Planting Garlic in the Fall for Next Summer’s Harvest

Planting and growing garlic was so easy even I couldn’t have screwed it up.  The best part is at the end of summer was harvesting those beauties.  Plus, you should have seen the look on my friends’ faces as when they saw my bounty.   They all shook their heads and wonder how I had the time to grow garlic.  Heck, I wasn’t going to tell them how easy it was.   Let them be envious.  It will be our little secret. Okay?

Planting Bubblets

Want a head start to growing your own?  Well, you have two choices.  You can grow from cloves or bubblet, which are seeds.  The first time I grew garlic, I planted bubblets.    If you let the garlic go to seed, they produce little bubblets in their seed head.  You can purchase bubblets, which are significant cheaper than cloves.  I bought mine form Sand Hill Preservation.Be forewarned and most of all, be patient.  It takes two years to grow garlic if you plant bubblets.  I know.  I waited two years.  However, once you harvest garlic, you never want to plant bubblets.  Who has the patience to wait 2 years?

Want Garlic Clove Gratification?

We are a society of immediate gratification.  If you want that immediate gratification, you have to plant cloves.  Now, I could have planted the largest cloves from my fall harvest but to be honest, my cloves weren’t so big.  I didn’t cut the scapes and let the garlic go to seed.  This action may have caused the bulbs to be smaller.  (By the way, I have more bubblets then I know what to do with them.)  Perhaps, I need to fertilize the plants?

I sourced HUGE organic garlic cloves to plant (or to eat) from Grey Duck Garlic.  See the picture above to see that I am not exaggerating.   Okay, maybe the picture doesn’t do the garlic clove justice.  Think my Georgian Crystals are like Shaq and my home grown garlic is like Danny Devito.  Do you get the picture now?

Watch the below video as I show you how easy it is to plant garlic.  Grey Duck advised to grow them in the North after a killing frost.  Mine is October 15 usually.  If you live in a warmer climate like the South, read here.

Planting Instructions

Generally, you want to plant the bulbs tip up six inches deep six inches apart.  The rows should be 8 inches apart.  Garlic like compost.  Grey Duck advises you should apply manure and compost.  I don’t use manure.  (I have a hang up about it since I am worried about what the cow or horse eats.  Do you have issues about using manure?)

If you live in a cold climate, you need to mulch the garlic.  In the Spring, fluff up the mulch to let the garlic grow.   During the season  make sure you weed and provide the garlic with fertilizer until the scapes appear.  (The curly part of the garlic which will contain the bubblet.)

You must weed around your garlic plant.   Grey Duck Garlic warns that if you don’t weed, your bulbs will be smaller.  Mine were smaller since I only gave them compost.  Now, I know better and will be fertilizing them in the Spring.   See, a gardener is always learning.

I can’t wait to see how these giant garlic clove grow?  How about you?

Join the Conversation

• Do you plant garlic?  If so, have any tips to share?
• If you plant garlic which type of garlic do you like to plant?
• Anyone plant garlic from the grocery store?
• Do you like to cook with the scapes?  If so, have a recipe?

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• Planting Garlic in the Fall
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• Natural Cure for Powdery Mildew: Garlic Spray to Keep it at Bay.
• Growing Onions from Seeds and Sets