Autumn Garlic

Q: I would like to plant garlic this year. Is it too late? Is there anything in particular that I need to do to the soil before planting, and to protect the bulbs through the winter?

A: Autumn is the best time to plant garlic for a spring harvest of large, flavorful bulbs.  Cloves should be planted several weeks before the first killing frost, usually from mid-October through November. The cloves need the time to develop roots that will hold them under the soil through the thawing and freezing cycles of winter. You also want to avoid the growth of any green shoots before the ground freezes.

If you have not purchased your garlic bulbs from a seed catalog or online source yet, a good place to find bulbs for planting would be a farm stand or farmers’ market. Most supermarket varieties are either not suited to grow in this area, or have been treated with inhibitors to keep them from sprouting.

Plant garlic cloves in a sunny spot in well-drained soil that has been fertilized with organic matter such as compost or manure. Garlic grows best in soil with a pH of about 6.5.

When you are ready to plant, separate the head of garlic into cloves. Each clove will grow into its own bulb. Use only the larger cloves that are free of mold, brown spots, or other signs of disease. Do not peel the cloves. Push each clove of garlic, pointy end up, into the soil 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart.  Space rows 18 inches apart. Place about 6 inches of mulch on top of your planted garlic.  This will help suppress weeds while allowing the soil to retain moisture and provide the bulbs with some protection from cold temperatures. Straw is a good choice for mulch.

Once the garlic cloves are in the ground and the mulch is in place, there is not much more to do than wait for spring. Winter’s cold temperatures will encourage bulb formation. When spring arrives, the longer days and warmer weather signal the bulbs to send up shoots. Remove most of the mulch in early spring. It won’t be long before the green tops of your garlic peek through.

Jessica Kesselman, master gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland
Sources:
http://pressrepublican.com/coop_ext/x240471377/October-perfect-time-to-plant-garlic