Garlic (Allium sativum), is a member of the genus Allium. Native to Asia, it is closely related to onions, leeks, chives and shallots. It is well worth growing at home, whether for culinary, medicinal, or other uses. Garlic is considered a good companion plant as it is said to deter some pests, and it has been proven to have a natural fungicide, so can be used in a spray to prevent or control fungal infections on other plants. Garlic doesn’t take up much space in your veggie beds, a 4’x8’ raised bed can produce as many as 90 bulbs that can be harvested mid-summer. Then plant a short-season crop that is later removed in the fall and re-plant your garlic – and so the cycle can go on. I’ve recently seen garlic selling for $18 per pound, so investing a few dollars for good quality starter bulbs will pay off in the long run.
There are basically two types of garlic grown in our area. Hardneck garlic is more tolerant of colder weather and is the one that produces scapes (flowers), those hard stems that sprout up and curl at the ends. This is the kind that is most commonly grown in our climate. Softneck garlic is the type that does not produce scapes and is most easily turned into those pretty braids you sometimes see being sold at farmers’ markets. By the way, elephant garlic is not a true garlic, it is a cultivar of the broadleaf wild leek. Although it produces huge cloves and is easy to peel, I must admit I am not overly fond of the flavour, compared to true garlic varieties.
Once you have established a garlic bed you can save some harvested garlic to replant the following year, but if you are just starting out it is recommended you purchase disease free bulbs from a reputable source, such as a plant nursery, seed catalogue or ideally a local supplier who will have garlic that is adapted to our regional growing conditions. Perhaps you have a friend or neighbour that is willing to part with a few bulbs. Don’t try to plant that awful white stuff you find in grocery stores and is probably grown in China. This type of garlic may have been treated to prevent sprouting and bleached to look more attractive. Not only that but you have no way of knowing what diseases it may harbour, and if it has been grown organically or exposed to the use of pesticides and/or herbicides. Many varieties are easily available now, and you may want to try a few different ones, as there can be variations in clove size, flavour, number of cloves, skin colour and storage ability. Hopefully you will find something that suits your preference.
In our area garlic is usually planted in the fall, sometime between mid-September and mid-October. It needs a few weeks before the soil freezes so it can establish a good root system. Garlic requires full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral, loamy soil rich in organic matter in order to produce a good crop. Prepare the bed by loosening the soil and digging in some compost, then rake the bed out evenly. Choose the biggest, healthiest cloves to plant. All things being equal the biggest cloves will produce the biggest bulbs for harvesting. Just before planting, separate the cloves, leaving on the papery skin. Plant the cloves 6 inches (15 cm.) apart with 6 in (15 cm.) between rows.(We mark the sides of our raised beds every 6 inches and use a measuring stick that is also marked every six inches, placing it across the narrow part of the 4’x8’ bed and moving it across row to row as we plant. With one person on each side this makes the planting go quite quickly.) Push the cloves into the loosened soil (pointy end up) with your finger or use a dibble tool to plant the garlic 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) down in the soil. Then fill in the holes and pat down just enough to even out and gently firm the soil. This can be done with the back of a rake or even your hands. Apply a 2-4 inch (5-10 cm.) layer of mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves, although this is not a necessity. The mulch, however, will keep down weeds and keep in moisture, as well as feed the soil. No worries if you see little green sprouts pop out of the soil in mid-winter, they’ll be fine and will take off as soon as they experience longer days and warmer weather in the early spring.
Maintenance is fairly easy. Monitor for any pests or diseases. Keep watered moderately, amount and timing depending on such factors as temperature and how quickly your soil dries out. A well-balanced vegetable fertilizer or added compost can be used during the growing season, you just don’t want to apply anything too high in nitrogen that encourages top growth. Keep weeds out of the beds; garlic definitely doesn’t like competition. And if you’re growing hardneck types, be sure to snap off the scapes (potential flowers), which usually appear in June. Otherwise, the garlic will put its energy into producing the flowers, which will seriously reduce the size of the bulbs. The scapes don’t all come up at once, and can be somewhat hard to spot, so be vigilant and keep a close eye out for a week or two until the scape production is over with. The scapes themselves are edible and have a mild garlic flavour, they can be pickled, used in stir fries or made into pesto if you don’t want to sell them or add them to the compost pile.
Stop watering a week or two before harvesting. Garlic is ready to harvest, usually sometime in July, when 1/2 to 2/3 of the lower leaves are yellow and drying. Try to harvest on a dry day. Loosen soil around the bulbs and gently pull out from the base of the stalk. I wear gardening gloves with a textured surface and gently brush off any extra soil clinging to the bulb. To cure, spread the plants out on a screen or hang in bunches in a well-ventilated, dry place such as a garage, shed or back room in your house, out of direct sunlight. Put on a fan if you want really good air circulation that helps them dry faster. After two to four weeks they will be cured and you can cut off the stems of hardneck garlic about 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) from the top of the bulb and trim the roots. Any remaining bits of loose soil should be brushed off - I gently rub off the very outer papery layer around the bulb as this ensures the garlic looks cleaner and has a nice colour. Do not take off all the layers as this protects the bulb and helps keep it from drying out too much. For long term storage place the bulbs in mesh or paper bags, cardboard boxes or woven baskets for good air circulation, and store in a cool, dry, dark area. This should be above freezing but ideally not higher than 60-65 F. (15-18 C.) Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration can actually cause the garlic to sprout and spoil faster. Hardneck garlic can easily store for 3-6 months or even longer, depending on the variety and storage conditions. Keep in mind, though, that the quality will deteriorate the closer it gets to spring when it will be true to its nature and start to sprout (you’ll see the inner part of the clove turning green). If you have plenty of garlic you may want to try drying, pickling or freezing some for future use as well.
Although garlic is usually trouble-free, especially if you are taking good care and giving it optimal growing conditions, there are a few diseases and pests that can affect this crop. It is recommended that you rotate your garlic beds at least once every three or four years (the new bed should not have been planted with any other member of the Allium family recently), and don’t replant in the same bed if you have encountered any disease the previous year. Once your garlic is harvested, clean up the bed, removing any debris left behind and add new compost to get ready for any subsequent crop.
Here are a few diseases/pests that can affect your plants:
White Rot: A fungal disease usually appearing mid-season, roots will rot and the plant dies. Remove affected plants. Don’t plant your next crop in the same ground as it can take years to get rid of this disease.
Onion Thrips: Insects that damage leaves and suck up fluid. Avoid very moist growing conditions and trap with sticky traps.
Allium Rust: Rusty/orange patches on leaves, this is spread by spores. Grows on leaves that are wet for more than 4 hours at moderate temperatures. It overwinters on dead plant material, clean up beds after harvest.
Nematodes: Microscopic worm-like creatures that live inside the plant. Plant clean stock, inspect and remove unhealthy plants. Rotate crop.
Wireworms: Larvae of the click beetle. Can eat into the bulb. Trap with potato chunk as bait, dig out by hand and destroy. Rotate crop and dig over bed to remove before planting anything else. These can stay in the soil many years.
Too much garlic? Never! If you think you have extra, sell it or give it to friends. Keep some to ward off vampires. Remember that garlic can be used in so many ways, don’t be afraid to experiment. Add to meats, stews, soups and stir fries. Roasted in the oven – yummy. Pickle or make pesto. Look up ways to use this delightful and good-for-you root vegetable in cookbooks or on the internet. I’m sure you’ll be planting more next time!
Article by Marion Woloschuk of the Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association
