. Avoid Turbans, Creoles, and Asiatics, as they are not reliable for scapes. Rocambole, Porcelains, and Purple Stripe types usually produce good scapes. You might try something like a 'Carpathian', 'German Red', or 'Spanish Roja' rocambole, if they would grow well in your area. Hope this helps!

It is worth a try. Garlic is said to act as a repellent crop for aphids when planted near roses. It is thought that the scent is one reason why aphids tend to avoid it. Garlic is typically planted into the ground in the fall and harvested in the summer, but you can leave it in longer to help your roses if you are not planning to consume the garlic.

It might be better to dig up the bulb and gently separate the individual cloves and replant as soon as you can.

We can not find a reason/explanation for this and are curious to see if anyone "out there" has one. In the meantime, we recommend contacting your cooperative extension service; find yours here: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-serv... These folks have decades of combined experience!

I've had that happen and was trying to explain it to a friend yesterday. If you look up growing garlic from seed, you will see how you can make the tops become seed and grow your strain of garlic. It is a two year process, but can create strong crops if they are suited for your climate. It is also a fun journey to go through when growing. The "flowers" of little baby cloves can be removed carefully and then the seeds are developed from the flowers that are between the cloves. I'm sure the little cloves can be planted, but I would just eat or juice them.

Do you know that the garlic capital of the world is not far from you? Folks in Gilroy have been growing garlic for . . . ever! So it's possible. It doesn't really need a chill. But it does need rich, loose (not compacted) soil. Some growers plant on the shortest day of the year (winter solstice) and harvest on the longest (summer solstice) but you can just use that schedule as a gauge.

As per above, "Garlic can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked." Planting it in fall is not required.

You do not need to "trick" it, Joanie. As per above, "Garlic can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked."

Donald, the only thing we can think about the garlic is that you are growing different varieties. You do not say that you replant some of your harvest, so...if you get different stock/seed garlic from year to year, you may be getting different ones. With the ease of growing, it has become very popular in home gardens and many more types are around. About taste, porcelain tends to be mild; rocambole is high in sulfenic acid so has a chili-like taste; and Spanish, or red, tends to mild.

I'm in the RGV in South Texas. I planted my first crop of garlic in 2 self-watering bucket systems that i keep on my 2nd floor balcony. I ave healthy green scapes now, and all looks good. No idea how the harvest will turn out at the end of the summer, but for now i'm happy with how it's moving along. Good luck!

You have nothing to lose by potting up some cloves and putting them in a cold, dry place, like a shed or garage. Might as well give a go!

I live in Toronto. For many years I have been planting in late December. This year, as you noted, we had a traditional cold, snowy December, which is on the harsher side compared to only the past 20 years. Nonetheless, if you bed is prepared, you will likely have only an inch of frozen bed to get through. I use a bamboo stock, or if need be, as it looks right now, for I am going to try to plant my garlic today, December 26th, a steel pipe, to pierce the frost level, and remove enough soil/create a hole, to place a seed garlic in it. It will likely be messy, slightly miserable work, but well worth it. There is nothing like eating your own garlic! My experience in spring planting has been disappointing; the garlic really needs the winter hardening of the seed to fully bloom. Good luck (get out there!)

It sounds like you still have a good shot at getting your garlic in, Jill. Better late than never. Set it and cover as you describe. As for companionship . . . roses and raspberries are friendly (see here http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-herbs) but keep it away from beans and peas (see here http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-garden) and a few other plants (see here: http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-chart-v....

Good luck—and thanks for asking!

To answer your first question, no it is not too late to plant garlic. We've planted in November and enjoyed a fine harvest the following summer. (Be sure you set it in good composted soil.) last year's stock should be fine . . . about the refrigeration...ideally, whole garlic heads/cloves should not be refrigerated. If cut, most advise refrigerating it in an airtight container. We have, however, found some endorsement for refrigerating garlic that was not planted in fall but needs the chill to grow. We can't vouch for that, never having done it.

We'll stick to the universally accepted basics: You can plant your garlic as long as the ground has not frozen. Because to blanket it with mulch. If, having been stored in the refrigerator (or elsewhere), it has become soft and the "paper" peels off easily, it may have spoiled and probably will not produce a satisfactory crop. if it's firm and the paper is still snug on it, you should have no problem planting it and harvest it next summer...assuming that everything else (soil, weather, etc.) is favorable.

Good luck!

Hi Maria,
Crop rotation can help avoid pests/diseases that attack plants of the same family, such as the allium, or onion, family of which garlic is a part. If the same crop is grown in the same place year after year, it is more likely to attract the same pests (or the soil harbor their eggs/overwintering larvae) that attack those crops; it is the same with certain diseases, which can live in the soil. Also, different crops may use nutrients differently (such as light feeders and heavy feeders) and affect soil structure differently. So, it helps to rotate each year. A crop rotation plan groups crops of the same family together, and they are grown in another place in the garden the following year. The cycle of rotation may take 3 or more years to get back to the original planting arrangement.

For more information, you might be interested in this article and video:
http://www.almanac.com/video/how-rotate-your-vegetable-crops

Hope this helps!

Hi, David, A word of warning to help insure you get the best results: Sandy soil is not really the best medium to grow garlic in (or, honestly, many things). While it is well draining, it does not hold nutrients. As fast as rain/water runs through sand, so fast does any fertilizer or other beneficial nutrient. Think of it another way: they garlic cloves (and other plants) have nothing to grab on to, so to speak, when planted in sand. Get yourself a bag or two of good compost and replace a few inches of sand with it, then plant the garlic cloves. Read more about how to plant and care above before you do anything else. If you don't do this much, you probably won't have any garlic to cure. (Just trying to help you here.)

What you might do is try to plan to harvest on a relatively low-humidity day or two. (We realize these conditions hardly ever occur in south Alabama in the middle of summer...but keep an eye out.) Barring that, harvest when the soil is dry and set the garlic aside, in shade. If you run air conditioning indoors, bring it in and put the aside where it will not be disturbed for a while. We hope this helps.

Another thought: If there are farmers and/or gardeners in your area/vicinity, drop in on them and ask them about garlic (or other vegetables). Most folks are more than happy to share their experience and advice. They would know your area, maybe your soil, certainly your climate.

All the best

Hi, Sarah, Garlic will sprout in the fall if conditions such as you describe occur. It should not hurt the bulbs. Throw more mulch on them, covering the growth. This can be leaves or other organic matter. Next season they should grow as expected.

Thanks, Robert! We appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts. All the best!

If you are in an area of the country that has a winter—extreme cold, snow, etc.—plant your garlic before the ground freezes: Separate the cloves, stick them in the ground (pointy-end up) a couple of inches, and cover them with soil. (Good, rich compost is best.) Cover them with a couple inches of leaves or the like and let them alone until spring.

Thanks for your kind words, Randolph! As per above, Iif you are in an area that gets a hard frost, plant garlic 6 to 8 weeks before that frost. In more southerly areas, February or March is a better time to plant.  You can get an estimate of the date of your first fall frost here: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/zipcode/81501

Good luck!

Do not cover the garlic with plastic, Tony. Give is a blanket of mulch several inches deep (fallen leaves are great!). If you plant in well composted, well draining soil (see also above re pH and other requirements), you should not have to fertilize. Water occasionally; more if local conditions—drought to any degree—indicate. Garlic really does not ask for much, if you give it good soil.

Hi, Claudia, It would be fine to water the garlic. Certainly if it were to rain it would get wet. So that should be no problem. Good luck with it! Garlic is one of the easiest crops!

Clay is not your friend, in this case (in most cases). You could dig a hole, maybe about a foot deep and, depending on how many garlic you're going to plant, a few feet by a few feet and replace the clay with good composted material, and then plant the garlic. They need to be a couple inches deep and apart (see above). They do not set deep roots, so that would be a suitable bed. Alternately you could put the good composted material into pots and plant the garlic in there (with/at the suggested depth) and then put the pots into holes in the ground. That way, they are more protected from the elements than if in the pots above ground, where freeze/thaw/refreeze conditions could hurt the bulbs. We hope this helps!

You can still plant the garlic cloves, but without their individual protective layer (sometimes called a "tunic"), they might be more susceptible to diseases. Before planting, some gardeners soak their cloves (usually unpeeled, but sometimes peeled) in a solution of 1 gallon water to 1 tablespoon baking soda overnight (some add a little liquid seaweed to the solution). Then just before planting, soak them in rubbing alcohol for about 4 minutes. This helps to prevent disease. You might try that with some of your cloves to see if it might help. Good luck!

Hi, Jill: Often this is caused by the garlic not having been planted deep enough. Sounds like you're a veteran and know what you're doing, but do be sure that they are down about 3 inches or so, depending on variety. Thanks for asking!

We're so glad to hear that you're pleased with your garlic! It can be tough to find an ideal curing location. It should be out of bright sun to prevent sunscald, and it should also be sheltered from rain, but you don't want the garlic to become diseased if placed in a poorly ventilated place like a barn. It might be best to hang them inside, but perhaps by a window, where they would have proper air circulation. It should be a warm and dry area.

Hi Nicole,

Garlic is typically planted into the ground in the fall and harvested in the summer. Unfortunately, growing it indoors in winter doesn't allow for the kind of conditions it needs--at least 40 days of temperatures below 40°F are required for it to form bulbs.

It would probably be best to replant. These were planted in spring 2015, or fall? Sometimes if cloves are left in the ground too long, they will form loose heads, in which case they usually do not store as well. The best way to determine is to pull a bulb up and see what it looks like -- is it compact or loose? Does it look healthy (no sign of rot or other disease)? Does it have cloves forming off the main bulb? If it looks good, you might try a sample. Otherwise, it would be best to replant. 

You can apply 6 inches of straw in fall. Many gardeners apply it at planting time, while others in cold climates prefer to wait until after the first frost or two. Some say to avoid straw, as it can encourage the wheat curl mite, which attacks garlic. Alternatively, you can use chopped leaves. Pull back the mulch in spring after threat of frost has passed, to help the soil warm. Some gardeners keep the mulch on in spring, but just enough to suppress weeds/conserve moisture. If your area is wet, it is best not to keep the mulch on during the growing season.

Garlic only smells when it is out of the ground so you shouldn't smell a thing unless it's harvest time and the garlics are upwind of you in a pile. But even then the smell shouldn't travel too far.

Too much water is not good for garlic; it will cause the bulbs to rot.

Garlic bulbs do not need to be refrigerated.

This might sound silly, but to get large garlic you have to plant large garlic cloves. Hopefully in the fall you planted the biggest cloves and left the smaller cloves for kitchen use. When greens start to grow, you should add a teaspoon or two of high-nitrogen fertilizer and work it into the soil around each plant. If your garlic is producing flowers, cut the stalks.

Garlic usually requires 180 to 210 days to harvest to maturity.

There are some garlic varieties that have purple cloves. Usually you plant garlic in the fall and harvest in the summer. If you only have one clove you can plant it in a pot and see what happens. Read our planting incormation at the top of this page.

It is worth a try. Garlic is said to act as a repellent crop for aphids when planted near roses. It is thought that the scent is one reason why aphids tend to avoid it. In this case, keeping as much of the plant as you can might create the best effect (stronger scent), so you may want to leave the garlic be and not trim the scapes when they appear. As for timing, it might be too late to plant garlic for producing large cloves, and likely will not be ready for harvest before winter hits, but the bulb will probably still produce leaves and perhap scapes this season. All plant parts, including the bulb, should serve as a repellent.

Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that the garlic head is white and then the cloves themselves are a purple striped variety. The stalk is green and soft, not dried out, as are the individual cloves (cloves are white, not green). Thanks! -- Susan

Hey Sue, I store all my garlic,(I eat it everyday in 1 form or another) but I just store mine in a brown paper bag in a cool dark place and it seems to last forever, have never had a problem with this method, I grow in my garden and store a lot of bulbs, good luck sue

Do you mean a place where you can purchase the garlic, or a place to sell it to once it's grown? If you're looking for a place to buy it from, try filareefarm.com, or thegarlicstore.com, or burpee.com.

It's best to plant in the fall, but depending on your microclimate, it may still be OK to plant in March in Zone 6b (ideally, as soon as the soil can be worked). You may get small bulbs, however. Check the chilling requirements of your variety; they may require about 8 weeks of refrigerator storage to get them to grow properly and form cloves.

You planted last spring. Did anything happen—did you get growth? If you "picked" (pulled up) any heads, you would see that the one clove planted became several in the head.

If you left those in the ground...you might find a clump. Or you might find rot, depending on the conditions.

If it's a harvest you're after in summer 2016, your best bet is to plant fresh cloves NOW. Don't wait too long.

Then see what the old ones do. (If there are so many in the ground, pull one or two up now and see what they look like; that may be the best indication of what to expect later—if anything at all.)

Maureen, the article spelled out every step. Did you read it all the way through? Somebody went to great effort to put this article out for us. Be courteous and read it.

I too am growing garlic bought from the store. I live in North America and am having great success with my plants. The tops measure 10 inches with a base that resembles a leek. I have never grown garlic before which is the reason, I am on this site. I needed to know, when to harvest my newest plants. If you like asparagus, they like a lot of water and full sun. Artichokes too. Good luck with the garden.

It seems like 3 1/2 months of "summer" would be cutting it close for growing garlic. Garlic generally prefers cool weather to develop foliage and warm weather to grow the bulb. Planting in warm conditions that you describe may be too much heat all at once. Then you have to consider hardneck vs soft neck; hardneck grows best in places with a cold winter; soft neck is a better choice for areas that have a mild winter. 30°F seems a bit warmer than "mild" (as you say, it's "hot"), but gardening is an experiment. You might do very well.

Place a layer of thick mulch, such as straw, over them so that they are completely covered. Leave it on over winter and remove once the bulbs start growing again in spring. The leaves that are up now might get damaged, but the bulbs should survive over winter if protected with a cozy layer of mulch (and if the bulbs don't stand in water, etc).

It's not uncommon for garlic to start early, as you describe, in the conditions we've been having. Mulch it more—as much as you think necessary to cover it. In spring, you can always clear off some of the mulch.

Hi Steven,

We recommend to plant cloves 4 inches apart and 2 inches deep.

The reason there are so many different planting depths is the climate to the local garlic grower. If you are in climate zone 3 you will need to plant deeper than someone in climate zone 6 for example. I live in climate zone 3 so we have cold winters, but consideration also has to be given to how much snow stays on the ground as this will help moderate temperature. Maritimers and some spots in the prairies can be very cold but also have warm periods that melt away that blanket of snow, this can be dangerous for their plants so they would have to plant deeper or use more mulch than I would. I plant at 3-4 inches and add another 3-4 inches of mulch. I know one farmer who plants at a depth of 8 inches but he does not use mulch (My back hurts imagining harvesting garlic planted at 8 inches). In warmer climates you may be able to get away with planting at just a few inches. The whole point of planting depth is to ensure the temperature is moderated. The last thing you want is to have your growing garlic going through freeze and thaw cylces in the spring and fall because it was too close to the surface... this can and will cause root damage as the earth contracts and expands. Just my 2 cents.

Hi Becky,

As the scape grows taller it will begin to curl at the top. At that point, cut the stalk as far down as you can without cutting any leaves off.

Hi, Barbara: Glad you're feeling better! Click on Gardening above, then Gardening Calendar. Enter your zip code or, if necessary, select the town nearest you from the list under Browse by State. The tool will give you color-coded dates for when to do what with garlic. It may not be too late at all! Thanks for asking!

As long as you can dig in the dirt you can plant the garlic. Get the cloves planted as soon as possible and add a bit of mulch over the plantings.

Dig a 2-inch deep hole and set the clove upright, so that the base is 2 inches deep. For larger cloves, you can dig a 3-inch-deep hole.

Four-inch spacing is an average; if you have a larger variety, you can allow 1 or 2 more inches between plants, if needed (so 4 to 6 inches apart). (Please note: This does not include elephant garlic.)

If you leave a bulb in the ground in the fall, it will likely come back next year shooting up scapes from each clove in the bulb. Bulbs with a few cloves, 2 to 6, can be planted whole. Each clove will send up a scape next year and you will have several plants growing closely together in a clump. You will probably get tiny bulbs and they will be flat on the side that was pushing against the other bulbs.

You can check and see if you have bulbs growing that are big enough to harvest. Try to get them harvested before the soil freezes. Now is the time to plant garlic for next year. See if you can plant some cloves now for a harvest next summer.

Fall is the best time to plant garlic in most parts of North America. In the southern states early spring or late winter may be better for a good harvest.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

I've done the same thing. It is easy to miss one now and then. I have successfully split apart the sprouted head and replanted the individual cloves. Mulch them well and with any luck they will be up and growing again in the spring.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

If by cracked you mean split apart the bulbs they should be fine. They may dry out a bit but store them in a cool dark place until you are ready to plant. When choosing which cloves to plant pick the plump ones and discard any that are too soft or squishy.

It is best to purchase certified seed garlic from a reputable source rather than resorting to grocery store garlic. You will have more varieties to choose from that will be suitable for your area. Most grocery store garlic is from China and is treated to keep it from sprouting.

Hi, MGL: Sounds OK to us! Good luck!

Hi, Suzanne: This somewhat depends on how early in the summer you planted. If you're not seeing scapes of significant size to indicate that a small harvest might be possible, just go ahead and leave them in the ground -- but mulch them well for protection against the winter. Thanks for asking!

If you are going to try growing garlic indoors, you just need a sunny windowsill. You want to use high-quality clovers from a farmers' market, not grocery garlic that's been treated.

Plant in a small yogurt container with some holes poled in the bottom. Fill container with organic potting soil to the top, and plant each clove an inch down, pointy end up. Keep soil moist but not soggy.

Either snip the greens when they grow 8 to 10 inches long (and replant new cloves) or wait many more months to get new cloves.

If you are not 100% sure that these are garlic cloves, then you are wise not to eat them. Off hand, I don't know of similar plants with those features, but I'd strongly recommend not eating them unless you have a positive ID.

Take it to your local conservation district and they should be able to tell you what it is.

f you're planting garlic in the fall, you can fertilize in the spring. Use a high-nitrogen organic fertilizers such as bloodmeal or a synthetic source of nitrogen. Fertilize again just before the bulbs begin to swell (around mid-May). This should help you grow bigger garlic.

Also, if you don't get enough rainwater, water garlic to a depth of 2 feet every 8 to 10 days if needed. Taper off on the water by middle of June.

Hi Anthony,

Make sure that you plant a variety that will do well in upstate NY. Below is a link with suggestions of hardneck and softneck varieties. Also below is a website that has information about how many pounds you need to plant.

www.extendonondaga.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/GarlicV...

www.growingformarket.com/articles/how-and-when-to-plant-g...

Late September through November is the time to plant garlic in Georgia.

Elephant garlic isn't really garlic, but it has a mild garlic taste. If you harvest in the summer, you can replant a clove in the late fall. Elephant garlic will also grow as a perennial if you leave it in the ground.

Thanks, Cathy! The refrigerator may be too cold for garlic. Better to store in a cool, dry place in well-ventilated containers, such as mesh bags. It may be that the paper bag hindered circulation. Before you do that, though, spread the heads on newspaper in a well-ventilated place out of sunlight for 2 to 3 weeks, to let them "cure." That means until the skins are papery. Then store them. If you pick this summer and plan to plant this fall, all of your heads should make it to planting time.

Hi, Zelda: This is really hard to diagnose remotely. You could have a disease, such as mildew, or you could have a pest, which would attract spiders. Try giving your scapes a good spraying with a wash of 1 part dish liquid to 15 parts water. Wait a day. Do it again. Wait a day. Do  it again. Observe closely between washings. What do you see? Then be ready to apply an organic pesticide/fungicide as directed. Good luck!

This sounds like your garden has been found by the leek moth. These are relatively new to Ontario and Quebec. Google leek moth damage to see if it looks like what is happening to your plants. Leek moths propogate quickly throughout the summer so if they are leek moths you'll want to have a plan for the spring. Floating row covers work well to keep the moth from laying their larvae on the plants and has proven to be just as effective as the organic pesticides recomended.

Hi, Bobby, I tend to cut them off after they have made a loop. Cut as close to the leaves as possible without cutting the leaves. Each variety produces the flowering heads at different times, so you have to watch for them. This year the time from emerging to looping was about 5 days (we've had a really dry spring, which is different for us). Normally, it takes about 10 days or so to loop. I hope that helps, Diane

Hi Gary, Some people recommend to cut the scapes and others say it doesn't matter. It will not hurt to cut the tops off right before they start to curl. You can use the scapes in cooking. Start harvesting when the tops start turning yellow and start to fall over. In the northern states it's usually late July or early August. Read our harvest/storage section above for more information.

Most garlic varieties do not produce fertile seed and are propagated by individual cloves from the garlic bulb. We do not know what the small brown "bulbs" are that you are finding in the roots. Contact your extension service for more insight. almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

The are called garlic bulbils and you tend to get them with elephant garlic. I only ever get them on my elephant garlic, never on 'true' garlic varieties.

Hi there! I see you live somewhere in SC. I am not a gardner however I do have a tomatoe plant growing nicely in a 25 gal. pot. I realize it's too late now for summer production, but I was thinking about Garlic and was looking for some guidance. What type of garlic do you plant, where do you purchase it, and do you think I could grow garlic in another large pot like my tomatoes? Our soil is all clay so an actual garden would be near impossible and a lot of work since my husband wont eat 99% of vegetables. (his loss). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm in SC also. Last October, I planted some ajo rojo. everything seemed fine, until the tips began to yellow and fall. I checked, and the bulbs are very small with badly developed cloves. Do you know what I did wrong? This is my first time with garlic.

It sounds like your bulbs are rotting, possibly due to winter conditions which encouraged disease, or the roots had been sitting in soil that was too moist. You can keep an eye on them to see if they recover, but if you see signs of mold, discard them. Meanwhile, you might want to plant garlic in a different area of the garden (not near your current ones, in case it is a disease), or in containers.

Here is a page that talks about different diseases of garlic:

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/garlicdiseases.pdf

Your garlic should be ready around September, the bulbs will be small but you will get some harvest. Garlic is ready when 2/3 of the leaves have turned yellow Garlic does most of it's root/bulb growth after the equinox and before the solstice which is why spring planted garlic doesn't size up well.

Spring garlic usually comes up around March or April. If you can not find any bulbs, perhaps a squirrel or other animal has gotten to them?

Yes, Dave, what were you thinking? Hang on, it may not be so bad.

As we're sure you know: "To everything there is a season," and garlic, too, must have its own. We can find no substantiation for garlic growing/maturing faster in a greenhouse; most growers indicate that they remove it from the greenhouse to the outdoors in warm weather. If your "greenhouse setup" is a temporary cover, that would mean lifting if off the garlic.

It seems that you have a few options: Leave the garlic, harvest it, and sell, trade, or give away heads as starter cloves for next season. Trades might get you the fresh produce you seek, in this case from neighbors' beds. Sales of garlic heads for growing, especially unusual varieties, seems to be a booming business. It's easy to grow and (almost) everyone uses it. You could, depending on space and what else you want to grow, plant around the garlic. Shallow-root plants, like lettuce greens, might do. Possibly peas. You could enlarge your bed. Start a new one. Or plant in containers. Finally, we regret to suggest that you could pull some garlic up early to make space.

Just trying to help, Dave. Best wishes—

Check the soil moisture: too much or too little water may turn leaf tips yellow. Also, too little nitrogen (garlic likes soil rich in nitrogen when it starts to grow; less so as it matures). Temperature fluctuations can also cause yellowing tips. There are also a few pests and diseases that may cause yellowing leaves, such as onion maggots, nematodes, and various fungal rots. If there are just a few leaves that have yellow tips, then most likely you don't need to worry. If the situation progresses, however, probably something more serious is going on. For more information, see:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/vegeta...

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/fruit-vegetable/growi...

http://www.southernexposure.com/growing-guides/allium-gui...

Hi. I am also from NC and planted garlic last Fall for the 1st time and it is doing really well! Looking forward to a bountiful harvest this summer! A good feeding of fish emulsion now would be the thing to do. A good source of nitrogen. I will do this every 2 weeks until end of April. Hope this helps! :-)

In terms of planting, it really depends on where you live in Kentucky. The state is mostly in plant hardiness zone 6a.  If you're looking for planting dates for your zip code, see our Best Planting Date chart by crop here:
http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates

Garlic plants are fairly hardy. If you are not expecting any severe frosts, it should be OK to plant them out. Or, you can wait until after the last expected frost, especially as they are already in pots.

Hi Michelle,

Yes, you are supposed to plant cloves and each clove will grow into a head of garlic. You can carefully dig up a few of the heads that you planted and see if you can divide them easily. Then replant the cloves in the garden.

That sounds like black aphids. They could spread a garlic virus. Here's remedy to try:

• Mix vegetable oil and liquid soap in a 5 to 1 combination (5 parts oil to 1 part soap) in a jar. Cover and shake to blend. Add 2 tablespoons to a half gallon of water and spray on the garlic greens in morning or evening, not in the heat of the day. Soak the greens, letting the remedy run down to/into the ground. You will effectively suffocate them.

BTW, always shake the jar before adding any of the mix to water.

Hi ADH,

You can transplant the garlic. Dig down to make sure you get all the roots. Seperated the cloves only if they come apart easily. You should not have any problems with disease.

Good luck!

Hi Debbie,

See Q&A below about flavor. Garlic does not cross pollinate so you can plant different varieties in your garden. The tops of garlic are called scapes and are a wonderful addition to many dishes.

Usually garlic becomes tasteless if it has been over fertilized. You can still plant the cloves from your garlic bulb and either not fertilize at all, or only once (around may).

Garlic flavor depends on several things. Hardnecks tend to have a stronger, more robust flavor than softnecks. The actual variety of either of these will also affect the taste. Elephant garlic (really a leek) has a mild flavor.

Some say the bigger the bulb, the less flavor. Overwatering, or watering or fertilizing too close to harvest, might also affect flavor. Temperature and other environmental conditions are also factors, and can make a normally strong garlic mild or vice versa. Garlic will increase in flavor the longer it is stored, although some varieties are better than others for storage.

Harvest when the top begins to yellow and fall over. You can also use the green top in cooking. It has a garlicky flavor. See the tips on this page on how to grow and harvest garlic.

Hi, Nate: This really depends on where you are on the peninsula and whether your site is exposed to very harsh winter weather or not so much so. The simple answer is 4 to 5 inches of wood chip and/or bark mulch. You should also bank some up against the sides of your raised beds, too, if possible. Be sure to get your garlic into the ground before the soil gets too cold. Your first frost is usually around October 8, so plan on at least a month before that. Incidentally, we assume that you mean wood mulch. Technically, the word "mulch" means anything that is so used, such as hay, seaweed, etc., for each of which the depth would be different. Way to plan ahead!

Your garlic most likely will be fine. Sometimes if garlic is planted a little too early in fall (which yours wasn't--usually plan on planting about 4 weeks before the ground freezes), or if after fall planting there is a period of mild fall/winter weather, the bulb will sprout. Leave the sprouts alone; they might die off in the cold weather. But as long as the bulb is protected with mulch from freezing and thawing, in most cases, the plant should be fine. In spring, the bulb should have a good root system to sprout again.

Hi, Gary,

You can plant garlic until the ground is frozen. This week should be fine. Cover with leaves or other mulch.

Fall is the perfect time to plant garlic outside -- for a harvest next summer. We'd suggest growing in a pot that's 8 to 15 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. Use multi-purpose compost and incorporate some fertilizer. Sun or partial shade should be OK. Make sure the pot is in a sheltered area (from winds). Plant each one-inch deep and 4 inches apart (and not too close to the container edge). Add more compost on top for protection.

There are several types of garlic: softneck, hardneck, elephant (which is really a leek), and many garlic varieties, so unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to tell you what type yours is. Softnecks are best for southern climates and have more cloves than hardnecks, which work will in northern climates. Elephant garlic forms a large bulb with a few large cloves. Those garlic types that "flower" (actually, produce scapes) can produce small bulbils at the top of the scape; these can be planted and most will form a single bulb (called a round) with just one clove, the first year. (Rocamboles may produce several cloves the first year.) Harvest the round, cure, and replant in fall and they will produce a slightly larger bulb with more cloves. If you had a single bulb with just one clove, and it was indeed garlic, it might have been one of these first-year rounds derived from a bulbil planted the previous year. In this case, after this year's growing season, it should have more cloves when you harvest it.

Not all garlic will produce flowering stems--most softneck types will not; hardnecks will. If you don't see a scape at this stage, and it has been growing all season, do not wait for it to flower, as it might not. Because it is still green, keep it growing until the leaves begin to yellow and dry and begin to fall over. Don't wait until all leaves on the plant dry, but watch for when about a third or so of the leaves have yellowed and fallen over. The longer you wait, the larger the bulb, but the more likelihood that the bulb will split its wrapper, which causes it not to last as long in storage. If you are eating the cloves right away, then waiting a little longer would be fine. But if you are planning to store the bulbs, harvesting it a little earlier would be best.

In southern California, gardeners usually plant in fall, but can also plant in late winter and early spring. Or, you can do all three for succession plantings. Plant in light, sandy soil.

Hi Betty,

You can plant the cloves. If they are too shrivelled and soft they may not be as strong a plant but they will root and may produce smaller bulbs next spring.

If you are not planting the garlic for eating, then yes, go ahead and plant it to ward off pests.

We're not sure what might be going on, as long as the leaves were still green and healthy on the bulb, even after the curly scape was removed. Be sure that your container is deep and wide, and has drainage holes at the bottom. Keep soil evenly moist, but not soggy. Perhaps try cutting the scape earlier, when it is about 2 inches high, or leave it on the plant. Hardneck garlics prefer cold climates; plant cloves in the fall and provide winter protection (if the containers are outdoors), or plant in spring after threat of frost has passed.

"Ever" is the key word, here, Lisa.

Garlic by seed will take years/seasons to turn into true bulbs with useful cloves. (How many? Figure seven or eight—years—at least.)

To have garlic in one season, go to a nursery or garden store, even maybe a feed store (our "local" is an Agway for loose cloves, but garlic is even sold in packs) this fall; that's when they become available. Buy as many as you like, then plant them in good organic soil in the fall—October, November... And mulch them and forget about them. Even if you see green shoots, an indication that it was a little too early to plant (which has happened to me) leave them alone.

Next spring, true shoots will appear and thrive. It's really hard to get garlic wrong—and it couldn't be easier. All you really need to do is keep the plants weeded.

Hi Lisa, My true seed garlic is about a year old. Looked like grass, or chives over the summer, then died back. Now it's sprouted up ever taller than before. I've read 2-3 years before you can harvest it. I plan on harvesting more seeds this year, so I can plan more seeds, and eventually will have three small beds going in rotation.

If the tops are brown it's time to harvest the garlic. If you wait longer the bulbs may become overripe and the cloves may start separating from one another.

The white tops hold garlic "bulbils"—tiny garlic bulbs that could, if replanted over several years, become edible heads.

You could also remove the greens stems, bulbils and all, cutting somewhere low on the straight potion of the stem; you want to remove the curl. This stem is a garlic "scape"—and it is edible. Ct up scapes into 1-inch or so pieces, gave them a light coating of olive oil, and roasted them in the oven (around 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes)—similar to the way you might roast asparagus. You an eat them as a vegetable side or put them into just about anything, from omelets to salads to soups.

We should mention that because you are removing the seed element, you are enabling the clove underground to mature into a good size. If you leave the scape, with bulbils on, the plants sends energy to the bulbils.

Then use cloves of the mature garlice for next year's crop.

Rust is a sporadic disease that probably overwinters on garlic and volunteer Allium crops. The recommendation for managing it is rotate your crop/sm specifically rotating out of Allium crops for 2 to 3 years.

Rust develops in moist conditions, so it's important not to overwater.

In future, you can spray plant with neem oil before the rust appears and that may prevent the spores from taking hold.

We hope this helps.

I think I can answer some of your questions. I am assuming that you have hardneck garlic. If so then......Take one of the bulbs of the garlic you have already pulled and cut it in half. Look at the cloves. Are they all kind of smashed together with no paper/skin in between them? If so you pulled them too early. The best way I have found is to wait until the plant has about 2/3 of the leaves dead from the bottom with a few green ones at the top. If the garlic are yelling at you to pick them....do not listen to them. They have no brains and you are smarter than they are LOL. Cure the garlic for a few weeks (3-6). I have cured mine on newspaper on cardboard and I hang them from the leaves and the bulb hanging down.I have not mastered braiding hardnecks. Leave room around them for air to circulate. NO SUN. it changes the flavor. Dry them in a shaded or dark, dry, warm, area. After curing, open one. If you have some nice, fully formed, cloves in the bulb and they have some paper around them then you should be able to plant them in the fall for next years crop. Plant the big cloves, Eat the small cloves. Scapes. You will find many opinions about whether to cut them or leave them. I cut mine as I do believe you get bigger bulbs if you do. I have been cutting mine for several years and i have been getting bigger bulbs every year. i am content to cut them.....Plus I like to eat them if I cut them before they curl. I hope this does not come too late to help you.

Please see above. "Do not plant cloves from the grocery store. They may be unsuited varieties for your area, and most are treated to make their shelf life longer, making them harder to grow. Instead, get cloves from a mail order seed company or a local nursery."

Hi Lorna,

Please see our advice about growing garlic above. Start harvesting when the tops begin to yellow and fall over, before they are completely dry. And yes, garlic bulbs need to be cured (dried) before you store them. You can save some of the bulbs and plant the cloves in the fall.

These bulblets will, as you say, usually produce a full head with cloves in two years (producing a round, with no cloves, the first year). Some gardeners store the harvested bulblets in a dry place and then plant them in the fall. For more information, please see response to the second post below yours.

If it's planted in a flower bed, it may be an allium, which could be garlic, onion or any number of plants from that same family. They are played for their flowers in flower beds. Do a Web search for allium and you will find lots of information.

You can plant the bulblet in the garden; some gardeners may store it in a dry place and then plant in fall. In cold areas, you might want to provide a good layer of mulch over winter. The bulblet has a very hard coat, so some people soak it for 24 hours before planting, and sometimes also nick it a bit to help water penetrate. Others have had success without any preparation. The bulblet will usually sprout next spring. It will form a small "round," which is a bulb without cloves. You can harvest the round that summer, or let it grow another year, when it will likely grow and divide into large cloves. So, from bulblet to a large bulb with cloves, it takes 2 years.

Yes, the garlic "scrapes" are the flower steps that grow before the before the bulbs mature. Most gardeners will cut them off so that the plant focuses on growing bigger bulbs. You can eat them! Just harvest when they're young and curly; it's best to cut them in the afternoon. Add to salads, soups, egg dishes, and pastas.  Stir-fry or sauté in olive oil. Just trim off the bottom of the stems and the tips of the flower heads.

Cutting the scapes forces the garlic to put its energy into the bulb, making it bigger and maturing faster. Leaving the scapes on makes for smaller bulbs and they will mature slower. Save the scapes and use them in cooking. They are delicious.

It will take longer for garlic to cure in humid conditions but they will cure as long as they are protected from rain. Put them on screens in a well ventilated area and keep a box fan close by blowing at low speed.

I live in south Jersey and harvested my garlic 3 weeks ago. Hung them in my shop to cure and they are now in the pantry. They did fine.

Hi Ariel,

Garlic is ready when the foliage is tall (usually much more than 6 inches; usually probably at least a foot) and is dried and brown. This is typically July or August, depending on your location, summer conditions, etc.

It's not likely that the garlic will continue to grow if you replant it. Hopefully you didn't pull it all up . . .

Hi, Lovice,

Garlic cloves must be exposed to temperatures below 65°F or they may fail to form bulbs when planted—even though they produce flowers and foliage.

That said, too much cold, or cold followed by thaws, may also affect maturity.

Sorry for no better news.

Hi, Jimbob,

Soft-neck cultivars produce minimum or no flower stalk. It invests its energy in the bulb. Most commercial garlic is soft-neck.

Hard-neck cultivars produce the scapes.

It's not a problem; just different.

Good luck with the harvest!

Dig up the garlic and carefully remove the soil to see if you have several cloves together that can be separated. Replant the clove(s) in rich well-draining soil. Garlic needs as much sun as possible.

Replant your garlic and leave until it goes through a second growing season, sometimes garlic can take two seasons

Hi Mark,

Garlic can be planted in the spring, but it should be refrigerated first or planted early enough to get a natural cold treatment. Spring plantings don’t tend to grow as big as fall planted garlic. Soft neck varieties are best for spring planting.

Spring planting of garlic is fine and it will grow, but it will not produce the large bulbs as with fall planting. Garlic prefers to be planted in the fall at least six weeks before the soil freezes because it needs a cold period for proper shoot and bulb development.
For spring planting, we would suggest that you stored under refrigeration for at least 8 weeks prior to planting, and should be set as early in the spring as possible. Plant as soon as the soil is workable.

Maybe not, don’t panic! Every now and then I get heavy damage from deer and rabbits and the plants usually recover. They still have that root system that’s been developing all winter to draw energy from. The overall size of the bulbs may suffer, but the plants should come back and grow just fine. Scapes appear later when the plant is well developed and should be removed to get the largest bulbs possible. To maximize bulb size try foliar feeding at 2 week intervals with a diluted fish emulsion that has 3 or 4 of drops of dish detergent mixed in. Stop feeding and watering when the plants stop growing. Harvest when about half of the lower leaves have turned brown.