This year was the first time I tried growing garlic in our vegetable garden. It was easy! Last fall, we planted partially peeled individual cloves, with the pointy side up about 2 inches deep and about 6-8″ apart – and waited…
Garlic typically takes nine months to mature and grows best when it receives at least six hours of full sun daily. It is recommended to plant garlic three to eight weeks before the first autumn freeze. As a guide, the planting zone recommendations are Zones 3-5 September to early October, Zones 5-7 mid to late October and Zones 7-9 late October into November.
We decided to harvest the garlic this weekend so we could make way for new summer vegetables. Some of the garlic could have remained in the ground a little bit longer, to get bigger, but it was ready enough. But, note to self … I will leave them in the ground a bit longer next year.
Another indicator that your garlic is ready for harvest is when you have 5 full green leaves remaining, or roughly 50% of your leaves have died.
With my vegetable garden partner Anton, we pulled each bulb out of the soil and removed the dry shell around the bulbs, to expose the cleaned garlic underneath it and tossed them into our adjacent wheel barrel. You don’t want to wash them … moisture is not good for garlic.
We then cut the roots off of each bulb. Anton used scissors which I think is the tool of choice. My cutters were a little more than you need for this fine job.
We laid them out to dry for the next couple of weeks on my indoor growing rack, which should take about 2-3 weeks. I’m turning them every other day to make sure the entire bulb is getting exposed to the air.
Once dry, I need to find a place to store my garlic which is dark and dry with good circulation. Light and moisture are not garlic’s friend as both promote mold growth. I’ve read that garlic is probably not meant to be stored in the refrigerator as it will sprout and the flavor can become bitter. Storage in a cool basement in a mesh bag – without air conditioning blowing on it, is probably ideal. I also learned that once you start breaking up the bulb, you should consume the entire bulb within about 10 days. Garlic stored in this ideal way is good for 6-12 months.
Growing garlic is enormously satisfying and endlessly fascinating, the more I read about it. Stay tuned for more about this wonderful vegetable.
