Garlic Info Sheet
Hardneck-(aka topset)
- Produces a scape, usually does better in colder climate.
- Can’t be braided.
- The most popular hard necked varieties are Asiatic, Creole, Marbled Purple Stripe, Purple Stripe, Porcelain and Rocambole.
- Has to be planted with the tip up (basal-plate down).
Softneck-(aka artichoke)
- Does not produce a scape unless stressed.
- Can be braided.
- The soft-necked varieties are Artichoke and Silverskin, which are most commonly found in the grocery store.
- Popular with industrial farmers because they can be planted upside down-because they don’t produce a scape.
Soil
* Garlic is a heavy feeder. Needs full sun and full range of nutrients. (Same as onions.)
* PH of 6.8-7.2 is ideal.
* Needs well drained soil with high organic matter. Loamy and fertile.
* Nitrogen can be applied in fall at planting IF a slow-release fertilizer such as soybean meal is used. In general, a nitrogen containing fertilizer should be applied in spring as soon as plants begin growing and then every 2 weeks until the plant has 4 leaves. (Applying after will encourage excessive leaf growth and reduce bulb size.)
* If foliar(leaf) feeding is used, it should be done prior to 4th or 5th leaf stage and a good spreader-sticker should be used to hold the solution on the waxy leaves.
When to Plant
* Vernalization from a period of cold is required for the mother bulb to split into cloves, Fall planting is recommended. (End of October) This gives time for good root development, but not enough time to make leaf growth. (Usually 3-6 weeks before ground freezes.)
* For Spring, the bulbs need refrigerated at 40 deg. for 40 days. (Not recommended)
* Garlic is day-length sensitive and will bulb in areas according to the sun, often near summer solstice.
How to Plant
* The size of the bulb is important. A bigger bulb/clove will produce a better and bigger plant.
* Discard any diseased, small, damaged or discolored stock.
* Crack the bulb into individual cloves. (Only right before planting.)
* Plant basal-plate side down. Plant 2-4 inches deep where winters are severe.
* Spacing depends on variety.
* Mulch well. At least 2-3 inches. Colder climates may require at little more to prevent Spring heaving. Mulch helps winter survival, suppresses weeds, conserves moisture and prevents soil erosion. Also keeps soil cooler in summer. Garlic quits growing when soil temperature increases above 90 degrees.
* Mulch- Use clean straw (no seeds), leaf mulch, grass clippings, organic compost or shredded paper. If you are in a severe winter area, you have to remove an inch or two of mulch in Spring. If garlic is prouted and yellowed under the mulch, just remove a few inches and it will green up and be fine.
Irrigation
* 1 inch of water or rainfall a week is needed for the best growth.
* Garlic likes even moisture, uneven watering will cause irregular shaped bulbs.
* Drip irrigation works best for garlic as well as water conservation (excessive evaporation).
* Stop irrigating 2 weeks before harvesting.
Pest Management
* Most pests that attack onion will attack garlic.
* These include onion thrips, onion maggots, grasshoppers and gophers. Thrips are the most common. They rasp the leaves and other plant tissue to encourage the release of sap. When damage is severe, the entire plant will wilt and die.
(Thrips begin to migrate when weeds in surrounding fields begin to dry up. Keeping areas weed free around garlic will reduce thrip infestation. Monitor thrips with hot pink sticky traps before migration begins.)
* Diseases are caused by fungi, bacteria, nematodes and viruses.
Seed Stalks (Scapes)
* Hardnecks grow a woody flowering stalk called a scape that grows bulbils at the top.
* Cut the scape when they are very young and tender. (Cook or sell.) If the plant is allowed to grow the bulbils at the top of the scape, the bulb below the ground will be 1/3 smaller.
* Cut or snap off the scape on a sunny day so the wound heals quickly.
* Always remove the cut scapes from the field to lessen disease risk.
* They sell for $2-5 a lbs. Dependent upon the market. If selling they must be rinsed, drained, bagged and drained.
* They have a mild garlic flavor. Used in stir fry, pestos, garnishes, pickled, etc.
Harvesting
* Time will depend upon variety.
* Stop watering 2 weeks before harvesting.
* Garlic bulb will double in size during its last month of growth.
* If harvested too soon, the skins won’t have formed around each clove.
* If Hardnecks are harvested too late, the bulbs may spread apart in the soil.
* Generally speaking, when the plant has 3-4 browned leaves, they are ready to harvest. Or 40% browned, 60% green.
* If softnecks are growing a scape, they are under stress and ready to harvest.
* Dig up a bulb to check before harvesting. The outer skin should be tight with fully developed and well formed bulbs.
* Harvest when it is coolest, early morning or late evening.
* Do not harvest when ground is muddy.
Drying
* Before garlic is stored or sold, it must be dried.
* It needs to hang for at least 10-14 days (3-4 weeks according to some) to help the neck cells constrict and hold the juice in the bulb. (With stem and roots still on.)
* Hang out of direct sunlight and with good circulation.
* They are ready to trim when you cut a stalk and garlic juice does not ooze out.
* Once cured, trim stalk to 1 ½ to 2 inches and roots to ¼ inch.
* Gently brush off outer layer of dirt. Be careful not to remove the outer layer of skin.
* Do not wash off with water.
Storing
Store seed stock in a cool dry place. 50-60 degrees is ideal.
Check stored garlic monthly. White mold is a post harvest disease that may show up in stored garlic. It is caused by a fungus that will spread.
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Turtle Creek Trading Co.
