Growing Garlic

Garlic is probably one of the easiest things to grow. I plant mine in the fall, usually around Columbus Day. When planting the garlic, separate the bulb into cloves. Then plant the cloves about 2″ deep and 3″ apart. That’s it!Basically, it’s like planting any bulb that will grow and bloom the following spring. After the ground thaws, you’ll see little green shoots that look like onions sprouting from the ground.

By mid-May, the garlic will be pretty tall, about 18″.

Garlic – end of May. It’s about 18″ high and scapes are starting to grow

Be on the lookout for the scapes. The scape will grow from the center of the stalk, is slightly curved and produces the garlic flower. Pinch it off.

Scapes are wonderful. I use scapes like I use chives or spring onions. You can make pesto with them, saute them in the place of garlic. The flavor is a lot milder than garlic. You can even mince them and add them to mashed potatoes.

Freshly harvested garlic scapes. Store them in a plastic bag until ready to use.

Your garlic is ready to be harvested when the green tops begin to turn brown. You can gently push the dirt away from the bulb to see if they’re ready to pull. After I pull mine from the ground and allow them to sit out in the sun for a day or two to cure. Then I cut off the tops and store the bulbs in a cool, dry place.