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Garlic is gaining popularity in kitchens and gardens as Americans learn how easy it is to grow this delicious bulb. Harvesting a good harvest of garlic doesn't require a lot of expertise - even beginners can grow these nutritious treats at home. A few simple steps and you're on your way to enjoying garden garlic and bountiful harvests.

Choose your type of garlic

Your garlic growing schedule

Preparing beds for planting garlic

Grow your garlic

Take care of the garlic as it grows

Harvesting and storing garlic

Choosing Your Garlic Type

Garlic comes in many varieties, so you can choose one or more depending on your taste and meal plan. Real garlic is divided into two main categories:

Hard-neck garlic gets its name from the hard central seed body, known as the rind. They usually have a strong or pungent flavor, but a shorter shelf life: three months at most after harvest. Shrimp at the hard end are usually 12 or less in shrimp number 1. Large and uniform, the cloves grow in a layer around the hard stem. Soft-neck garlic does not form a hard stalk in the middle; Their tops remain soft and supple. If you've been thinking of trying your hand at making your own garlic braids - like the ones you see hanging at the farmers market - then soft belts are for you. Soft neck garlic has a milder flavor than hard neck type and they will keep for six months or more. The soft tip consists of up to 40 small irregularly layered cloves around the center.1

It's best to buy your grown garlic from local horticultural companies to get the right variety for your climate. Supermarket garlic is fine, but garlic is usually native to California or abroad and doesn't do

well when grown in gardens outside of those areas.

Timing Your Garlic Planting

Garlic can be planted in the fall or early spring. However, like tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, garlic needs cool weather to grow properly. Without time to cool, the garlic head will not split into cloves and you will end up with onion-like bulbs. If you are planting in the spring, plant garlic next to your first vegetable seeds to give the garlic the necessary cooling. Many gardeners prefer to plant garlic in the fall, when flower bulbs are planted. This gives garlic more time to grow, which means bigger, tastier summer harvests - and nature makes cooling easier. Plant fall garlic two weeks before or after the typical first frost date in your area. If you're not sure how often this happens, your local county extension agent can help.

Preparing Garlic Planting Beds

Garlic grows best in full, direct sun and in loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Abundant harvest depends on strong phytonutrients. Improve your garden bed with a 3- to 4-inch-wide layer of organic matter, such as compost. Apply this layer to the soil with a balanced fertilizer, such as Pennington UltraGreen All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10. It is a good idea to do a soil test before planting. Your extension worker can also help you. Garlic uses nutrients very efficiently when the soil pH is in the near-neutral range of 6.0 to 7.0 garlic can thrive.

Planting Your Garlic

Unlike vegetables that are grown from seeds or plants, garlic is grown from single cloves – like the ones you use in cooking. Each clove becomes a full head. Prepare cloves by hand just before planting time and invite friends to help. It's a great excuse for a garden party with a garlic menu! To prepare the garlic cloves, peel the outer paper from the garlic head, then gently and carefully separate the garlic cloves. Leave the mulch over each clove and avoid damaging their flat bottom plates - this is where the roots will grow. If some are damaged, don't worry; Just set them aside to use during meals. Plant garlic cloves 1 to 2 inches deep in warm climates or 3 to 4 inches deep further north. Lay the root plate flat on the ground so that the pointed end of the clove sticks out. For fall planting, add a 4-6 inch thick weed-free mulch. Mowing grass, leaves or straw works well. This avoids large fluctuations in soil temperature, allowing the garlic to cool in the fall and warm up in the spring.

Caring for Garlic as It Grows

Garlic planted in the fall penetrates the mulch as soon as the early spring songbirds arrive. Gently remove mulch from growing leaves. When the leaves reach about 6 inches in height, add a layer of compost next to them and feed them with the same fertilizer you used when you planted them. For spring planting, do this about a month after planting. Keep garlic weed; it does not compete well with garden weeds. Water the garlic so that it gets about 1 inch of water per week from your rainfall and watering combined. Cut stiff-necked branches in early summer when they are curly and soft. The skirt is excellent in sautéed or sautéed dishes. In addition, cutting off the tuber helps to make the tuber bigger. When your garlic matures and its leaves begin to turn yellow, stop watering completely to harden the bulbs. Very few insects bother garlic, but these types of insects can cause serious problems. Sevin Insect Killer Ready to Use2 kills garlic pests such as stem borers, leafminers and onion thrips on contact. Just allow at least 14 days between treatment and your garlic harvest. Fungal diseases can also affect garlic planting plans. The first sign of trouble is usually small brown, white, or purple spots on garlic leaves. Daconil fungicides provide very effective control of garlic diseases such as blight, powdery mildew or purple spot.

Harvesting and Storing Garlic

Depending on where you live, your garlic harvest could be anywhere from July to September. When the stems turn yellow and fall, and some of the lower leaves turn brown, that's it. it's time to harvest. Carefully dig up your garlic bulbs, keeping the stems intact. To maximize shelf life, "cure" your harvest in a warm, dry, shady place with good ventilation. Simply tie the stalks together and hang the garlic to dry or spread the ends out in a single layer. After two to four weeks, your garlic is ready for optimal storage. Cut the stem about 1 inch above the bulb or braid long-stemmed soft-necked garlic bulbs for a treat or gift. The refrigerator provides the ideal temperature and humidity for long-term garlic storage, so your harvest will continue to be productive for many months. Be sure to reserve a few bulbs for your planting material. With a treasure trove of home-grown garlic at your disposal, you can enjoy these flavorful vegetables in so many ways - from smoked and grilled to fresh garlic sauce and garlic oil. The GardenTech brands and the GardenTech blog are here to help you learn, grow and enjoy all the benefits and joys gardening has to offer.