How and When to Plant Garlic [A to Z Guidelines with Tips for Better Growth: Garlic contains antiseptic properties and is highly valued for its health benefits. You can plant garlic in your garden too. If you plant and harvest them at the right time with proper care, you can have excellent garlic growth.
However, if you do not know when to plant garlic, this article will help you. It is essential to follow the right time frame. Or else, you may not get the right amount of garlic from the harvest.
This article will explain when to plant garlic bulbs and when to harvest garlic. We will also discuss how to plant garlic in your garden. So, continue reading till the end to know everything about planting garlic.
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Contents
When to Plant Garlic?
Fall or early winter is the best time to plant garlic. Though you also can plant them in the spring, planting them just before winter will provide better results.
After the summer, you are most likely to harvest the vegetables you have planted earlier. So, now you have a little space in your garden. You can use this space to plant garlic.
However, you also need to keep in mind that you will not be able to use that space before summer. That is because the bulbs will be ready to pick in early summer.
Back to the main topic of when do you plant garlic. Well, 3 to 5 weeks before the ground freezes is the best time. 4 to 6 weeks of the cold period usually helps garlic grow better.
How to Plant Garlic?
If you have decided to plant garlic this fall, you might want to know how to plant garlic. Well, garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow. Hence, you can start now with the following steps:
Step 1: Preparing Soil
First, you need to prepare the soil for planting garlic. Start with removing the weeds and leftovers of the summer harvest. Try cleaning the soil properly, or else weeds may grow soon.
After you have cleaned the soil, add some good compost. Homemade compost will do absolutely fine. You also can buy some from the market. Rake the soil well after mixing compost.
Step 2: Select Cloves
Selecting good cloves for garlic bulbs is also essential. You will find several types of cloves in the grocery store. But those are usually not too good. Therefore, we recommend you avoid such cloves.
So, what can you do to get good garlic cloves? Well, a nursery will be the best place for this. You can go to both online and offline nurseries. Try to buy big and healthy cloves for the best results.
Step 3: Plant Garlic Cloves
Once both the soil and the cloves are ready, you can proceed to plant. Each row should be at least 10 to 12 inches apart. Plant the cloves 2 to 4 inches in the distance from each other in a row.
2 to 3 inches deep is the ideal depth for planting cloves. However, some birds may try to dig up the bulbs. You can protect the area with nets a few feet above the ground.
Care for Garlic Plants
Now that you have planted the garlic, you need to take proper care of them. You can follow the tips below for the proper growth of garlic:
- If your area has a probability of heavy winter, then you should mulch before the frost. Then you also need to remove the mulch in late winter or early spring.
- Add fertilizer in the early spring. Repeat this again in late spring or early summer for better results.
- Do not forget to water regularly during the summer. You also should ensure that the drainage system works well.
- Some pests may also attack garlic. Regularly check for any pest or insect infestation. If you see any problem, you can use a good insecticide.
- Weeds can create problems in the spring. Try to remove them as soon as you see them. Or else they will take nutrients from the soil.
These were some common caring guidelines for growing garlic.
When to Harvest Garlic?
You can harvest garlic in late summer. June to August would be the best time based on when you have planted them. Harvest garlic when you see the top gets dried and falling down.
You can first pick one garlic to check and ensure you do not pick them early. If the bulbs seem mature, pick the others. Do not try to pull the garlic by hand. Carefully dig up every bulb to ensure all the bulbs remain undamaged.
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Final Thought: How and When to Plant Garlic?
We hope you have found the answer to when to plant garlic. Additionally, we have also explained how to plant garlic and when to harvest. After harvesting, keep the garlic in a dry place. You can store them for several months. If you have any more questions regarding planting garlic, please let us know. We will try to answer your queries on garlic planting ASAP.