Yesterday I had a nice chat with Warren Ham, the farmer who runs August’s Harvest garlic farm in Stratford, Ontario and guess what he said? It’s not too late to plant some garlic so that you have a home harvest next year. In fact, even if the ground is frozen in your area, Warren says you can scatter compost over the hard ground; plant the cloves and then top them with a thickish layer of compost and you’ll have garlic scapes for stir fries next spring. Seriously.
So, if you were wondering what to do this weekend, now you have plans! Just follow these tips – provided by Warren – for growing garlic:
- Make sure you choose cloves that are hard and solid.
- Plant in a raised bed of about 4-inches to give the bulb uncompacted soil that will allow the roots to develop and for excess rain to drain away in the spring.
- Plant each clove with the root plate end down
- Space the cloves 5 inches (12.5 cm) apart
- Plant near a fence or hedge that can act as a wind break to prevent winter kill
In the spring, harvest the scape flower 10 to 14 days after it appears and use it in your recipes. Harvest the bulbs at the end of the season when the leaves have died back by 30% (the bulbs will open if left longer. Dig from the ground, hang and cure for at least a week before using them in recipes.
Have you ever grown your own garlic? If not, now that you know how easy it is, will you try?
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November 13, 2009 at 9:59 am |
Sigh, I wish I had a garden… Maybe next year.
November 13, 2009 at 11:32 am |
You can plant a few garlic cloves in your flower bed you know.
November 13, 2009 at 12:09 pm |
Me, too. Why don’t the Cheryls have gardens? Double sigh. That garlic looks gorgeous.
November 13, 2009 at 12:43 pm |
I’d love to have a garden and grow garlic!
Cheers,
Rosa
November 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm |
Got mine planted. I first planted garlic as an insect repellant for a climbing rose that was struggling. It worked so well, this year I planted about 50 cloves in my rose beds. I’ll have fewer bugs and a bounty of garlic. Not a bad deal!
Also, I used organic garlic from the Farmers’ Market. They’re more sure to grow since the ubiquitous Chinese garlic has likely been treated to last longer.
November 13, 2009 at 1:30 pm |
Good tip about using Farmer’s market garlic! Thanks for sharing.
November 13, 2009 at 4:51 pm |
Excellent idea! I will plant some as well.
November 13, 2009 at 5:25 pm |
Fantastic – I’m proud of you for rising to the occasion.
November 13, 2009 at 6:09 pm |
Do you need full sun, or does it not matter? Had local garlic this year and it’s so much milder and nicer than supermarket, I’d love to plant some of the remaining cloves!
Thanks
November 13, 2009 at 6:25 pm |
I’ll consult Warren’s notes and get back to you.
November 14, 2009 at 4:23 pm |
Okay, full sun and plenty of water are what you need to grow good garlic according to the notes I got from Warren.
Good luck!
November 13, 2009 at 6:25 pm |
Thanks!
November 13, 2009 at 11:02 pm |
Can you plant them in a clay pot? *sigh* I wish I had a patch of dirt to plant. The photo looks great.
November 14, 2009 at 4:23 pm |
I think it’s worth a try. What have you got to lose?
November 13, 2009 at 11:06 pm |
I don’t use fresh garlic cause my hubby has a super sensitive stomach to the stuff….however, the scapes intrigue me. When I put a garden in (next year) I may have to try some.
November 14, 2009 at 8:38 am |
Such a hopeful idea…and easy!
November 23, 2009 at 11:50 am |
I grow about 2000 garlic plants and it’s the easiest crop I grow.
If you want to try it in a clay pot, I recommend planting in spring, not fall, or it will most likely die over the winter. Also, make sure you keep it WELL watered as pots dry out much faster than the ground.
Garlic scapes are more pungent than full-grown bulbs/cloves, so they may have the same or worse intestinal result.
It’s best NOT to use garlic purchased at the grocery store, as they may have been treated with growth inhibitor and/or may transmit disease. Also, the majority of garlic found in the supermarket is what is called “softneck” garlic. It is more pungent than “hardneck”, doesn’t throw a scape and will store for many months. It is the type of garlic used for braids, too, but the most common type of homegrown garlic is the “hardneck” type. There are great resources out there for seed garlic, as well as planting information. I recommend googling Boundary Garlic for info and Peaceful Valley Organic Grower’s Supply for seed stock (it’s excellent and the most reasonably priced.)
November 23, 2009 at 12:43 pm |
Thanks Cathy! This info is golden. Truly pleased you shared it.