GROW GARLIC

Growing your own hardneck garlic is very rewarding! Below are instructions on how to plant garlic from a Northeastern Wisconsin perspective. If you live elsewhere, you will want to find the best time to plant and harvest as it will be slightly different than our location.

TIMELINE

Late October/Early November (usually within a week or two after the first killing frost): Plant
March/May: Remove portions of straw
Mid-June: Harvest garlic scapes
Mid-July: Harvest garlic, cure 3-4 weeks
Early-Mid August: Garlic is ready

PLANTING

Late October/Early November: Ensure your planting location is in a full-sun and well-drained area. Garlic does not like a wet environment. Do not plant garlic where onions or other rooted vegetables were planted the previous year. This will help eliminate potential for disease. We plant our rows north to south to ensure equal coverage from the sun.

Apply compost or fertilizer to the area. We get compost from a local dairy farm.
Till up the area and create an approximate 3-4 inch raised bed (raised beds are not necessary but we had more success using them because the water drains better). Prepare the soil well before planting to provide a loose growing bed for bulb growth. We usually till up after we apply fertilizer (early October) and then again right before planting.
One day before planting: Break the bulbs apart into individual cloves (keep cloves in their shell)
Day of planting: Soak each clove in fish fertilizer for 3-4 hours. We like to use Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 (follow the directions on the container).
Once fertilizer soak is complete, remove cloves and soak them in Vodka (we use Fleishman’s) for a minimum of 10 minutes. We soak for 20 minutes. This sanitizes the cloves directly prior to planting.
Plant cloves 2-3 inches deep with pointed side up and 6 inches apart. Lightly cover with soil so the entire clove is covered.
Apply 3-4 inches of straw or mulch on top to serve as an insulator during the cold cycle.
Mark and label the area you planted. You won’t remember which garlic variety is planted where when spring comes.

SPRING

Depending on how thick you applied the straw, you may need to pull some of the straw off. If it’s a wet spring, you will want to pull the straw back earlier or the garlic could rot. We have pulled some of the straw back as early as the end of March (this all depends on the year).
Mid-May, we apply more fertilizer. We use the Alaska 5-1-1 Fish Fertilizer (1 TBSP per one gallon of water). We use a hand pump sprayer to apply it.
We apply another round of fertilizer in early June before scapes get too large.

GARLIC SCAPES

Mid-June: Garlic scapes must be harvested. This allows more energy to be put into the garlic bulb and not the garlic scape. Unsure what a garlic scape is? Watch our video here. Garlic scapes are a sign that the garlic will be ready in about a month.

You can remove the garlic scape with a scissors or snap it off with your hands (this takes a little more skill).
Garlic scapes are edible and delicious! Grill, sauté, steam or pickle them!

HARVEST

Mid-July: When the leaves start to dry near the bottom of the stem is a sign that garlic harvest is approaching. We usually wait until at least the third leaf from the bottom is dried. You don’t want to wait too long because every leaf that dries is a layer being removed from the garlic bulb.

Using a shovel – be sure you are far enough away from the bulb – lighten up the dirt around the bulb.
Clean off as much dirt as possible and trim the top stem off. We like to keep about 4-5 inches of the stem above the bulb.
Place upside-down (bulb on top) in a drying rack to cure for 3-4 weeks. Curing should occur in an outdoor building with that protects from the sun but provides adequate ventilation. We have fans blowing on the garlic to ensure proper airflow during the curing timeframe.
After 3-4 weeks, trim more of the stem off with a clipper, trim the roots and clean off any additional dirt. Try not to remove too many layers off the bulb so it stays protected and will have a longer shelf-life.
Store in a cool, dark and dry area. Garlic is typically good for for 6-9 months after harvest.

Additional helpful resources

Extension Garlic Growing Guide, view here.