How to Plant and Grow Garlic Bulbs

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial bulb that belongs to the onion family. While it’s one of the oldest known culinary seasonings, the Egyptian pyramid builders also ate it everyday as it was thought to strengthen the body.

Roman soldiers also swore by the sustenance-giving properties of garlic and ate it to help them stay healthy during long marches.

Today, garlic is one of the best-known herbs for improving the flavor of countless dishes. Without the distinct flavor of garlic, many soups, stews, meat dishes, and sauces would not be the same.

Garlic Bulb Types

There are three main garlic types grown for the culinary purposes. Each type has unique properties and the gardener may want to try all three types (and varieties) to see which grows best in his garden soil and site. Local nurseries and the county cooperative extension office will provide more information on the varieties that thrive in individual zones.

1. Softneck: These are the garlic types that are seen in grocery stores. They aren’t particularly cold-hardy and do best where the winters are mild. Softnecks’ flavor is spicier than the hardneck types and have excellent leaf tops for braiding.
2. Hardneck: This type of garlic has a single ring of cloves and the central stem is firm and stiff. Cold climates work well for hardnecks.
3. Elephant (Allium ampeloprasum): Elephant garlic isn’t a true garlic, but does offer the same taste. The 4-6 cloves produced by elephant garlic are quite large and have a milder flavor than their cousins.

How to Grow Garlic Bulbs

Garlic (Allium sativum) is planted by cloves, which are the sections inside a garlic bulb that can be pulled apart. They should be purchased by a reputable company that sells garlic bulbs to gardeners specifically for planting as opposed to bulbs obtained at a grocery store.

Bulbs from the store are not necessarily virus-free and the gardener will get a higher yield from nursery or catalog purchased bulbs. Garlic may be planted from October to January, but the larger bulbs will be produced by cloves planted in the fall. If a small area of the garden is used, it’s possible to harvest and store enough garlic for a year.

Allium sativum and Allium ampeloprasum like well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter and a little on the sandy side. The perfect planting situation for garlic bulbs is a pH of 6.5 which is fairly neutral. The optimal time to plant them is in the fall right after the first frost, but before the ground freezes.

Plant individual cloves in full sun about 2″ deep and 4″-6″ apart. After planting, the garlic bulbs (cloves) can be mulched with leaves or straw which will encourage worms to move in and add good tilth to the soil around the garlic. When spring arrives, add a layer of compost to the garlic bed.

The alliums should be watered only so that the soil is never entirely dried out. To encourage larger garlic bulbs snip off flower buds with garden scissors when they appear in the spring. Good companion plants are lettuce, spinach, and beets.

Harvesting and Storing Garlic Bulbs

In the late summer, their leaves will turn yellow and some of the tops will fall over. When more than half of the bottom of the leaves turn yellow (60%) it’s time to harvest the garlic bulbs. A garden fork should be used to loosen the soil around the bulbs before gently pulling them from the ground.

Before the bulbs can be stored for any length of time they need to be “cured”. The harvested garlic should be spread out on a table or preferably onto a screen or anything else that allows good air circulation. The gardener should take care that the bulbs are kept out of the elements such as rain or strong sun.

The stalks or leaves of the garlic should be left on the top until the curing process is over. Also, the leaves may remain attached to the bulb if the gardener is planning on braiding the bulbs for storage. After they have cured for about two weeks, the top growth should be clipped off at the bottom of the stem where it meets the bulb. If the leaves are left attached, they can be braided together, and hung. Garlic bulbs should be stored in a cool, dark place where they’ll keep for 6 months to 1 year.