This summer-harvested crop actually needs to be planted this fall
If you ’ve been to a farmer ’s market this July and August , no doubt you have junket your eye on gorgeous bulbs ofgarlic , impertinently pulled from the earthly concern just calendar week ago . The coming into court of these acrid delicacies might lead you to believe that this is asummer croplike any other : embed in former outpouring and harvested when temporary begin to get really toasty . But that ’s not the case . Garlic is planted in late gloam the twelvemonth prior and then deplumate out many month later . Now is the time to start thinking about develop garlic for 2023 . The following tips and whoremonger will see you buy the correct type of garlic and get those seeded player Eugenia caryophyllatum plant correctly .
Garlic comes in an abundance of named varieties
Garlic is among the previous of naturalize flora — and for a number of excellent grounds . Not only is it full of vitamins and mineral ( vitamin B6 , manganese , selenium , vitamin C ) , but it also has numerous wellness benefits due to its main fighting ingredient , the sulfur - check compound allicin . It ’s also exceedingly easy to grow , storage well , and — effective of all — has a acrid aroma and delicious flavor that enhances a throng of cup of tea in the most wonderful ways . There are a superfluity of subtypes under the larger garlicky umbrella groups of “ hardneck ” and “ softneck . ”
Hardneck garlicsproduce fewer but prominent cloves than their softneck cousin-german , and they more often than not post up a florescence stalk anticipate a scape . This sturdy stalk starts at the base of the garlic bulb and goes up through the neck , pass on it a “ hard ” cervix . This ail - growing season , I ’m planting my repeated hardneck favorite , the high - yielding , fat - cloved ‘ Music ’ and the gorgeous , purple - striped ‘ Chesnock Red . ’ I ’m also trying out ‘ Montezuma Zemo ’ , which is say to be high yielding , produce heavy , yummy cloves ( even in juiceless atmospheric condition like we have in NorCal ) for the first metre .
Softneck garlicsproduce legion smaller cloves , often in layers , and are missing the flower stalk bodily structure , therefore retaining a soft neck at crop time . The best softneck garlic varieties for NorCal include mild - flavored , white - skinned ‘ Susanville ’ , midseason , pink - blushed taste - test winner ‘ Inchelium Red ’ , and the always popular late - time of year , silver - skinned ‘ Silver White ’ .
Whichever eccentric you select , you ’ll regain caliber seed ail ( very large bulbs of a gamy timber ) usable for sale at reputable nurseries and online starting in belated summertime . order of magnitude early because stocks betray out apace ! October through November is the ideal time to embed your garlic for the most productive yields of the eminent quality , round plump bulbs burst with flavorsome clove .
Tips for planting, caring, and harvesting your garlic crop
1. Choose the best location for growing garlic
Garlic loves a full sun position and sandy , loamy stain , but it grows well in well-nigh any well - drained , free , slightly acidulous , prolific soil . organise your garlic bed by wrench under or tilling in compost , and be certain to habituate compost that is fully broken down and bear both beast manures and plant life material . check that your soil has sizable phosphorus as well by add a well - balancedorganic fertilizerat planting time . Do n’t found garlic in the same place where you ’ve previously develop it , leeks , shallot , or onions because of the potency for spreading disease . Also , gophers love garlic , so protect your beds withgopherwire .
2. Prepare for planting time
If you corrupt whole garlic medulla oblongata , relegate each bulb up into clove , forbear from peeling off the composition , and plant only the best and biggest clove . Each of these clove will grow into a whole raw electric-light bulb of Allium sativum . Use the remnant smaller Eugenia aromaticum for immediate feeding or preserving . imbed your garlic cloves root word remnant ( fatter side ) down in rows spaced 9 to 12 column inch aside , with each Eugenia caryophyllatum 4 to 6 inch out from the next one . cut across them with 2 inches of soil , then mulch with a 2- to 3 - column inch layer of mulch — leaf , compost , and well - rotted manure all being excellent alternative — and irrigate it all in well .
3. Remember to water the garlic patch
Keep an eye on your garlic fleck throughout the fall , winter , and outflow to ensure it gets regular hydration , whether it ’s from rain or supplementalirrigation . Keep in psyche that although garlic loveswater , it must have fantabulous drain to preclude fungal problems or rot .
4. Fertilize and weed your crop when necessary
In spring , side - clothe your garlic with good organiccompostor a well - balanced constituent fertilizer before the bulb start to enlarge . supervise often for weed competitor ; grass can take over easily in leaping and rob nutrient from the soil , go to diminish bulb sizing and yields .
5. Watch for a springtime bonus
If you ’ve planted a hardneck variety , it most likely will send up a bloom stalking in the spring . These curled superlative are call ‘ scape ’ and are extremely tasty , with a mildly garlicky and almost sweet-flavored flavour when clean young . They ’re yummy in soup and sautés or added to spring salads .
6. Harvesting and storing garlic is a cinch
Harvest garlicwhen the top four to five leaves are 50 % green and the lower leaves are totally juiceless ( June through July in NorCal ) . Brush off superfluous dirt and pay heed your garlic ( mesh bags or braided ) out of direct sunlight where there is good aviation circulation . allow the bulbs heal for three to four week . Softnecks take longer to heal , as there are level of cloves . cut down off any roots , and veer the neck half an inch above the medulla oblongata if you ’re not plait the bulbs . The optimum computer storage temperature is 55 ° to 65 ° F .
Though exactly how many cloves per mind of garlic you ’ll actually harvest varies by variety , the universal rule is that one pound of garlic plant life out a 25 - foot row when space 4 inch aside . Be disposed for abundance ; that one pound of garlic usually results in more than 10 pounds of tasty garlic at harvest time !
For more about growing vegetable in Northern California , go here .
— Fionuala Campion is the proprietor and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .
Photos : Fionuala Campion
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It’s garlic harvest season, so chances are you’ve seen bushels of bulbs appearing at farmer’s markets all around Northern California in the past few weeks. Now is the time to start thinking about planting for 2023.
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‘Montezuma Zemo’ is a great variety of garlic to try in NorCal because it tolerates dry soil conditions.
When searching out seed garlic in the next few weeks, be sure to buy your stock from a reputable nursery or mail order source to be sure your seed is hearty and disease-free.
As the green sprouts of your newly planted cloves begin appearing, don’t forget to water. During drier years, irrigate the garlic bed weekly to ensure proper bulb development.
After the proper curing time, your bulbs will be ready to break apart and eat. Just use with caution, as fresh garlic can be stronger than grocery store offerings.
