Garlic planting 101: what to do, step-by-step if you want to plant garlic this fall., by Crystal on YouTube. 2 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick a sunny bed you can leave alone until June or July. Garlic keeps growing through spring, so you cannot use that space for spring crops.
Choose your varieties. In cold zones, hardneck types like German White or Chestnut Red handle winter well. Buy from a seed supplier, not the grocery store.
Break the bulbs into individual cloves a day or two before planting. Keep the papery skin on and pick the largest cloves for the best bulbs.
Loosen the soil with a spade and mix in compost so it drains well. Remove weeds and stones from the bed.
Plant each clove pointed end up, about 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. Space rows about 12 inches apart.
Water the bed well after planting so the soil settles around the cloves.
Cover the bed with a few inches of straw mulch. This insulates the cloves through winter and keeps weeds down.
Water only if the soil dries out over winter. In spring, pull back some mulch as green shoots appear.
Harvest around June or July when the lower leaves turn brown. Lift the bulbs with a fork and let them cure in a dry, airy spot.
Tips and common mistakes
Plant after your first light frost but before the ground freezes, so roots form without top growth.
Do not plant supermarket garlic, as it may be treated to stop sprouting.
Keep the papery skin on the cloves and plant them the right way up.
Mark the bed so you do not dig it up by mistake over winter.
Questions
When should I plant garlic in autumn?
Plant about 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes hard, usually October in zone 6. The cloves need time to root before winter.
Can I plant garlic in spring instead?
Yes, but bulbs will be smaller. Fall planting gives garlic a head start and bigger harvests.
How do I know when the garlic is ready to harvest?
Wait until the lower leaves turn brown and dry while a few top leaves stay green. That is usually June or July.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
